US: Stayawhile, a global network of furnished apartments aimed at creating a lifestyle brand for business travellers, has been launched to market.
The company is targeting multi-city “upscale nomads”, and seeking to standardise the lodging element of the sharing economy as a better option for corporate housing.
Stayawhile CEO Janine Yorio, formerly head of acquisitions and development for Andre Balazs Properties, said: “It’s as if Airbnb and Soho house had a baby, if a boutique hotel company decided to create housing for upscale nomads.”
The focus of the is a mainstream audience, described as “somewhere between those digital nomads looking for cheap rent and wealthy executives who can afford multiple apartments in different cities”.
The company will offer “standard, well-designed spaces in various cities, giving those with a multi-city lifestyle flexibility as well as a recognisable place to call home”.
Users, who must apply for membership and pass credit checks, can store personal items and clothing at each location.
The standardisation of decor across cities and buildings extends to all units being studio apartments with private kitchens and bathrooms. All have 50″ Samsung televisions, Amazon Echo Dots, Roomcast, Leesa mattresses, Parachute bedding, PuurBody bath and body products, and kitchens and bathrooms stocked by Crate & Barrel.
Yorio says the company is aiming to be more Ace Hotel and less corporate housing. Head designer Shana Sigmond was head of design for WeWork and previously worked on Ace and Standard hotels.
Yorio sees a big opportunity in the corporate housing market, and says Stayawhile seeks to provide “both a better experience and more flexibility, with options for relatively short-term stays”.
Staywhile has opened at two locations in Manhattan, at 71 Broadway and 229 Chrystie Street, as well as apartments in Boston and Long Island City in Queens, New York. Washington DC, San Francisco, and Miami locations are expected later this year, with London, Paris, and Los Angeles planned for 2018.
Prices for members start at around US$1,000 a week for space in a Stayawhile unit, with minimum stays of a month. Maintenance, Wi-Fi, and all taxes are included.</p
