The New Era of Travel May Just Be with Poshpacker
When a few hours of deal digging netted Poshpacker co-founders Tania Cruz and Anna Kojzar a trendy 25 Euros per person overnight spot at the Judoca Beach Apartments in the Canary Islands, the two eager entrepreneurs couldn’t believe it. A hip hotel, with WiFi and satellite TV, located only a block away from the Canary Islands beaches at 25 Euros per person?
Obviously, it appeared too good to be true . . . but it was true.
After staying in this unique location, the two travel hunters were intrigued by what else they could find. They scoured the Internet in search of more avant-garde accommodations that were offering stays for $15 to $100 per occupant. Once Cruz and Kojzar had amassed a collection of posh (unique design, history or location) and affordable international overnight spots, the two created their own hotelier booking database called Poshpacker.
The Poshpacker
Now a highly trafficked digital travel accommodation service, Poshpacker is marketing itself as the world’s first hotelier booking site for upscale backpacking. “Our mission with Poshpacker is basically to help people find cool places to stay around the world that are affordable,” Kojzar tells MiLLENNiAL.
In fact, the contagious trend has proven to be a time-released travel bug as the average MiLLENNiAL trip length is 46 days. And to meet millennial demands for longer vacations, Cruz and Kojzar have utilized social media as a tool for researching the overarching overnight spot qualities necessitated by extended travel schedules.
“We talked to a lot of travelers and we noticed that these trends of applying the five P’s were most important to travelers in that kind of environment,” Kojzar says.
The Five P “Philosophy” standards include:
- Presence – The hotelier should have a unique design, style and history. And kudos to any spot located in a safe, clean and comfortable neighborhood.
- Privacy – The hotelier should provide exclusive living spaces yet also offer a communal area or public space where guests can socialize with each other.
- Perks – Various amenities should be included in the hotelier package such as complementary Wi-Fi and breakfast as well as a rooftop pool or bar.
- People – The staff should have knowledge of hidden gems in the local area. And the hotelier should appeal to travelers eager to share experiences and make new friends.
- Price – The lodging should be high-end yet affordable, usually between $15 and $100 per guest per night.
After researching potential hoteliers, Cruz and Kojzar consolidate the selected spots into an easily accessible search engine, which yields dozens of results by simply cross-referencing the city and projected dates of a customer’s vacation itinerary. And the Poshpacker search engine also filters out specific hotelier styles, including hotspots offering a millennial-popular feeling of being alone together, wherein guests have as much opportunity for privacy as they do for meeting other travelers.
“A lot of hostels are incorporating this thing like bed and beverage with private rooms and breakfast included. But you’ll have a cool rooftop bar. Just to bring people together to share with each other and expound on the social experience,” Cruz says.
What does a Hotelier Look Like?
Hotelier styles (and examples) include:
- Poshtel – an upscale hostel sporting impressive design, private rooms and optimal comfort.
- Split, Croatia – The Goli & Bosi Design is situated in a 19th century warehouse and only a short walk to Bacvice Bay. Private and shared, dormitory-style rooms are available where beds are separated by curtains with individual power sockets. Amenities include free WiFi, a small onsite cinema and 24-hour assistance by multilingual staff.
- Posh Camping – a luxury camping spot supplying comfort and a satisfying outdoor experience.
- Berlin, Germany – the Qbe Hotel Heizhaus is a garden-centered, Lichtenberg district campsite offering unique cubes and towers (so cool!) with sufficient storage and sleep space. Amenities include daily onsite breakfast, shared lounge areas, free WiFi and a bicycle rental service.
- Micro Hotel – a hotel that creates a lot from a little by offering small yet uniquely designed sleeping spaces.
- Gatwick, United Kingdom – the Yotel Gatwick Airport is a Japanese-style capsule micro-hotel with compact cabin rooms. All rooms include a jukebox system, flat-screen TV, monsoon showers, 24-hour cabin service, relaxed mood lighting and access to unlimited free tea and coffee from The Galley.
- Comfy Apartments – a comfortable, well-located apartment offering longer stays and a contact person available within quick reach
- Istanbul, Turkey – the Karakoy Aparts complex is set in a renovated 19th century building and located within short walking distance of the Karakoy Tram Station and dining spots. Room amenities include free WiFi, an electric kettle, satellite flat-screen TV, safety deposit box, minibar and onsite Turkish breakfast.
- Chic BnB – a quaint BnB with crisp design, chic furniture pieces, interior common areas and free onsite breakfast.
- Matera, Italy – the Basiliani Hotel is set in the Sasso Caveoso archaeological area of Matera and offers modern-style rooms situated in ancient buildings. Amenities include free WiFi, satellite TV, daily buffet breakfast, multilingual staff and a breathtaking view of the adjacent prehistoric caves.
So, given the recent shift to such unique travel preferences, what exactly has changed about the millennial traveler that booking sites such as Poshpacker strive to accommodate?
How Poshpacker Fits the Millennial Traveler
In 2014 the WYSE (World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation) stated in their Millennial Traveler report that millennials currently represent 20 percent of international travelers and will make 320 million international trips per year by 2020.
But given a poor economic climate and a frustrating job market, what could explain the surge in millennial travel?
Well, travel logs shared through the 21st century social media storm (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) have created an internationally contagious ‘can do’ attitude, which is likely influencing millennials to respond to the poor economy by experimenting with international travel as a means of adding unique experiences to their professional resume. And travel accommodation services such as Air BnB, Home Away and Poshpacker have manifested to meet the needs of such an increasingly nomadic generation operating on a tight budget.
“We want that feeling of going to the W Hotel but not spending a bunch of money . . . and we’re seeing that the trend is picking up and growing,” Kojzar tells MiLLENNiAL.
Millennials are also much more interested in booking an interactive adventure than in roasting on a beach. In fact, a recent Barkley, Boston Consulting Group and Service Management Group survey reported that millennials are nearly twice as likely as other generations to vacation in a spot that involves outdoor thrills such as hiking and climbing.
“Just to bring people together to share with each other and expand on the social experience. It’s more than just a place to stay,” Cruz says. Poshpacker intends to enhance the millennial travel experience by supporting hoteliers who create a destination as memorable as the journey and, ultimately, who connect like-minded travelers seeking that next life-defining adventure.
For more information or to book your next adventurous hotelier trip, visit Poshpacker.co and follow them on Facebook to discover the latest hidden gems.