BUSINESS TRAVEL
Life House | March 20, 2023
Tech-enabled hotel management company, Life House, has announced the addition of two more properties in Mexico to its growing portfolio of 80+ independent hotels.
The two properties are Faisano Nomadas in Aldea Zama and The Carmen in Playa Del Carmen. With these hotels, Life House is now managing five independent hotels in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
The Carmen is a 37-room hotel in the heart of Playa Del Carmen that is catered to adult vacations and is located directly on the beach. Built in 2017, the hotel features stunning views of the Caribbean from its rooftop bar and lounge, Deck5, and also hosts an Italian restaurant, La Famiglia, on the ground floor. The Owner is a long-time Denver-based developer. Ownership was very excited to have Life House take the reins given their existing presence in the Playa Market.
“We selected Life House for the promise of its advanced tech stack and the opportunity for shared services with their other hotels,” said the Owner of The Carmen. “We expect to see many improvements to The Carmen’s operations and profitability with this new partnership.”
Faisano Nomadas is a 24-room hotel in the heart of Aldea Zama. It was designed not just as a hotel, but as a destination itself, complete with a resort-style pool and a bar offering food and drinks concepted uniquely for the hotel. Francisco Mendoza and Gustavo Acosta, the developers of Faisano Nomadas, are highly experienced hotel owners and strategic growth partners for Life House in Mexico.
Francisco Mendoza shared, “Working with Life House has been really exciting. They have been supporting our project with all their experience and knowledge as we are not Hotel operators - we are just investors trying to develop a profitable business with a great customer experience for our guests. Life House has experienced specialists in all operating areas who are guiding us in this journey and giving us the structure needed in order to achieve our goals.”
Life House, founded in 2017, is uniquely positioned to manage smaller, leisure-oriented hotels and resorts across Mexico. Life House provides institutional-quality hotel management and branding services focused on profitability, ease, and long-term real estate value. They offer best-in-class hotel operations that are powered by their robust operational systems and proprietary technology that consistently drives 2x higher NOI, 40% higher net revenues, and all with a very lean on-site staffing model. Life House is therefore seeing high demand for its management platform throughout Mexico and is targeting the region as a strategic area of growth.
“We are excited to partner with Messrs. Mendoza & Acosta and the owner of The Carmen on their special hotels and forward thinking approach,” said Rami Zeidan, the Founder & CEO of Life House. “Ever since we entered the market in 2020, we have seen how many great independent hotels are underserved and we’re looking forward to helping small & medium indie hotels throughout the country in the near future.”
About Life House
Life House is a vertically integrated hotel management & technology company focused on serving small and medium independent hotels with institutional quality service. Life House uses advanced software & operating systems to increase profitability and reliability for independent hotels throughout North America. Life House was founded in 2017 by real estate, hospitality, and technology veterans and is backed by world renowned private equity and venture investors. The company is ambitiously investing in its operational systems to make hotels fare more profitable, predictable, and seamless for owners. Today the company operates over 80 hotels across North America.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
businesswire | March 29, 2023
Travel bookings with Boatsetter, the leading marketplace for on-water experiences and boat rentals nationwide, have increased almost 80% year-over-year with renters using the platform’s on-demand “Instant Book” feature, allowing renters the flexibility to get out on the water within 48 hours or less of making the original booking. The growth in reservations follows an early indication of record breaking consumer demand in major hubs such as Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, and San Diego. The company has grown the fleet of boats in each of these locations by more than 100% in the past 12 months, providing renters with an even greater array of on-the-water experiences to choose from.
The company attributes its unprecedented growth in these areas to its success in innovating the platform to meet growing consumer demand driven by popular work-and-play trends, including “bleisure” (business and leisure) trips, “workcations” (trips employees take during working hours with some time leftover to explore new locales), and "staycations" (vacations spent at home involving day trips to local attractions).
“As working consumers continue to take advantage of flexible remote work and hybrid work models, it’s easier than ever to extend a weekend trip with a partial day, full day or multi-day boat trip,” said Boatsetter CEO Michael Farb. “Boatsetter makes it easy for travelers to spend a day working from a boat, enjoy a sunset cruise after work, or even reserve an early morning fishing experience before logging on to the work day.”
Boatsetter has evolved its mobile-app and website experience to offer almost unlimited flexibility and customization options. Prospective renters can find varying trip durations, from half or full-day rentals to 2, 3, and 6-hour excursions, and even multi-day reservations. Multi-day bookings, an ideal option for renters who want to get out on the water for consecutive days in a row, have skyrocketed, with a 70% increase compared to data from this time last year. In addition, Boatsetter observed increased interest in day boat rental styles; the most popular vessels being pontoons, followed by center consoles, and bowriders.
“Our goal is to create a platform that makes getting on the water an accessible option for as many people as possible,” added Farb. “The Boatsetter team is consistently tracking consumer trends and the needs of our renters to innovate and expand our marketplace options.”
With over 1,500 captains to choose from, Boatsetter also offers the largest network of USCG-certified captains, allowing renters to enjoy a stress-free boating environment without any previous experience. To learn more about Boatsetter or book a rental, please visit www.boatsetter.com.
About Boatsetter
With more than 50,000 boat listings available in over 700 locations worldwide, Boatsetter is the leading marketplace for on-the-water experiences and boat rentals. Boatsetter makes it easy to discover and enjoy a wide array of on-water experiences by connecting qualified renters directly to boat owners and licensed captains. Featuring the largest database of USCG-certified captains, Boatsetter makes it possible for even those with no prior boating experience to tap into an incredible array of water activities. Credited with pioneering the first ever peer-to-peer boat rental insurance policy, Boatsetter has empowered boat owners with the tools and support to become entrepreneurs on the water. Launched commercially in 2014, over one million boaters and boat owners alike have turned to Boatsetter to discover the endless possibilities the water provides.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY, DESTINATION AND TOURISM, COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
TCS World Travel | April 28, 2023
TCS World Travel, the world’s leading operator of private jet expeditions, today unveiled eight new customizable itineraries for travelers seeking a personalized getaway with private jet, plane or first class commercial travel options. From a deep dive into some of the most remote destinations in southern Africa, to an island-hopping journey around the Mediterranean, travelers can choose from a diverse menu of all-encompassing trips that combine exclusive access and one-of-a-kind experiences with luxury accommodations in desirable destinations around the world.
TCS World Travel’s Private Custom Travel arm offers guests an exclusive, private and stress-free way to travel, leveraging TCS’ wealth of knowledge, global network of connections, and on-the-ground expertise from the company’s 30 years of experience creating unforgettable Group Jet Expeditions. Guests will enjoy TCS World Travel’s exceptional service, dedication and attention to detail, and benefit from their exclusive access and insights, as their knowledgeable travel consultants plan every step of the journey. TCS can also include an experienced trip leader to travel with the group and sort out all the on-the-ground details throughout the journey.
Travelers will begin with a complimentary trip consultation with TCS’ travel consultants, who will help them personalize their itinerary by choosing the perfect destinations and activities. All itineraries are completely customizable for travelers looking to build their own personalized vacations to their own unique tastes and specifications. While these itineraries are designed to spark ideas, TCS can create trips that are as over-the-top as guests wish to go.
“Whether guests are planning a once-in-a-lifetime bucket-list trip, multi-generational family getaway, or romantic trip with their partner, TCS World Travel has the planning and operational expertise to make the complex simple,” said Shelley Cline, President of TCS World Travel. “The unparalleled expertise of our travel consultants makes the process seamless and enjoyable from start to finish, as guests work with our team to create the trip of their dreams.”
TCS’ all-encompassing curated journeys include luxury accommodations, savvy local guides, exceptional dining experiences, transfers, gratuities and end-to-end service. The trip pricing includes all accommodations and activities in the proposed itinerary, with the ability to add on a private jet or first-class commercial travel to the itinerary starting points. Select itineraries (as indicated below) include private jet travel between destinations, but TCS can arrange anything from commercial or private flights to private car service, yachts or even train travel. Choosing Private Custom Travel gives guests the freedom to travel however they desire.
About TCS World Travel
TCS World Travel leads the industry in private jet journeys with the experience and knowledge built from developing hundreds of trips for over 30 years. The company excels at providing unparalleled local access and exclusive activities tailored to any travel style. Circle the globe or take a dive deep into a region on a luxury private jet expedition or embark on a luxury custom journey by private charter plane created especially for you to any destination in the world.
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