A savvy travel startup is making it possible to enjoy all the glamour of a hotel stay at a fraction of the cost, by letting people book rooms in the world’s top hotels for the day or just a few hours.
We sent #TeamCoco rep Rachel McAlley along to experience a South Yorkshire hotel to find out what the latest trend was really about and whether it was as exciting to check-in to a hotel for the day rather than the night!
Luxury hotel stays are often the preserve of rich travellers with plenty of cash to spare, but DayBreakHotels.co.uk is making it possible for guests of all budgets to kick back and relax in some of the world’s best hotels, whilst avoiding the eye-watering bill.
Users can take advantage of hotel facilities during the day (when most rooms are usually empty) and experience the suite life for up to 75% less than the cost of an overnight booking.
Guests looking for a taste of luxury simply search for their chosen location, choose which facilities they want to add on, such as spa access or a swimming pool, and select a date, before being shown available hotels. These range from popular chains such as Radisson and Hilton, as well as beautiful independents including the 5* Alexander House in West Sussex and The Athenaeum in Mayfair London, plus Scotland’s 4* Nira Caledonian in Edinburgh, and the Midlands 4* Holiday Inn Birmingham North are all booked for DayCation experiences.
Rachel opted to search for a Yorkshire-based hotel, in a rural location (not too far from a city), indoor pool, spa, good food and onsite parking. The 4* Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa was the Yorkshire option on DayBreakHotels and it catered for all her needs.
Check-in took place in the morning, it was as simple and as easy as normal check-in, although it did seem quite strange to be staying in a room for the day rather than overnight.
A ‘Privilege’ room was offered at the Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa, which gave comfy slippers and robe in room along with the luxuries of a Nespresso machine, biccies, and wifi.
Rachel took the opportunity to work from the bedroom desk with free wifi, drink coffee, and enjoy a little daytime TV, all while wearing comfy slippers and eating tasty biscuits. Early afternoon she took to the pool for a short dip, and back to the room to get ready for a late lunch in the hotel lounge and bar, including calamari followed by roast chicken sandwich with avocado mayo and a little cheeky portion of chips on the side.
Post lunch it was time to head back to the hotel room to do a little more laptop work, and get ready for a pamper session in the hotel spa where she had a Kenwood Hall signature back, neck, and shoulder massage with a divine head massage thrown in for good measure.
At 4.30pm it was time to pack-up and check-out of the hotel. This was as easy as checking-in, with no issues whatsoever, it was then time for the room to be remade for the evening guest arrival. All-in-all it was a great experience, one that is surely going to be the biggest craze of the year in the hotel sector.
Whether you want to take advantage of room service, relax by the pool, get pampered at the spa or fine dine in the restaurant, the DayBreakHotels platform will help you find a hotel that suits your needs and budget, making this the ideal daycation/staycation activity to experience with friends or loved ones, or even the perfect excuse to grab some me-time.
As well as the pleasure seekers and staycationers, the platform is also geared-up for the convenience of business travellers needing somewhere to rest and change between meetings or during layovers. Business travellers can book rooms based on their proximity to train stations and airports, as well as rent meeting rooms via the platform.
Co-founder and CEO of DayBreakHotels, Simon Botto, said:
“There are so many beautiful hotels around the world with amazing facilities on offer, but most overnight guests are rarely able to enjoy them properly and many others would love to experience the luxury of a hotel stay, but can’t spare the money or the time. With DayBreakHotels, we’re opening up the possibilities when it comes to hotel stays, making these amazing venues far more accessible.
“We’ve got a gorgeous selection of venues in the UK and we’re looking forward to welcoming even more hotels into our growing network over the coming months, so that Brits can enjoy the luxuries of hotels on their terms.”
The start-up aims to make hotel facilities more accessible for all, whilst helping hotels stay busy during quiet periods. In some cities worldwide, the incursion of Airbnb has resulted in a 1.5% loss in hotel revenue and a 1.3% decrease in hotel nights booked, meaning solutions like these that boost bookings and fill rooms are crucial if the hotel industry is to prosper in the long term.* The incremental revenue earned by selling rooms for day use allows hotels to boost profits by 10-20%.
The platform first launched in Rome in 2014 and is now operating in 15 countries with over 3500 hotels to choose from worldwide.
*Stats taken from a study into the effect of Airbnb on the accommodation market, as quoted on Forbes.com.
We would like to thank DayBreakHotels and Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa for organising TeamCoco’s first ever DayCay experience.