The Short Term Rental Experience, Heightened

As the short term rental industry grows, consumers expectations move beyond a hyper localized experience toward a hyper personalized one. Hometelier is the idea of BRANDED HOMES where PREMIUM EXPERIENCES are delivered to make short term rental stays more luxurious, more fun, delicious, and above all, more you.

Hometelier was part of a short term five week project that sought to uncover viable offerings within the smart home industry. Focus was centered on the short term rental stay market and the various ways in which the inherit local experience could be enhanced.

How this works

No need to over pack. Hometelier Experience Packages are delivered containing items that'll make your stay more luxurious and fun. Based on collected data, shopping habits, traveling data, and personal preferences, items are selected to enhance your experience while lessening the weight of your bag.

W Hotels + Airbnb / Experience Study 1

The W Hotel experience is one of design sensibility, soothing ambience, and a little bit of fun. Upgrade your Airbnb stay with a bit of The W with down comforters, high end amenities, food and wine, slippers, robes, and light reading. Need dry cleaning service? or the gym? Hometelier gives users exclusive access to the W Hotel Concierge line and state of the art FIT gym.

Disney + Hotel / Experience Study 2

Make any Disney vacation sparkle by bringing a bit of magic into the room. Towels and themed amenities make bath time fun and preparing for a day out in the park is easy with a day pack, water bottle, Disney gear, and autograph books.

San Francisco City + Airbnb / Experience Study 3

Get cozy with the San Francisco experience. It includes warm blankets, Sonoma Valley wine, and a little poetry to take to the Golden Gate park, slippers to warm your toes, and a fleece to keep you snuggly when the fog rolls in. Hometelier also has special admittance to museums in the Bay.

User Journey Map - San Francisco City Package

Business Opportunities | Hometelier Expansion & Growth

The opportunities for Hometelier are endless. Experience Packages extend beyond short term stay experiences to celebratory experiences themselves. Birthdays, romantic getaways, graduation, to holidays are all experiences that can be enhanced at home or in a hotel.

The Business Behind it

Partnerships

Hometelier aims to establish partnerships with leading hotels, cosmetics, and clothing brands. As the short term rental industry becomes dominated by companies such as Airbnb, Hometelier gives hotels a stake in the claim.

During off seasons, hotels are rarely at full capacity, so Hometelier offsets losses by paying a percentage to use underutilized resources, such as comforters, pillows, robes, laundering, fitness, and lounges. With special offerings, it also drives short term renters into Hotel restaurants and bars.

Marketing Platform for Emerging Companies

As Hometelier grows, it can offer new emerging companies a marketing test bed to debut their products. This would be a winning strategy for both sides. Hometelier wants to provide their customers unique experiences and products, while new startups find value in brand exposure, collecting client data, and receiving feedback.

Private Labeling

Hometelier will begin to form partnerships with leading fashion or cosmetic brands to start private label and create exclusive products to streamline logistics.

Consumer Data Collection

Data will be the new business currency. With data on travelers - industries will look to Hometelier for insight. At the same time, Hometelier will be more responsive by adjusting and curating products to match user preferences and needs.

Research

What are some pain points in packing for a trip? Can a kit be created and delivered specifically curated for a short trip? Can it enhance an experience?

Qualitative Interviews

Qualitative interviews were conducted on millennial travelers, Airbnb Hosts, and a hotel manager to gain insight on the unmet needs of all stakeholders. Insights on traveler's packing habits helped drive testing and ideation.

"I provide certain amenities, but they are basic. I just don't want to spend a lot on branded items. But I do wonder if that does effect the experience of my renters. Are they more likely to stay if I had better amenities? " - Alana, Airbnb Host

"We do have downtimes and when we do, we advertise the rooms at a heavily discounted price. If there was an opportunity to make up the loss or funnel new profit, we would do it." - Chris, hotel manager

"I'll sometimes buy things at my destination. Use them for a couple of days and then leave it, hoping someone else will use it. I just don't want to pay $25 to check in my bag" - Kay, short term renter

"I'm from San Francisco. I don't own a lot of summer stuff. I don't even know if I have sunscreen. Going on a trip to Hawaii forced me to buy a bunch of stuff I needed while there, but not in SF. So now I have a beach towel and a sun hat I will NEVER use." - Joey, short term renter

Traveler Insights

People must buy EXTRA things they don't need for a trip.
Travel and sample sizes are most ideal for short trips.
Not all brands offer travel sizes.
People do not like to carry or pack low usage items.
Special amenities enhance experiences but require extra effort to obtain them.

Targeted User

Targeted Users are millennials and young parents with disposable income. Although they could afford staying at a hotel, they prefer the local and unique experiences a short term rental provides. If there are ways to enhance their stay, they are willing to spend a bit more for it.

Initial Concept Testing & Response

Based on consumer interviews, I tested a concept by building various bath and body kits for testing: sunscreen, face masks, moisturizers, shower gels, and lotion. These kits were created for individuals to small groups. Later ideation of kits were developed based on tourism data and future scenarios.

"When I was told not to pack shampoo, conditioner, toner, face wash, and sunscreen, I was relieved. It's going to be provided? And when I learned I didn't have to bring all of it back with me, I was even more happy" - Kay, short term renter

"I love the brands! Sample sizes are the best because it just the right amount. And when they're sample sizes of things I have never tried, I don't feel like I'm wasting if I don't like it." - Jennie, short term renter

"I felt pampered. There were so many options and I got to try things I would normally never buy. Sharing the face mask kit with my mom was great especially on our trip in Santa Barbara. We made an afternoon of it." - Victor, short term renter

MVP

A streamlined e-commerce platform
A streamlined logistic plan between Partnerships and Hometelier (hotels, brands, and clothing lines)
Licensing agreement between Hometelier, hotels, and products
Processing, delivery, pickup, and inventory management of curated Experience Boxes to Short term rentals
Partnerships with city tourism board

Future Studies : Hospitality Industry

By utilizing STEEP Methodology within the futures framework, boards were created to show high impact and most probable futures within the smart home industry. Used as a basis for next steps, our research team looked into supplemental accommodations and services that satisfied the unmet needs of current short term renters.