Alternative stays: Stayzilla makes itself at home

Online stay marketplace Stayzilla, having sensed the potential opportunities in the alternative stay segment as a win-win for owners, customers, and the company, has decided to grow its business in the said segment over the next three years.

‘Alternative stay’ refers to any structured or unstructured accommodation option, which an owner may put up so as to achieve incremental business out of it, or just as an interest. Such options might include serviced apartments, and paying guest homes in metros, while in smaller towns and rural areas, they may be homestays, farmstays, activity-based housing, hilltop stays, and tree houses. “Currently, we have around 25,000 rooms across 200 towns for alternative stays on our platform. Over the next three years, we aim to open 500,000 rooms, across 4,000 towns,” Stayzilla Founder and Chief Executive Officer Yogendra Vasupal told DH.

In the last 45 days alone, the company, incorporating a new strategy, brought about 7,500 rooms to be opened, and on its platform. “We have identified that there is under-supply in accommodations, and travelers are constantly looking for personalised value-added experiences. There is dearth of rooms in the country, with one room for every 1,000 domestic trips alone. With a shortage of over one million rooms to be provided for alternative stays hold the key,” he said.

“Many Indians invest in real estate. While they occupy one property, many other structures lie vacant, which may be converted into stay options for guests. Through promotional events, we have been able to encourage hosts to open their properties with Stayzilla,” Vasupal said, adding that though the current alternative stays in India number around 40,000 rooms, in the next few years, it is likely to boom. The company is in talks with channel managers to bring over 8,000 hotels on its platform, to its already existing 35,000 hotels.


Advantage Landlord

Stayzilla has decided to grow its business in the ‘Alternative Stay’ segment.
  The niche includes serviced apartments, paying guest homes, homestays, farmstays, hilltop stays, etc.
  Currently, it has around 25,000 rooms across 200 towns for alternative stays on its platform