Meet Amberlair, the world’s first boutique hotels where guests are involved from day one.
Ever have a special and unique experience at a smaller, independent hotel that knocked your socks off and thought “I wish I could find this magic everywhere I travel?” Amberlair is all about getting the customer involved at the beginning, to create a truly customized experience.
Field in Puglia Italy where they plan to build first hotel — credit: Amberlair
Long time travelers themselves, Amberlair founders Marcus Orbe and Kristin Lindberg thought it was a great idea to tap into the knowledge of avid travelers, starting with people who truly love boutique hotels. And so, they decided to launch an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign, which runs until November 16, 2017.
The crowdfunding campaign gives travelers the chance to back the first ever crowdsourced boutique hotel. We thought this was such a cool concept that we were thrilled to participate in their campaign.
After the campaign ends in November, they’ll prepare for the first opening in 2020, which will include input and feedback from Amberlain backers, from the style and decor of the hotel to the amenities and beyond.
Amberlair’s approach is not only revolutionary but its disruptive. After all, how we travel today is very reactive. Think about it: we do the research (and this can be very time consuming as picky and savvy travelers know) and hope that our hotel “picks” match up to our expectations based on our prioritized check list. We try to get as close as we can to our optimal stay based on what hotels already exist in the marketplace.
Amberlair Community Votes Puglia for First Location
Amberlair is getting a global travel community involved at the start, so they have a say even before the hotels are even built. Guests will give their input before hotels are built and can continue to be involved with the brand, so they become an integrated part of the Amberlair community and brand over time. It’s a brilliant concept!
Based on community feedback, Amberlair has already chosen its first Amberlair Hotel, which will be in Italy. Who doesn’t want to travel to Italy even if you’ve been countless times before?
Above: the luxury villa in Puglia Amberlain plans to build out for their first crowdsourced hotel from their IGG campaign — photo credits: Amberlain
With the feedback and help of the #boholover community, the team is slated to develop a historic villa in Puglia, Italy. If you’ve never been to Puglia, it’s stunning.
Puglia is remotely located between two seas – the Ionian and the Adriatic, and it is within easy reach of beaches, UNESCO world heritage sites and international airports (Bari and Brindisi).
You know those cute little cone-like stone buildings known as Trulli? Well, they are only found in Puglia.
Trulli architecture – credit: Wikipedia
Trulli generally were constructed as temporary storehouses, shelters or in some cases, permanent dwellings by small proprietors or agricultural labourers. In Alberobello, which is located in the Bari province, whole districts contain dense concentrations of trulli. Fascianting right?
Guest Opinion Not Only Matters: It Dictates
Amberlain is all about offering hotels for the people, by the people, giving power back to the guests, allowing them to shape how a property will be used and what it will look like. We love this idea — after all, who doesn’t want a say in their travel experience, especially when you spend a lot of money on a luxury stay?
It sounds great, you might be thinking, but how will it work logistically you may be thinking, right? Amberlair will run various contests and brainstorming exercises where IndieGoGo backers will be able to submit their ideas and vote on your favorite ones.
Start imagining your ideal stay. Examples of the input you can provide include:
- What’s the ambiance, decor and design look like in the villa or boutique hotel you’d like to stay at?
- What does the perfect bathroom look like? The tub? Does the bathroom have a view?
- What goes into your ideal bedroom?
- What does impeccable room service mean to you? This is for all the people who have ordered breakfast and had it arrive cold with extra fee upon fee? Ever ask yourself: did I actually just pay $22 for a large pot of hot water? We’ve all been there.
- What are the most amenities to you? Which ones matter and which ones don’t?
- Is there a gym and if so, what does it include? If you’re into fitness, its frustrating to stay in a luxury property and only have access to a treadmill.
- Do you want the hotel to offer activities beyond a gym, the morning paper and a shoe shine? How about learning how to cook southern French cuisine with the chef? Body fat assessment followed by a fitness schedule for the week from a coach? Complimentary bikes so you can explore the area and leave the car behind? A spa treatment thrown into reservation so you know pampering is part of your stay without considering an extra spend on top of your already high investment?
Imagine if you will, a stay where your next need is anticipated before you think about it, the ultimate in luxury stays and yet more and more often, it seems to be lacking, at least in my personal experience.
Join the Amberlair Community & Back Their Campaign
The Amberlair crowdfunding campaign is rewards-based so the perks are based on experiences which include discounted stays at the hotel, visits to the site during the construction, meetings with the founders and more.
Visit their website for more information and their IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign page to get involved, back their idea and become part of the Amberlair community.
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Note: this is a sponsored post in conjunction with Amberlair and the Amberlair IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
