In 2008, during the great recession, a small group of individuals saw an opportunity to launch a service that allowed anyone to rent out their room or home to other travelers. Since most people were looking for extra income, this small company eventually grew to a $40B company called Airbnb.
This technological and service shift in hospitality has allowed for other companies to enter the space and fill a much needed void for travelers who want a more local feel while gaining more amenities than current hotel chains can provide.
One such company is called The Guild. The Guild is a collection of boutique hotels located in upscale residential buildings — offering 24/7 concierge services, the amenities of home, and fresh local insights. The Guild negotiates lease terms with luxury apartment developers who need to fill their vacancies. The Guild rents entire floors or groups of units within these luxury communities and then offers them to short term travelers. They are currently operating in Austin, Dallas, and Miami. They are also getting into new markets like Nashville and Boston shortly.
While traveling for business or pleasure, travelers can take advantage of the one and multiple bedroom units as well as all of the amenities that the locals enjoy. Including full gyms, beautiful pools, luxurious kitchens, common areas, in-unit washer and dryers and much more.
When traveling to a new city, most travelers don’t want to stay in their cramped room. They want to get out and explore the city like a local. The Guild specializes in this by having their local neighborhood guides help guests get out and enjoy the local businesses and enjoy the local things to do.
Each room is uniquely designed and curated with local items.
The Guild has amazing reviews in each of their locations. Here are a few from their Guild East 6th location in Austin which is #1 for specialty lodging on Trip Advisor.
“Excellent Stay. Very professional staff. Extremely concerned about the satisfaction of our stay. Staff promptly responded to any question or concern. Building and property entrance was very secure. Room very clean and modern. Very up-scale at an affordable price.”
“We visited Austin this weekend for a football game. The room was great, the staff was very nice and attentive. The kitchen was well appointed and there was a small grocery on site. The neighborhood is funky but up and coming. We were able to walk to and from the stadium which is about a mile and a half away.”
“This place is awesome. ESPECIALLY for the price. Our entire weekend was less than one night for a hotel a few blocks over. We had the “Luxury Studio Suite, 1 King Bed, Kitchen”, which is basically a very spacious one bedroom apartment. It is fully stocked with all kitchen essentials in case you want to cook; full size fridge, pots, pans, plates, bowls, silverware, coffee pot, etc…You have to jump through a few hoops for the parking, but it is absolutely worth it for the price and location.”
The next time your are in Austin, Dallas or Miami give The Guild a try. You won’t be disappointed.
