Daycations were unheard of pre-pandemic, but is now a growing trend due to the dearth of international travel in the past two years, and the hesitancy to visit another country due to various restrictions even though borders have reopened.
Enter Dayuse, a booking platform that allows hotel rooms to be booked in the daytime at a fraction of the cost of an overnight stay, from as early as 06.00 to as late as 23.00.
The concept was born 12 years ago in Paris, when its CEO and founder, David Lebée, was looking for a private and secure space for a few hours, but was unable to find something that met his needs. Fast forward a decade later, the Paris-headquartered booking platform is now in 26 countries and 500 cities.
Lebée shared that the pandemic has helped to drive up local bookings in Singapore.
He told TTG Asia: “Some markets were severely impacted by strict lockdowns and hotels were required to close, but globally, Dayuse has continued to grow. We hit a milestone of generating one million bookings in 2021, and achieved S$170 million (US$125.6 million) in the 26 markets we were in.”
Aside from helping locals decompress and recharge in a time when they are desperate for space, Dayuse also appeals to travellers dealing with long layovers, early arrivals, or late departures in regular times.
Business travellers, in particular, appreciate a quiet environment and a stable Wi-Fi connection, enabling them to still be productive on the move. Some of Dayuse’s deals also include dining offers, or access to the pool and fitness centres.
One of Dayuse’s benefits is that no upfront payments or credit card details are required when booking. Instead, payments are made at the hotel upon check-in, and cancellations are free up to the last minute, providing customers the additional flexibility.
When asked if hotels on the platform were initially receptive to Dayuse, Lebée shared that “hoteliers are always open to new sources of revenue”, but there was still a need to educate them on the concept and possibilities of booking hotel rooms in the day. The platform also has no setup fees or entry fees, and works on a commission-based business model, stated Lebée.
Although Dayuse has been in the Singapore market for a few years now, there was a challenge in achieving brand awareness to enlarge its customer base. Moreover, during the pandemic, hotels were contracted by the Singapore government for quarantine purposes, which meant that Dayuse had to “contract new partners quickly”.
So, in 4Q2021, Dayuse underwent a brand refresh to inspire consumers to live out new experiences in hotels during the day. This move has proven effective so far given the rise in bookings and user followings.
Moving forward, Lebée shared that one of Dayuse’s focus will be centred on increasing brand awareness in Singapore, as well as in the regional market. He also hopes to replicate the success Dayuse has achieved for daytime hotel bookings by “developing a disruptive approach to overnight stays” through staycation packages.
In the future, Lebée aims to evolve the platform beyond offering hotel rooms and amenities, to offering different local services that can cater to various needs and profiles.
