This Miami Startup is Changing the Hospitality Industry — One Daycation at a Time!
If you happen to live in a city like Miami, one of the top destinations of the United States, there is no need to drive too far to find yourself in paradisiacal beaches surrounded by 5-star hotels. However, most of these hotels require you to be a guest in order to use their state-of-the-art amenities and spa. Miami-made startup Daycation gives you the possibility to do just that — vacation for just a day, without needing to book a room.
We spoke with Daycation founder, Matthew Boney, to learn more about how he came up with this concept and what the future holds for this promising Miami startup. This is what he told us.
Sabrina: How did you come up with the idea of Daycation?
Matt: It all stems from a personal experience. I grew up around hospitality (my dad runs a catering company in Idaho) and I started working in hotels at age 14. I always had a passion for the industry and knew that one day I’d like to play a part in its future. Then, I took a vacation with family to Cancun, and I saw all these cool pools where people were having a great time and thought, wow, why can’t we go in there just for the day? I was in school at Brown University at that time and the idea hit me: “What if we created a system where anyone could use any amenity for the day, without getting a room?” I had always thought that if I could make anyone live like a millionaire for $10 then I would find great success. I realized that this could be that solution and I left school and moved to Miami to pursue this idea.
Sabrina: What makes Daycation different and special?
Matt: We are focused on building a community of hoteliers and guests that care about making the world a more positive and happy place through Daycation. The word Daycation itself explains our mission to make the world a more positive place. It is built into our mission, vision, strategy, culture, and our brand as a whole.
Sabrina: How did you find the right co-founders to build Daycation with?
Matt: I optimized for finding people that believed in what I did, which was that the world needed a company to make it a more upbeat, positive and exciting place. A place where anyone could have access to the lifestyle they may have always dreamed of, but could never have (due to lack of money, time, etc.) I ended up meeting my awesome, humble, smart co-founders, Alex Novo and Mo Soussi, who I respect tremendously. I think luck played a part as well.
Sabrina: You dropped out of college to make Daycation a reality. How was that process and what would you tell students who might be thinking of doing the same?
Matt: I felt it was the least risky thing I could do. Why? Because had I not taken the “risk” to pursue an amazing opportunity that aligned with all my interests, I would have always had the question in my mind: what would have happened if I had pursued that idea? Also, if I failed, I would lose nothing and gain a new perspective along the way.
I recently got an email that confirmed that I had influenced someone to drop out of school to pursue their passions; this one was a kid at Harvard. I think it’s a great time to take “risks.” I think the world needs more people that pursue their passions, take risks and solve real problems and I think that with so many resources available and so little to lose, it is our generation’s responsibility to take risks to make the world a better place. There’s no time better than now to go after your passion and/or idea.
Sabrina: Why did you decide to become part of TheVentureCity’s accelerator program?
Matt: We heard amazing things from other entrepreneurs involved with TVC, and after going through the due diligence process for the accelerator we knew there was something different and special about TheVentureCity. It’s proven to be true, their amazing team brings incredible ideas, and deep technical, product, and strategy knowledge to the table.
Sabrina: What would you say are the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Matt: Signing up early hotels when we first started out was hard, we had no credibility in the industry, it was a new concept, and we barely had a working website. This took a lot of walking up and down the beach to convince hotels to join, but it came down to two things that got us through: 1. Our belief that Daycation “just made sense”. 2. Persistence and taking “no” as the starting place of the negotiation to sign up the hotels.
Sabrina: How do you see the future of the hospitality industry?
Matt: Hospitality has often been confused with travel, and overnight stays in particular. I think the future is the inverse of that. Hotels will become the social hubs of their cities, due to their prime locations, access to resources to create great spaces, and other players taking away the cache of the room night as the core offering. I believe companies like Daycation will play a role in helping hotels realize their potential to become the centers for relaxation, person-to-person interaction, and physical and mental wellness in this era.
Sabrina: What is the best advice you’ve received?
Matt: One time my mom said something along the lines of “don’t obey all the rules” — I think this has played a strong role in starting Daycation, and I think one is well off to think that they can live outside the confines of society’s prescribed norms and see where that takes them.
Sabrina: What are the next steps for Daycation and how do you see your company in five years?
Matt: Daycation is expanding to more markets, improving guest and hotelier side products, and increasing our efforts to provide an experience that goes above and beyond what one would expect from even the best of vacations. We’re only at the beginnings of what Daycation can become and in 5 years, I’d like to see our company as one that connects individuals, allows people to meet new friends and enjoy real life experiences with people all around the world, in and outside of hotels.
