UnderTheDoormat in the Spotlight!

On 5 March 2019, Richard Bridger joined Louise Minchin on the BBC One Breakfast sofa to talk about the growth of short-term rentals in the UK. UnderTheDoormat are proud to be at the forefront of such a buoyant industry, and felt privileged to appear on the BBC Breakfast programme as representatives of the Short Term Accommodation Association.

We are the first company to have received STAA’s accreditation, and – as the industry continues to grow at a rapid rate – we believe it’s more important than ever for short-term accommodation providers to operate responsibly, so it was wonderful to get the opportunity to talk about that. Richard, ever modest, was worried that he slouched a bit too much on the famous sofa – but we feel he did us proud!

The following day (6th March 2019), but across the ocean in Berlin, Merilee Karr spoke at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) – a leading conference aimed at global collaboration.

It was an honour to be invited to speak at the IHIF. This is a really exciting time in the hospitality sector – so it was brilliant to have the opportunity to represent UnderTheDoormat and share our insights with such a learned group. – Merilee Karr, CEO of UnderTheDoormat

Merilee had been invited to speak on the CEO panel with a group of industry leaders, including: Philip Ward (CEO JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group); Peter Fankhauser (CEO Thomas Cook); Raúl González (CEO Barcelo Hotel Group); Amar Lalvani (CEO & Managing Partner Standard International, LLC) and Lindsey Ueberroth (CEO Preferred Hotels & Resorts). The topic was ‘Evolving Hospitality: The Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality’: a fascinating starting point for a discussion on the next few years in hospitality.

Speaking after the event, Merilee commented, ‘It was an honour to be invited to speak at the IHIF, and an even greater privilege to be on a panel with such titans of industry.

‘This is a really exciting time in the hospitality sector, not least because hotel brands and home accommodation are starting to converge – so it was brilliant to have the opportunity to represent UnderTheDoormat and share our insights with such a learned group.’

Things haven’t quietened down for Merilee since IHIF: on the 14th March, she opened the inaugural Short Stay show at the Excel Centre. The show was a great celebration of travel, tourism, hospitality and property, and brought together many major players in the industry. As well as opening the event, Merilee presented a feature and hosted a panel on industry growth. Merilee is also set to speak at next week’s Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) conference in Prague – keep an eye on our LinkedIn page for all the latest updates on that!