PHOTO: The Lono Hale, or "peaceful hut," in Pahoa, Hawaii. (Courtesy Hovelstay.com).
Hovelstay.com started out as a joke.
But what began as a joke has turned into a full-fledged business opportunity for Hovelstay.com founder Michael Bolger and the company's partners.
If you need any more proof that travelers are changing, all you need to do is take a look at Hovelstay.com. The company, which officially launched on July 13, calls itself "anti-luxury" without flinching. It hooks "hovelers" up with hosts who provide accommodations not hospitable enough to be included in vacation rental listings.
You can stay in a treehouse. You can stay in a refurbished school bus. You can stay in FEMA disaster domes. You can even stay in shipping containers. Heck, one of the site's most popular rentals is a hammock in Nicaragua. And given the rising demand for adventure and authentic travel, you can see why Hovelstay.com is gaining a solid following.
The idea for Hovelstay.com all started with a bathtub.
Bolger, who used to work for a luxury vacation rental company in Beverly Hills, was uploading a photo of a luxurious bathtub when he thought: Wouldn't it be funny if we just marketed the bathtub as the "Ritz-Carlton of bathtubs?"
That question-and the growing angst from travelers who were being sold on some luxury properties that simply weren't luxurious-spawned Hovelstay.com's arrival to the travel scene.
"I think so many people are turned off by vacation (rental) websites," Bolger said, noting that travelers were spending a fortune for properties that simply didn't deliver what they promised.
But while some vacation rental websites talk themselves up, "we're talking it down," Bolger said.
It's been a complete surprise for Bolger. Some interesting developments have occurred since the site's launch, too. For example, while only students can rent through Hovelstay.com for now, Bolger said roughly 75 percent of email inquiries about the company have come from Baby Boomers. Not students. Not millennials. Baby Boomers.
"We don't know if we tapped some nerve where people are going a different direction," Bolger said, but he did note that part of the intrigue may lie in the fact that "we all feel like outsiders in some way." This is something that is clearly different than what's been offered in the past, and it's creating a community of like-minded individuals, from students to-interestingly enough-Baby Boomers (sorry youngsters, you are like your parents).
Bolger admitted that the response has been a bit overwhelming. When he started the company, he expected he'd have a little time to groom it and tinker with it before publicity arrived at his doorstep. But that has clearly not been the case.
"We went from getting married to having a minivan with kids," Bolger said. "There was no honeymoon period."
But Bolger, who said he can understand why "college students would totally be into staying at weird, quirky places like this," is embracing the demand and encouraging travelers to get out there and have an adventure.
"I want them to have a crazy experience," Bolger said.
There are three categories of listings on Hovelstay.com: Clean and Comfortable, Good Enough and Survival Mode. All listings are $99 and under. The company only charges 3 percent booking fees for hosts and hovelers, with an introductory rate of 1 percent until Feb. 1.
Students can register at www.hovelstay.com. Hovelers and hosts communicate via email at first. Personal information is only shared after a deal is made.
UPDATE: 10/22/14
Hovelstay.com announced today that Hovelstay.com is now open to everyone, not just students.
"We really got slammed with emails from Baby Boomers and the like, asking us to open it up," said Michael Bolger, co-founder and CEO of Hovelstay.com, via a press release. "We gave it a lot of thought, and as a communal based company, it seemed uncool to exclude anyone from having an interesting travel experience, so here we are."
Students will still be catered to, however. Hovelstay.com will keep booking fees "to a bare minimum" for those with an .edu email address.
"Students still need a break when it comes to travel and we started this site with them in mind," Bolger said.
On top of that, Hovelstay.com is opening offices in London to concentrate on the European and Asian markets.
"We didn't expect to have to cross this bridge so early, especially since we've only been live for three months, but given our momentum, it seems like the right thing to do," Bolger added.
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