In April 2021, Kayak, a leading travel search engine, opened its first-ever hotel in April 2021: Kayak Miami Beach Hotel. This is the first time a travel booking site and search engine opened a hotel.
The 52-room hotel located in Miami Beach, Florida, is housed in a landmark 1934 Art Deco building off the Collins Canal, just steps from the white-sand beach. Kayak will use the property as a design lab to test and refine software innovations in the accommodation space, according to Kayak.
“We created Kayak to compare prices from hundreds of travel sites. We now want our app to help with the hotel guest experience too,” Steve Hafner, CEO of Kayak, said in a statement. “Kayak Miami Beach is our design lab for accommodation innovations – and a great place to stay.”
Kayak partnered with Life House, an award winning lifestyle brand and management company, to shape and manage the guest experience and bring its hotel vision to life. “Collaborating with Kayak accelerates our mission to make travel more meaningful and accessible for a wide array of discerning travelers,” said Rami Zeidan, Founder and CEO of Life House. “Together with KAYAK we’re able to create a perfect hotel experience for modern travelers who are seeking locally-rooted, intuitive hotel experiences at accessible prices.”
For more information on Kayak, and to book, click here, or check out Tripadvisor on what everyone’s saying about the hotel.
Here’s what to expect at Kayak Miami Beach Hotel.
The Tech
The Kayak app will provide 24/7 access to hotel staff and support, notifications of on-property events, room-ready alerts, housekeeping requests and more. The tech amenities at Kayak Miami Beach are designed to make stays ultra-personalized and with as much (or as little) human interaction as guests prefer. Kiosks in the lobby, for example, will provide an expedited check-in experience (with a goal of a 60 second check-in) or guests can use their Kayak app.
In-room connected TVs will offer unique on-demand content, including yoga classes by local favoriteGreenMonkeyYoga, in addition to access to streaming services for movies, TVshows, and music. Scannable QR codes will allow guests to contact house managers as well as view a digital guestbook with hotel details and recommendations of things to do during their stay.
“Over time, we want the Kayak app to help our users plan and manage every aspect of their stays,” said Hafner. “The big hotel chains have been working on this tech for years and we look forward to leveling the playing field for independent hotels.”
The Design
The hotel’s design draws inspiration from the local Streamline Moderne architecture and features bold Deco-esque patterning with aviation themed silhouettes in a nod to KAYAK’s expertise in flights. An eclectic collection of late 1970s-era Andy Sweet photographs depicting life in Miami Beach are juxtaposed with geometric paintings and tile murals throughout public spaces and guest rooms.
Kayak Miami Beach’s interior design elements are rendered in layers of earth tones with warm burnt orange (a subtle salute to the travel brand’s iconic orange logo), dusty greys and jewel blues to deliver a contemporary, yet homey environment.
The rooftop features spacious terraced suites adjacent to private, guests-only sunbathing stations and a plunge pool overlooking the Collins Canal. A wrap-around rooftop houses the on-property modern Middle Eastern bar and restaurant concept, Layla. Reservations for Layla will be available exclusively on OpenTable (KAYAK’s sister brand) starting April 1.
Guest rooms at KAYAK Miami beach will feature luxurious Revival New York linens, fragrant Le Labo bath amenities and sleek Marshall speakers.
The Rate
Standard rates are around $229 for a Cozy King.
Did you know you can buy an actual kayak on Amazon?? This one’s crazy just to look at, and it’s almost $2k! Take a look.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.