Amberlair: The Best Boutique Luxury Hotel YOU Can Think Of

There’s an exciting buzz in the air that’s getting me really invigorated. No, it’s not the nearing Christmas season. If I dare say so, it’s something more ground-breaking, a concept that I’ve witnessed grow into what it is today.

First, let’s rewind a couple of years back. Some of you may remember me writing about Amberlair – the world’s first crowdsourced luxury boutique hotel.

Yes, a very revolutionary concept in the hotel industry- a hotel for the guests, by the guests! The first stage two years ago involved extreme brainstorming among the global travel community. So when Amberlair asked me what my idea of a perfect boutique luxury hotel is, I didn’t spare any details.

So did the other hotel experts in Amberlair’s #Boholover squad (Boutique Hotel Lovers). And with all those ideas pooled, Amberlair had a better idea what kind of hotel its guests would like.

The people behind Amberlair

They say fortune favours the bold, and this admirable power couple is bold enough to not just dream but act on designing and creating the perfect crowdsourced boutique hotel.

Kristin Lindenberg and Marcus Orbe were on a trip around the world seven years ago and they realised that not one of the hotels they stayed at was actually created solely with guests in mind.

They discovered that the most special and unique experiences were brought on by staying in smaller, independent hotels.

But they took their idea several levels higher: an independent, boutique hotel that is created by the guests, for the guests.

Choosing the location: PUGLIA, ITALY

After finding out what elements are essential in a boutique hotel, Amberlair then asked the public to vote for the place where they want the world’s first crowdsourced boutique hotel should be. The options were endless – the entire world, really!

After several months, the popular choice came out (and I’m thrilled because I did vote for this country) – ITALIA!

Location is extremely crucial, so the Amberlair listened to travellers’ demand for authentic experiences. Puglia, located in the ‘heel’ of Italy, is a region that is renowned for its authenticity and is a popular destination choice among the discerning traveller segment.

Puglia is not just a pretty beach destination in Italy, it’s also in extreme close proximity to a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Its capital, Bari, is a vibrant port and university town, while Lecce in the south is known to be the “Florence of the South” because of its Baroque architecture.

Puglia is also known for its whitewashed hill towns and hundreds of kilometres of Mediterranean coastline.

The Property

While Puglia is abundant in tourist attractions, the Amberlair team found that it truly lacked in the boutique hotel area.

So the team had in mind to create the first luxury boutique hotel in the region and give guests an experience they won’t find anywhere else.

The Amberlair team found this perfect historical villa that will now be developed into the world’s first crowdsourced boutique hotel.

I love the concept of having the first Amberlair hotel in a historical villa. First, the villa for sure has had interesting stories over the hundreds of years it existed. And history will be in the making once more when this hotel will officially open in 2020 (targeted date).

What happens next?

This is where your involvement comes in.

Guest involvement is what makes up the heart and soul of Amberlair.

Amberlair gives power back to the guests, allowing them to shape how a property will be used and what it will look like and to have the best boutique hotel experience imaginable.

Along the development process, Amberlair will run various contests and brainstorming sessions where backers will have the opportunity to submit and vote for ideas.

Some pertinent questions and points that Amberlair needs your opinion on:

• What does the perfect bathroom look like?
• How shall the perfect bedroom be designed?
• What would be the perfect amenities?
• What kind of room service do you prefer?
• What food would you like served in the restaurant?

It’s an exciting time and the perfect opportunity for you to be able to tell Amberlair what you would like in your ideal hotel.

What do you get out of it?

Yes, what’s in it for you?

Well apart from being part of history as a backer or promoter of the world’s first crowdsourced boutique hotel, you get to have a say on what happens to the hotel before it officially opens its doors.

You can also be one of the first guests to stay at the hotel before Amberlair officially opens it to the public.

At the moment, Amberlair needs EUR 15,000 worth of funding to be used towards architectural planning. Together, we will develop and transform that historical villa into a boutique hotel.

2018 is the year for architectural planning, 2019 is targeted for construction renovation, and 2020 is the grand opening!

Here’s a video with more information about Amberlair, and you can very well see how excited I am about it!

Together, let’s build the perfect boutique hotel!

(and perhaps we’ll see each other in Puglia in 2020!)

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This post is created in partnership with Amberlair