The Hirasté Story

The laptop cast an uneven glow on my face as I scanned through endless rows of holiday rentals, hotels and Google searches. My hand ached from scrolling and my eyes were weary from looking at a screen for so long. 

I sighed as disappointment gnawed at me. 

The quest...

I was searching for the perfect property to stay for a week in the summer with my family but coming up with nothing. Each rental listing seemed more generic than the last – sterile cottages in the middle of nowhere, with the same beige furniture and zero extra amenities. The hotels were fine for a group with older children, but I couldn’t see how the evenings were going to work with our two little ones going to bed so early. 

"Ugh, this is like torture," I groaned, tossing myself back in the chair.

Across the room, Stephen chuckled. "Still struggling to find a place?"

"It's hopeless!" I lamented. "All we want is somewhere special, a place with character and extra amenities that can comfortably fit the four of us and mum, plus James and his wife."

The spark...

Stephen moved over to sit next to me. "What about that place we stayed in a couple of years ago with the putting green, soft play and restaurant? Or the place that lady you follow on Instagram went to? The one with the pool, spa, petting zoo, and pizza oven?"

"They’re great!" I agreed. "But we found those places by chance and now we need somewhere that’s not so far from London and I don’t know what to search for. I've tried everything – location filters, amenity searches, even random keyword combinations."

Once again, I ended up shutting my computer having run out of time before bed to find the perfect solution but, lying awake that night, the frustration that had been simmering within me transformed into a spark of possibility. There had to be a better way!

The idea...

Over the following days, when I wasn’t still making fruitless searches on the internet, I messaged a few friends. Some were expats living in Singapore, as I did, or other locations we’d been in. Others were fellow travel bloggers who I knew had contacts all over the world. 

“Total long shot,” I typed to them all, “but I’ve had an idea. What if there was some kind of niche booking platform specifically for unique group accommodations. A curated selection of special properties, hand-picked for their charm and ability to cater to large groups. Places that offer more than just beds in cookie-cutter rentals – a true experience!"

Their responses shaped how I refined the idea. No, it wouldn’t be like the big sites. Yes the places would be independently owned and have a focus on sustainability.

The doubts...

It also raised more questions than it answered: Would we include booking on my site? How would that work? And what would the site even be called?

First things first, though, and I had to find someone to build the site for me. I was proficient in wordpress but this was next level. I needed someone who could code from scratch but finding a developer to build the site from scratch proved trickier than expected.

“Maybe it’s just not meant to be,” I said to Stephen one evening over dinner. I didn’t mind - I had plenty of other things keeping me busy. 

The solution...

The idea never left me, though, and a year later I found myself wistfully telling a friend about the idea that never came to anything. 

“I know what that sort of site is called,” she said immediately. “It’s a booking aggregator.”

We stared at each other. Could it be that the idea could develo[p into something after all?

Progress!

It took me several weeks to find even three people to pitch for the work and several more to scope it out properly. That was just the beginning. I found myself brainstorming name ideas with family, answering branding questions I didn’t yet know the answer to, and making web development decisions way over my head. 

Slowly but surely, the website took shape and we got super clear on our mission and values. Then came the problem of finding these hidden gems and contacting them. Since then we have busily researched in every way we can think of. Unlike big booking sites that rely on algorithms, we personally vet each property based on its sustainability practices, unique amenities, and ability to cater to large groups. This ensures our listings offer an authentic experience that goes beyond generic hotel rooms. 

The tough part...

We’ve emailed and called the properties we wanted most on our site but it’s been hard going: emails are easy to dismiss as spam and cold-calling is never a great way to make contact. Eventually, we had to resort to more unorthodox ways of contacting people: one memorable tactic involved my mum driving us around the West Country countryside and giving our business card tucked within a bunch of fresh yellow daffodils, (which also happen to be our brand color). The response has been delightful - most people commented that no one has ever come in person before (I really felt like a door to door salesman!). When no-one was there and we had to leave the flowers on the doorstep (literally), we got delightful messages just days later from owners, eager to learn more about Hirasté. 

The finished product...

It’s been a slow process but we’re delighted with the properties we’re signing up, and we’re excited to launch soon. Get ready to ditch the endless scrolling! Hirasté, launching this summer, will be your one-stop shop for unforgettable group getaways at unique and sustainable properties. Sign up for our early access list to unlock exclusive discounts and discover hidden gems waiting to be explored together