Hotel on wheels for NYC travelers
One man’s Honda is another man’s hotel.
That’s the gist of Rolling Rooms, a new business created by Jonathan Powley, BE04. Through the popular website Airbnb.com—used by 1.5 million people worldwide to list, find and rent lodging—he offers New York City travelers an alternative to expensive hotels: parked cars. Rates are as little as $22 per night.
Powley started the cars-turned-hotels operation this year with one broken-down motorhome, which he cleaned, renovated and legally parked before renting it out on Airbnb. He now has seven vehicles in his fleet of rentals, including vans, campers and a converted yellow taxi.
Though the “hotels” remain parked, Powley’s guests enjoy excellent views of the city, daily room cleanings and access to restrooms and free snacks at local coffee shops.
“People from all over the world want to experience camping in NYC,” Powley said.
And now they can.
Since posting his first Airbnb ad in April, Powley’s rentals have operated at an average of 85 percent occupancy and his Airbnb page is full of positive feedback from guests. Delta Airlines even recently featured Powley’s business on its flights as part of a segment for incoming passengers on where to stay in New York City.
The young entrepreneur learned the hospitality business as a student in the hotel, restaurant and institutional management (HRIM) program.
“UD really encourages their students to grow and to try new things,” he says. “My time in the HRIM department not only prepared me but also inspired me to work in the hospitality industry. I’ll be forever grateful for UD’s HRIM program for helping to set me on this course.”
Article by Sunny Rosen, AS14
