NFTs are continuing to make news. Online membership and loyalty programme DayAway has created the Founder’s Key, a collection of 500 limited-edition NFTs that will unlock a range of experiences and VIP benefits from hospitality, travel, retail, wellness and F&B brands worldwide
DayAway’s Founder’s Key NFT claims to be the “first and only” NFT membership granting immediate and exclusive access “to a new era of token gated in-real-life experiences and utilities”.
“Unlike other NFT projects, Founder’s Key holders enjoy the value of their membership today, not tomorrow,” DayAway says. The Founder’s Key, minted 12 January and found on OpenSea, is also the first NFT collection to come with a buy-back guarantee. DayAway will buy back the NFT from any primary purchaser who wishes to return their membership for the full mint price of US$2,500.
Founder’s Key offers in-real-life experiences, benefits, incentives, discounts, and upgrades via DayAway’s proprietary token gate. These include private sailing escapes, tastings at Michelin-starred restaurants, VIP shopping experiences and unique masterclasses.
The Founder’s Key opens VIP doors in Singapore and around the world
Founder’s Key holders can access benefits from DayAway’s partners including savings of 10% off the best available rate on overnight stays at Raffles Hotel Singapore, 15% off all Raffles Spa treatments, 10% off The Mandala Group’s villas and chalets, 20% off Codigo Tequila, a complimentary Friends of Little Emperors membership that comes with benefits and best available rates at over 4,000 hotels globally, and many more.
“Gone are the days of traditional loyalty programmes and the antiquated points system. With a Founder’s Key, membership and participation in DayAway’s loyalty programme will become an actual tradable, transferable asset, not just a paid subscription,” says DayAway founder & CEO, Martha Waslen.
Start-ups ready for take-off at Rome Airport
Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), has launched a second ‘Call for Ideas’ from start-ups.
Emanuele Calà, vice president of Innovation and Quality, ADR, has told Future Travel Experience (FTE Global) how the new round of ADR’s acceleration programme will offer successful applicants across eight different topics both funding and the opportunity to work on their projects directly from the ADR Innovation Hub located at the heart of Rome Fiumicino Airport’s Terminal 1.
“After the successful first ‘Call for Ideas’ it’s always much harder to replicate, but the goal is always to bring value to both our company and the start-ups we want to focus on this year,” Calà said.
“To do that, we have fine-tuned both our deal and the contracts for future eventual roll-out of the solutions. Our main goal is putting the passenger at the centre by anticipating their needs.”
Private yachts, wine tastings, luxury hotels, that’s LYFE
Luxury travel app FLY LYFE has launched its new platform, designed to make it easier for travellers to plan and book trips worldwide.
Los Angeles-based FLY LYFE allows users to search for and book high-end hotels, resorts and vacation rentals in destinations such as the Maldives, Bali, and the French Riviera. They can also browse through curated lists of activities and experiences, ranging from private yacht rentals to wine tastings and cultural tours.
FLY LYFE offers a personalised trip planning service, which allows users to work with a dedicated travel concierge to create a customised itinerary based on their preferences and budget.
The concierge team is available 24/7 to help with everything from booking flights and transportation to recommending the best restaurants and activities in each destination.
And there’s a feel-good factor. The company has partnered with local organisations in each destination to offer eco-friendly tours and experiences, and a portion of every booking is donated to charitable causes.
Hotelmize founders Omry Litvak, COO, Dor Krubiner, CEO, and Guy Levitan, CTO
Capital expertise reveals hidden hotel profits
A company founded by three capital markets specialists has moved deeper into the travel sector after securing US$12 million in series B funding led by Flashpoint Venture Capital
Hotelmize was founded by Dor Krubiner, CEO, Omry Litvak, COO, and Guy Levitan, CTO, whose approach to leveraging capital market trading practices optimises a travel company’s ability to better purchase and sell travel products as market momentum rebuilds from post-pandemic shutdown.
Hotelmize’s technologies unlock hidden hotel booking profits and create new travel products based on financial modelling, Big Data, and AI, “all to make travel companies more profitable”, the company says.
Serving more than 100 partners across 33 countries, Hotelmize analyses its partners’ data and optimises their purchase rates, utilising the company’s proprietary AI predictive algorithm and unique room mapping technology.
On the heels of this growth, Hotelmize will launch its new optimisation product suite in Q2 2023.
The series B round came after Hotelmize experienced more than 800% YoY growth and successfully retained some of the biggest B2C and B2B travel brands in the industry.
