Originally designed as a one-stop solution for business travellers, StayUncle transitioned to cater to couples. “We wanted hotels to time size their rooms for businessmen but we kept getting calls from couples,” says Sanchit Sethi, founder of StayUncle. After ignoring calls for 8-9 months, he realised that this market had a better potential to tap into. “It’s not as if renting rooms to couples is illegal, but it’s still so difficult for them to find safe and secure spaces,” says Sethi. Amit Sharma, the CEO of the company, says that though youth form a big chunk of the population, the hospitality industry has still not shifted its focus to them. But for StayUncle, their “love kit, bathtubs and microstays” have created traction among younger people.Sethi remembers how the first 20 pitches of his new start-up received a straightforward “No” from hotels. He also remembers receiving calls from people across the country. “People thought we were spoiling the culture of India and doing something immoral,” sighs Sethi. Some people actually reached his office once because they were offended by social media posts and advertisements.
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