Delhi-based budgeted couple-friendly hotel-booking platform Luvstay has clocked USD 1 million in revenue for FY2017-18, while breaking the taboos around love, sex and, relationships, and even LGBTs. This year they have added more than 600 hotel properties Pan-India and are expanding to cities like Agra, Amritsar, Faridabad, Kochi, and Vijayawada.
According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India’s (IAMAI) projection, the country will have 478 million web users and millions of young users looking to connect through mobile devices. The increasing usage of smartphones has helped Luvstay to expand rapidly with 50,000 daily downloads and at least 5,000 daily visitors on their web page.
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While the competition in this segment is intensifying, Luvstay has already captured a sizeable market share, now targeting the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in the next financial year.
Nishchhal Bharadwaj, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Luvstay observed, “Millennials appreciate our concept and visit our properties. This has helped us to break existing taboos set in the society and achieve this kind of revenue within no time. They don’t see premarital sex as a crime or taboo. In fact, they believe in knowing more about their partners before they get into this huge institution of marriage,”
While in the Western world, couples easily book motels on websites like MotelNow, Airbnb, and Dayuse.com for a romantic getaway within a practical budget, Indian couples still struggle to find a safe secure place to share their private moments. They have to be careful about their security and discreet about their location. In addition, choosing a disreputable place can get cause trouble and is a risk they would rather avoid.
“Most parents think that such a concept is exposing their children to wrong culture, but Luvstay as a concept, wanted to break this myth and provide a positive mind set, such as creating awareness on practices of safe sex, AIDS, and STDs. Thus, we plan to conduct workshops in schools and colleges on these critical issues.”
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Mayank Sahai, a customer with first-hand experience with Luvstay says, “It is a very novel idea as Indians shy away from talking about love, sex, and relationships.” Praising the concept, he says that people of his age needs privacy instead of judgements from orthodox mind sets. He also adds, “Love is love and the society should accept it and change their views on the same.”
As the Indian government decriminalises homosexuality and adultery, hotel platforms like Luvstay, OYO, and StayUncle, can expect a push in bookings from liberated couples across India. As the Indian moral police hems and haws, it seems a celebration of physical love will yet triumph in the land of Kama Sutra.
