Move over biz hotels, it’s time for poshtels

FreshUp is aimed at providing travellers on short-stays with a solution to freshen up, catch a nap, recharge their cells (both grey and gadgets), grab a quick bite, and pay for it by the hour, before getting on with their journey. Pitching its boutique offering as a poshtel, the brand has big plans for Tamil Nadu, a hotspot for both religious and business travellers. 

Vinil Reddy, Co-Founder of FreshUp, which has two outlets in Hyderabad for biz travellers and a second one in Tirupati for pilgrims, tells us, “It was during an official trip to Mumbai that the idea for this startup was born. I was quite taken aback by the absence of clean retirement rooms, so to speak, where we could just kick back after a day, get some rest and get on with our trip. We do not follow the hotel room model. Instead, we lease out spaces in the range of 2,500-3,000 feet and we design the complete space as per our requirements. 

Our boutique solution is essentially for travellers on the move.” The facilities offered by FreshUp, include bunker beds and recliners, along with restrooms, luggage drops, WiFi, cafe and even a mini business centre. A typical three-hour package would cost you Rs 249, which includes the internet, coffee and shower facilities. 

Reddy says, “We intend to have a pan-India roll-out in two years. The upcoming properties in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy will be based on the Metro-poshtel model, whereas Madurai, Velankanni, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai and Shirdi will be based on the pilgrim centres model.” 

Co-founder Mohan Ramalingam reveals that setting up each centre would cost the company around Rs 50 lakh. “By next year end, we plan to set up 12 centres in South India. Apart from online bookings and walk-ins, we also have an app. In three years, it will become a fully app driven service.”