Auckland’s newest and largest lifestyle budget accommodation experience LyLo, was launched last Thursday, December 1, with over 140 guests from across travel, tourism, media, and partner industries rubbing shoulders with LyLo’s first in-house guests, signalling an exciting new era for New Zealand’s accommodation sector.
Hosted by Managing Director of LyLo, Tim Alpe and EVT CEO, Jane Hastings, invited guests were among the first to take a shot in Miss Lucy’s bar, slide back the privacy screens of high spec sleeping pods and body slam the Comfi beds in LyLo’s private ensuite rooms.
LyLo’s lively, layered bar, Miss Lucy’s was going-off showcasing its Kiwi-inspired fare, free-flowing signature on-tap cocktails, Miss Lucy’s own low-carb beer and delicious modern menu.
Guests rolled out the door with their very own LyLo skateboard and a few lucky ones snagged some epic prizes including Miss Lucy’s bar vouchers, a voucher for a custom Radikal Neon sign and a trip for two to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines.
The first property to launch for the brand, LyLo Auckland is a complete social travel experience with multi-purpose spaces to play, eat, work and sleep. It is focused on helping savvy, cost-conscious travellers experience a new way to stay and caters to all styles of travel, featuring a mix of 190 private sleeping pods, 37 private double rooms with design led shared amenities and 70 private ensuite rooms.
Located at 54 Cook Street, Auckland it will be the first property to launch for the brand.
The LyLo concept has been informed by target audience research which clearly highlighted the gaps in the sector. The concept has been brought to life in collaboration with CPRW Architecture creating a complete social travel experience with multi-purpose spaces to play, eat, work and sleep.
It caters to all styles of travel, featuring a mix of 190 private sleeping pods, 37 private double rooms with design led shared amenities and 70 private ensuite rooms.
To create a feeling of community the property also features a large fully decked-out shared kitchen, an abundance of breakout spaces to lounge with friends, find a quiet nook to read or plug-in place to work, plus Miss Lucy’s provides the perfect setting to play with locals and fellow travellers while enjoying your favourite drink.
Managing Director of LyLo, Tim Alpe said, “Our flagship LyLo property has been designed for travellers to stay in an epic and affordable way by giving them all the perks of communal and social travel but with the privacy of their own comfortable sleeping space.
“We’ve torn up the rulebook and turned budget accommodation on its head. LyLo Auckland is meticulously designed based on real insights into what a traveller needs with stylish finishes.
“We are excited to open what will be a super affordable place to sleep for savvy travellers. We can’t wait to welcome travellers to what will be the largest lifestyle budget accommodation of its kind in New Zealand and will reset the benchmark for this sector globally.”
LyLo Auckland will be the flagship property followed by the Jucy Snooze experiences in Christchurch and Queenstown transitioning to LyLo properties in 2023.
EVT CEO, Jane Hastings, said “LyLo is part of EVT’s growing travel portfolio, which covers luxury to budget accommodation experiences.
“Tim has spearheaded this concept, together with expertise from across our Entertainment and Travel businesses, to set a new benchmark for lifestyle budget accommodation experiences.
“We are excited to bring this first of its kind offering to the Auckland market and look forward to opening more LyLo properties in the future.”
Designed for comfort, each private pod is spacious and self-contained featuring:
- King single beds
- Bluetooth storage locker
- Multiple power and USB charging ports
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Individual lighting, fan, mirror
- Acoustic privacy screens
Pods can be booked individually from as low as $55 per night. For travellers seeking a little extra privacy the private and ensuite rooms (from $109 and $159 per night respectively) are ideal for families and couples. Female only pod rooms are also available.
The private and ensuite rooms are fitted with beds by Comfi – a Kiwi social enterprise that works with various charities to donate beds to kids who need them. Auckland design firm Mood designed the beds and mirrors for the rooms, while Made of Tomorrow supplied bedside tables.
LyLo design elements include:
- The use of recycled building materials
- Paperless initiatives
- Recycled America’s Cup sails (which otherwise would have gone to landfill) transformed into bathroom amenity holders
- EV charging stations
- Recycling
- Water and power conservation initiatives
With interior design by CTRL Space, Miss Lucy’s is LyLo’s lively, layered bar with a relaxed vibe to match. Locals and travellers can be social without robbing the bank – think $10 cocktails and delicious eats all under $20.
Overlooking expansive views of bustling Nelson Street and over the city to the harbour bridge, Miss Lucy’s features a giant shuffleboard perfect for group fun, free Wi-Fi, and an elevated DJ podium – ready to transition from day to night.
