Tired of endless scrolling and too many browser tabs when looking for somewhere to stay? A new UK-based platform, Curated Spaces, is aiming to make holiday planning feel joyful again.
Launched this month by tech entrepreneurs Molly Cooper and Alex Oldfield, the site spotlights boutique hotels, countryside cabins and charming pubs, all hand-picked by lifestyle creators you might already follow online. Rather than trawling through generic lists on accommodation booking sites, travellers can browse through the lens of creators such as Laura Jackson (@iamlaurajackson), Estée Lalonde (@esteelalonde) and Gina Jackson (@ginagoesto) on the visually striking Curated Spaces, and book with a click or two.
Launched this month by tech entrepreneurs Molly Cooper and Alex Oldfield, the site spotlights boutique hotels, countryside cabins and charming pubs, all hand-picked by lifestyle creators you might already follow online. Rather than trawling through generic lists on accommodation booking sites, travellers can browse through the lens of creators such as Laura Jackson (@iamlaurajackson), Estée Lalonde (@esteelalonde) and Gina Jackson (@ginagoesto) on the visually striking Curated Spaces, and book with a click or two.
Founders Molly Cooper and Alex Oldfield, left, and booking location Three Mile Beach, Cornwall
The platform started as a podcast, where Cooper interviewed hospitality and design insiders, before evolving into a fully fledged booking engine. “We worked out that we all do the same crazy [method] – opening up a million tabs, finding everything on Instagram, going into tags to see who's been there, and thought, what if we actually flipped travel planning and put creators and their content at the heart of it?” Cooper explains.
Each featured tastemaker is there by invitation only and earns commission when bookings are made via their recommendations. “We’ve looked more for lifestyle creators,” Oldfield adds. “It’s people interested in home interiors, or foodies, or architects who have a unique spin or take on a space – and you trust their taste, which is the main thing.”
At launch, more than 50 stays are available, from grand stately home Beaverbrook to the bucolic Boath House and Thyme, Cooper’s top pick. Expansion across Europe is in the works, but for now, the focus is on curated quality over quantity. “We’re not going to have thousands of listings,” Cooper says.
The platform started as a podcast, where Cooper interviewed hospitality and design insiders, before evolving into a fully fledged booking engine. “We worked out that we all do the same crazy [method] – opening up a million tabs, finding everything on Instagram, going into tags to see who's been there, and thought, what if we actually flipped travel planning and put creators and their content at the heart of it?” Cooper explains.
Each featured tastemaker is there by invitation only and earns commission when bookings are made via their recommendations. “We’ve looked more for lifestyle creators,” Oldfield adds. “It’s people interested in home interiors, or foodies, or architects who have a unique spin or take on a space – and you trust their taste, which is the main thing.”
At launch, more than 50 stays are available, from grand stately home Beaverbrook to the bucolic Boath House and Thyme, Cooper’s top pick. Expansion across Europe is in the works, but for now, the focus is on curated quality over quantity. “We’re not going to have thousands of listings,” Cooper says.
Curated Spaces-approved Elmley Nature Reserve, left, and contributor Laura Jackson
The platform is designed to grow organically: creators can refer other trusted creators, resulting in a community of tastemakers recommending spaces they genuinely love. “Instead of us approving every single space, we empower people with their finger on the pulse to help build this network,” Cooper explains.
For travellers, it means less searching and more discovering – and the chance to book the kind of stays they've been double-tapping on for months.
The platform is designed to grow organically: creators can refer other trusted creators, resulting in a community of tastemakers recommending spaces they genuinely love. “Instead of us approving every single space, we empower people with their finger on the pulse to help build this network,” Cooper explains.
For travellers, it means less searching and more discovering – and the chance to book the kind of stays they've been double-tapping on for months.
