A Luggage Brand Is Trying To Take Over Travel, Starting With A Paris Hotel...

We’re big fans of the “have it all” approach, but having it all usually means paying a fortune. Last year, Away Travel launched a $220 carry on, featuring charging ports, a lifetime guarantee and a look that makes just about anyone feel cool at the airport. We got excited. Now, the company is trying something new, launching a pop up hotel in Paris, and we’re intrigued about the future.

Called “Chez Away”, Away Travel has taken over the Amastan Hotel for fashion week. Why? Well, they think they have something to say when it comes to making travel better. And that’s all parts of travel, not just luggage. For their immersive pop up hotel, Away partnered with a variety of brands to curate what could be the ultimate hotel experience. Think: workshops for guests from Nike and Mindful, a Grey Goose bar and in room beauty products from Diptyque, Dr. Jart and Glossier. Still not impressed? How about in house manicurists and a tattoo parlor- for all those bad hotel bar decisions.

A pop up hotel is one thing, but Away co-founder Jen Rubio has hinted that this effort may not be a one off. Judging by their stripped down, innovative approach to luggage- it could be a great thing. It’s not hard to imagine a few travel businesses that couldn’t use a shake up.

“Before we even launched, we joked with our investors that someday there might even be an Away Airlines,” says Rubio. “If you think about that broader vision of improving travel and giving everyone exciting experiences, the way to get to that is through things like pop-up hotels.”

With all things, only time will tell- but the idea of a definitive luggage brand, branching into other realms of travel is a novel concept. Cars existed for decades before Tesla came along and revolutionized concepts that were never questioned. It’s safe to say there are quite a few airline decisions we’d like questioned. We’ll see.