General FAQ

Well, to be honest, The Perfect Hideaway started as a hobby travel blog and grew so fast, I could no longer keep it up. It was never intended to be a large business or brand. I knew I would have to re-brand when I built a new website because there were other variants of ‘The Perfect Hideaway’ that we were often getting confused with, and it was also important that I be able to trademark the name. SURŌ means slow in Japanese, which I feel is more aligned with our brand ethos of slow, conscious living and traveling. It may have taken us a while to get here, but I believe it all happens exactly as it should.

Our collection includes Bed and Breakfasts, Boutique Hotels, Vacation Homes… and pretty much everything in-between if it falls in alignment with our philosophy and design aesthetic. We love properties with a story, properties created with heart, properties that inspire, properties that are conscious of their environmental and social footprint.

Great! We are always on the lookout for new design properties! If we feel it’s a good fit for our audience and fulfills our criteria, we will send you a link to onboard your property. If it is not approved, that just means it may not be a good fit for our audience or design aesthetic at this time. Click here to begin the process.

We follow a set of criteria when evaluating whether a property is in alignment with our audience of design and experience lovers. Although each property can vary in size, rate, and style, they will all feel memorable and foster authentic experiences.

1 / Design + Quality

The property must have a beautiful aesthetic, attention to detail and have a design or architectural element.

2 / The Experience

The property should have an experiential element such as a unique location, memorable hospitality and a “one of a kind” feel.

3 / Good Reviews

It’s important that guests have had good experiences in the past to ensure consistency.

4 / Local & Sustainable

Properties must place value on their environment and social footprint such as using green/renewable energy, supporting local artisans and producers, implementing recycling/composting, using organic products, etc.

The simple answer is that we aren’t actually a booking platform, we are a membership-based promotional platform. We developed this platform because we saw that the travel and hospitality industry was evolving very quickly, but the platforms weren’t responding to the needs of the properties (and the travelers). Common complaints from properties were that they couldn’t find a platform that shared their philosophy for design and experience, that they were giving so much of their hard-earned profits to booking commissions, and that they weren’t connecting with the right guest that appreciates what they created. We wanted to create something that not just supported boutique properties but also brought together a global community of like-minded individuals.

No, we do not charge a booking commission. We are a membership-based promotional platform, and only charge a small monthly subscription fee. We believe that the industry is evolving, and the old rules don’t apply anymore. Our intention is to empower property owners by connecting them to their ideal guests while not relying on booking platforms with high fees.

If your property is a good fit but the photos aren’t aligned with our brand aesthetic, we will connect you with one of our vetted photographers. We believe that imagery should not just highlight the design and architectural elements that make your space unique, it should also portray how the property feels.

Once you find your dream property and check the availability calendar, click the BOOK NOW button, which takes you directly to the property’s booking page. This ensures the best rate possible for you with no added booking fees and gives you direct contact with the property in the case you need more information or have special requests. 

When you book with a property, you are agreeing to their terms and policies and therefore must contact the property directly for assistance.

We follow a set of criteria and prioritize past guest experiences so that we feel confident in including a property in our collection.

We have 2 types of properties listed on our website, The Collective Properties, which are personally visited and photographed by someone from our team, and Approved Properties, which we haven’t personally visited but feel they are a good fit for our collection.

Please keep in mind that these are purely recommendations, and although we do our best to ensure our collection adheres to our standards, life happens! If you have a negative experience at one of our recommended properties, please let us know so we can reassess.

Beyond just photography, we are looking for photographers that are in alignment with our philosophy and how we work, as they are essentially ambassadors for our company when visiting a property. If a photographer is approved, we will then do a trial property to first assess whether we are a good fit. Click here to get started.

We work on a collaboration basis only, however there will be many opportunities for generating revenue through our platform.

Yes! Please reach out via the contributor form here and include a link to a sample of your work. Please take a look at The Edit to get an idea of the content we are interested in sharing.

We understand the value in working with content creators to share an experience with their audience, as do many of our properties. We find that properties have become overwhelmed with proposals from content creators, so they feel more confident working with those that we approve and are aligned with our aesthetic. Feel free to submit media pack here.

Yes. Special properties remain at the heart of our company, but our philosophy extends beyond just where you stay. As a Travel & Lifestyle company that prioritizes conscious travel, authentic travel experiences, and inspired design, we are excited to partner with brands that share that philosophy. Please reach out here if you are interested in working with our team of creatives.

We will also be launching a sustainable marketplace to support brands aligned with our ethos, as well as doing collaborations. Stay tuned!

Yes. We have so many properties that are venues for retreats, photoshoots, and special gatherings. To make it simple, we have a gallery with properties that host retreats and events, just visit our Collections Page.