Property FAQ

Our collection includes Bed and Breakfasts, Boutique Hotels, Vacation Homes… and pretty much everything in-between if it aligns with our philosophy and design aesthetic. We seek properties with a story, crafted with heart and intention. Places that inspire. Places that honor their environmental and social footprint. Every stay in our curated selection is more than just a destination; it’s an experience.

We curate each property with intention, ensuring it resonates with our community of design and experience enthusiasts. While our collection embraces a range of styles, sizes, and price points, every stay must be memorable, immersive, and thoughtfully crafted. Our selection criteria include:

1 / Design + Craftsmanship

A strong design identity is essential—whether through striking architecture, meticulous attention to detail, or a beautifully curated aesthetic.

2 / Experiential Stay

A property should offer more than just a place to sleep. A unique location, exceptional hospitality, or a distinctive atmosphere that creates a one-of-a-kind experience is key.

3 / Proven Excellence

Guest experiences matter. Positive reviews ensure consistency in quality, service, and overall ambiance.

4 / Local & Sustainable Ethos

SURŌ is a membership-based platform that leverages our website, newsletter, social media channels, and industry relationships to promote our properties to a highly engaged audience, driving bookings directly to the properties. Unlike traditional booking platforms, we don’t charge commission or service fees, just a monthly membership fee for the property listing.

Derived from the Japanese word for “slow,” SURŌ embodies our philosophy of intentional, conscious living and travel. While thoughtfully curated properties remain at our core, we are equally committed to fostering a global community of like-minded explorers, creators, and brands. Through our marketplace, we support socially and environmentally conscious businesses. Our editorial platform shares inspiring stories, while our collaborations offer opportunity for photographers and artists, celebrating the beauty of slow, meaningful travel.

Yes, we offer both monthly and annual memberships to provide flexibility while maintaining consistency within our collection.

• Monthly Membership: Cancel anytime, but re-enrollment is limited to once every 12 months. This policy prevents properties from joining only during peak booking seasons.
• Annual Membership: You can cancel at any time, though the annual fee is non-refundable.

Our website features two types of property listings:

• Approved Properties – These meet our selection criteria and feature brand-aligned imagery.
• Collective Properties – Personally vetted and professionally photographed by our team. These properties enjoy added benefits, including Instagram promotion and priority placement in search results.

Our Calendar Sync and internal messaging system make it easy to coordinate a visit from one of our photographers. Properties can set their preferred hosting windows—such as only during shoulder season—but remember, the sooner your property is photographed, the sooner it can be listed! It’s also beneficial to schedule the shoot when your property is best showcased.

Our photographers visit not only to capture your property but to fully experience what makes it unique. This time allows them to study the natural light and shoot at the most optimal moments. It also provides flexibility for unexpected weather conditions and ensures seamless photography around other guests, especially for Boutique Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts.

If your images have been approved, they align with our brand aesthetic and are ready to be featured on our website. The final step is for a member of our team to complete the final steps to take your listing live.

Properties are welcome to use their own photographer and submit the images for review; however, approval for the Property Listing is not guaranteed.

Yes! Each property receives approximately 10 images for use on social media, with the requirement that both the photographer and SURŌ are credited and tagged.

If you’d like to use the images for your website or other purposes, extended usage rights can be purchased for an additional fee.

No, all photos taken by our photographers are exclusive to SURŌ and cannot be shared on other booking or travel platforms. If a property purchases image usage rights, the photos may only be used on their personal property website.

For any media or press inquiries regarding the use of these images, please direct them to us so we can ensure proper credit and compensation for the photographer where applicable.

If you need to update some information in your listing, you can log in to your account and make the changes via the dashboard. Please note, these changes will be reviewed by someone from our team before they go live.