Meet Ankur Mathur, the Entrepreneur Creating Memorable, Authentic, and Unique Travel Experiences for the Millennial and Gen-Z Generations
Staymaster, founded by Ankur Mathur, is a game-changer in the Indian vacation rental market. As the country’s first one-stop-shop for everything related to vacation real estate, Staymaster offers a technology-first platform where users can stay, host, and invest in private vacation homes across India.
Staymaster’s unique branded hospitality provides guests with the comfort of home, combined with the service level of a hotel. This blend creates an unparalleled and authentic travel experience that caters to every need. All Staymaster homes are thoughtfully designed, featuring exclusive private spaces, numerous amenities, and the highest standards of hygiene, sanitization, health, and safety. Round-the-clock guest support and concierge services ensure an elevated level of personalized service.
Ankur Mathur’s journey to founding Staymaster began with a strong academic foundation and a passion for solving everyday problems. After pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Pune and a masters in entrepreneurship and management from Imperial College London, Mathur took on various roles in sales, marketing, and customer service at Apollo Tyres. He later led supply acquisition for Airbnb in the West-Indian market and headed the Regional P&L, Sales & Growth at WeWork.
With a decade of experience as a business leader and strategist, Mathur saw a massive opportunity in the millennial and Gen-Z populations’ growing preference for private vacation homes over hotels. However, this rapidly growing space faced issues with inconsistent guest experiences and unprofessional hospitality. To solve these problems and make vacations more memorable, authentic, and unique, Mathur co-founded Staymaster in June 2021. Since then, Staymaster has hosted over 50,000 guests across 100+ homes.
As an empathetic leader, Mathur values resilience and perseverance, focusing on creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for his team members. He believes in the power of resilience and perseverance in overcoming adversity, and he encourages his team to embrace failures as opportunities to learn and grow.
Staymaster’s success lies in its values, culture, and people. The company cultivates a culture based on transparency, integrity, and continuous learning, with teams empowered to make decisions without fear of failure. Authenticity and honesty in all aspects of work have created a sense of psychological safety and belonging within the organization.
Mathur’s passion for travel and problem-solving, combined with his strong foundation in education, corporate experience and networking, has been crucial in his journey as an entrepreneur. He has overcome challenges such as bootstrapping an unconventional business in a fragmented market, building trust with new customers, and managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
One of Mathur’s proudest projects is the development of a concierge platform that provides guests with unforgettable, authentic experiences deeply connected to local culture. This innovative platform not only allows guests to explore the local culture but also significantly contributes to the local economy by providing employment opportunities for local artisans and artists.
Staymaster’s unique approach to hospitality, including its home selection algorithm, private vacation homes, and flexible check-in and check-out times, sets it apart from traditional hotel offerings. As Staymaster looks to the future, the company plans to incorporate smart home features, virtual reality tours, and a new solution for second homeowners, continuing to revolutionize the future of travel.
To learn more about Staymaster and Ankur Mathur, visit www.thestaymaster.com or connect with Ankur on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurmathur7/.