At TakeUp, we believe hospitality should feel human. We believe the places you stay should stay with you. We believe travel is better when it has texture and personality and a story that didn’t come from a corporate brand book.
And we believe the industry is at a tipping point.
Every year, more “boutique” hotels pop up that look suspiciously similar to every other “boutique” hotel. Same furniture. Same faux local artwork. Same scripted greetings. And when you look closer, you realize many of these so called boutiques are actually created by the biggest hotel brands in the world. They are designed to feel handcrafted even though they are manufactured at scale. It is hospitality without heart. A copy of a copy.
Independent Tuesday is our line in the sand.
This movement exists because independently owned hotels, inns, B&Bs, and retreats are the real originals. They define hospitality in a way a franchised concept never will. They are run by people who welcome travelers like guests, not units. They offer experiences shaped by passion, not playbooks. And we believe that is worth protecting.
And we believe it is time to support the people keeping it alive.
Independent Tuesday is our call to everyone who cares about real travel. Choose the stays with character. The ones that do not match the room next door in another city. The ones that reflect the community and the people who built them. The ones that feel alive.
If travel should mean something, your stay should too.
Hospitality is drifting toward sameness, and we think that’s a problem worth solving. Travelers want something real. Owners want guests who appreciate what they’ve built. Communities want businesses that reflect their identity.
Independent hotels do all of this naturally. Chains spend millions trying to imitate it.
So this Travel Tuesday, we’re inviting travelers to book independent and support the soul of hospitality. This is not nostalgia. This is about the future. We believe the next era of travel belongs to the originals, not the imitations.
To spark this movement, we’re giving away a three night stay at a TakeUp partner hotel that embodies everything we love about independent hospitality. Think adobe style hideaways in Santa Fe, coastal charm in Cannon Beach, or a lakeside retreat in Maine. Every property is one of one.
To enter:
Each post is an entry. We will choose a winner the following week.
Independent Tuesday is a stand for better travel. A reminder that hospitality is not meant to be mass produced. A call to the people who believe staying somewhere should feel magical, personal, and unmistakably real.
If you believe the soul of hospitality deserves protecting, then join us.
Support the independents. Celebrate originality. Keep travel human.
This Travel Tuesday, book independent.
Subscribe for news
Get the tea with our monthly newsletter Independent Edge
What today’s travelers want, how they book, and what drives their decisions. Your must-read playbook for attracting guests in 2025.
