Inspired by “Small Business Saturday,” TakeUp’s new initiative urges travelers to “book independent” this Travel Tuesday and support authentic, independently-owned stays.
Westfield, OH — November 18, 2025 — On Travel Tuesday 2025 (December 2nd), AI-powered revenue optimization leader TakeUp will ask travelers to skip the experience of soulless hotel chains and celebrate the true heart of hospitality: independently owned hotels, inns, and retreats. The company today announced “Independent Tuesday,” a movement inspired by the spirit of Small Business Saturday and designed to rally travelers around booking with independent properties that embody genuine care, creativity, and connection.
To help launch the movement, TakeUp is giving away a 3-night stay at any of its independent hotel partners across the United States. Travelers can enter for a chance to win and choose their own experience — maybe it’s an adobe-style retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a coastal castle in Cannon Beach, Oregon, or a cozy lakeside hideaway on Lake Tripp in Maine.
At a time when “fauxtiques” — boutique-style hotels quietly owned by major corporations — are blurring the lines between authentic and manufactured charm, Independent Tuesday aims to put the spotlight back where it belongs: on the real independents. These are the family-run inns, boutique hotels, B&Bs, and glamping retreats that define local character and deliver the kind of guest experience no brand playbook can replicate.
“Let’s be real: the big brands are trying to copy the vibe of independents without doing the work,” said Bobby Marhamat, CEO of TakeUp. “Independent hotels don’t just offer a bed. They offer soul, story, and service that can’t be mass produced. Independent Tuesday is our line in the sand. It’s time we all stand up for the hotels who are doing hospitality the right way.”
Wherever the journey leads, Independent Tuesday invites travelers to book with soul and to make this year’s Travel Tuesday a celebration of the stays that make travel truly special.
Each qualifying post counts as one entry. One winner will be selected at random and announced the following week. Read the Official Sweepstakes Rules.
“Let’s be real: the big brands are trying to copy the vibe of independents without doing the work. Independent hotels don’t just offer a bed. They offer soul, story, and service that can’t be mass produced. Independent Tuesday is our line in the sand. It’s time we all stand up for the hotels who are doing hospitality the right way.”
Bobby Marhamat, CEO, TakeUp
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