Latest news with #SaraHolt
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I swapped homes with a total stranger from Instagram to save money while traveling
A woman who swapped homes with a total stranger on Instagram to save money on hotel costs while she was traveling has shared the highs and lows of the experience. Sara Holt, 27, from Copenhagen, was planning a trip to Paris, France, and got fed up with the eye-watering prices of hotels and Airbnbs. Inspired by the Cameron Diaz-lead movie The Holiday, she decided to turn to social media to try to find someone living in the European city who might exchange abodes with her. She shared a video of her studio apartment on Instagram and received offers from people all over the world. And she ultimately switched with a girl living in the heart of Paris. She flew out on July 16 and stayed for a week – enjoying everything the city of lights had to offer for a fraction of the price. 'Travelling is expensive but a lot of the time, it is the accommodation that really breaks the bank,' she told Luxury Travel Daily recently. 'With home swapping, you really only have to pay for the transportation, which is a big perk when trying to save some money. 'Since watching The Holiday for the first time, I've always wanted to try it.' The 2006 flick - which also starred Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black - followed two strangers, one from a quiet English village and the other from star-studded Hollywood, who decided to trade homes in an attempt to spice up their lives. In addition to saving money, there were a load of other benefits that came with living in someone's home rather than staying at a hotel. 'I was so happy arriving in her flat in Paris. It looked amazing, very homey and she had cleaned and laid out a list with local recommendations as well as a welcome gift of wine, soaps and chocolate,' Sara recalled. 'It was a bit strange to live in someone else's space but it quickly felt very homey.' The content creator estimates she saved $800 on accommodation fees – and all in all, she only paid $650 for the entire trip, including flights, food, drinks and shopping. She loved the experience so much that she now can't imagine travelling any other way. Sara said: 'It was great to have your own kitchen and everything you need on hand, which is not the case in a hotel. Sara flew out on July 16 and stayed for a week – enjoying everything the city of lights had to offer for a fraction of the price 'Living in her area had a very local feel as well, which was great. It was more like trying "everyday life" in Paris instead of a holiday. 'It was just perfect. We were keeping in touch all week, asking questions and sending each other recommendations. 'It was like having a guide ready in your pocket the whole time. The whole thing felt very wholesome.' Sara added that the girl living in her apartment left it 'spotless,' in fact, it was 'almost better than when she left.' But there were some downsides. Particularly, she admitted that she was worried knowing there was no second party involved to help if something went wrong in her temporary home. 'I was a bit more worried than usual about keeping her space in order – as there is not second party involved, I really didn't want to break anything or lose her keys – stuff like that,' she explained. 'I was a bit nervous the months leading up to it, that one of us would have to cancel after the other person had already booked flights. 'There's no refund policy when you just swap with someone outside of the platforms. Luckily that didn't happen!' In addition to saving money, there were a load of other benefits that came with living in someone's home rather than staying at a hotel. The apartment she stayed in is pictured Despite some initial nerves about swapping her $950-a-month studio flat in Denmark with a stranger, the whole week went off without a hitch. Sara concluded: 'The money saved was definitely a bonus but the real win was feeling like a local and having that insider experience. 'I'd encourage anyone curious about home swapping to just take the leap. It's such a unique way to travel and connect with people. 'It's not just about saving money – it's about the stories you collect and the memories you make in a home that isn't your own.'
Daily Mirror
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I swapped homes with a total stranger for a week to save £600 on hotels'
Sara traded homes with a stranger for a week to take a trip to Paris - she said "the whole thing felt very wholesome" A woman has shared how she swapped homes with a stranger on Instagram to save £600 on accommodation costs. Sara Holt, 27, said she felt fed up with the prices of hotels and Airbnbs and instead decided to ask others on social media if they'd be up for a home exchange. With hopes of visiting France, Sara, who lives in Copenhagen, shared a video of her studio apartment online saying she hoped for a summer home exchange. Sara claims to have received offers from all over the world – but chose to go with a flat from a girl in Paris who she had been following online for a while. She flew out on July 16 and stayed for a week, enjoying everything the city of lights had to offer for a fraction of the price. Sara told Luxury Travel Daily: "Travelling is expensive but a lot of the time, it is the accommodation that really breaks the bank. "With home swapping, you really only have to pay for the transportation, which is a big perk when trying to save some money. Since watching 'The Holiday' for the first time, I've always wanted to try it. "I was so happy arriving in her flat in Paris. It looked amazing, very homey and she had cleaned and laid out a list with local recommendations as well as a welcome gift of wine, soaps and chocolate. "It was a bit strange to live in someone else's space but it quickly felt very homey. I also had a good sense of who the person was, so it made the whole experience feel a lot safer." Sara estimates the trip would have set her back £600 just for a hotel alone – a far cry from the £500 she spent all-in including flights, food, drinks and shopping. She loved the experience so much that she now can't imagine travelling any other way. She added: 'It was great to have your own kitchen and everything you need on hand, which is not the case in a hotel. Living in her area had a very local feel as well, which was great. "It was more like trying 'everyday life' in Paris instead of a holiday. It was just perfect. We were keeping in touch all week, asking questions and sending each other recommendations. "It was like having a guide ready in your pocket the whole time. I came home to a spotless apartment, looking almost better than when I left and the whole thing felt very wholesome." However, there were moments of worry – Sara knew there was no second party involved to help if something went wrong in her temporary home. She said: 'I was a bit more worried than usual about keeping her space in order – as there is not second party involved, I really didn't want to break anything or lose her keys – stuff like that. "I was a bit nervous the months leading up to it, that one of us would have to cancel after the other person had already booked flights. There's no refund policy when you just swap with someone outside of the platforms. Luckily that didn't happen!" Despite some initial nerves about swapping her £700-a-month studio flat in Denmark with a stranger, the whole week went off without a hitch. She added: "The money saved was definitely a bonus but the real win was feeling like a local and having that insider experience. I'd encourage anyone curious about home swapping to just take the leap. "It's such a unique way to travel and connect with people. It's not just about saving money – it's about the stories you collect and the memories you make in a home that isn't your own."
Business Mayor
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Neverland wins Center Parcs creative account
Center Parcs has picked Neverland to take on its creative account following a three-way competitive pitch. The process was handled by Ingenuity+ and Neverland will be responsible for brand strategy and creative campaigns. Sara Holt, chief marketing officer at Center Parcs, said: 'Center Parcs is an incredible business with deep guest loyalty, unrivalled occupancy and an amazing story to tell. It needs a special partner. 'From the moment we met Josh [Harris, chief executive at Neverland], Jon [Forsyth, co-founder] and Simon [Massey, co-founder] they demonstrated a love of our brand that only comes from being a guest who has made lifetime family memories on our villages. They have used this to show us an enticing future. We are so excited to roll this out together to our guests and colleagues.' The indie will begin working with Center Parcs immediately, creating a new campaign and strategy to help elevate the brand and achieve growth. Harris added: 'From the moment we met Sara and the team, we felt the energy and potential behind this special opportunity to evolve one of the UK and Ireland's most iconic brands. 'We're grateful for the trust, time, and care Center Parcs put into an amazing pitch process. We're absolutely buzzing to get started.' Neverland will be taking over from fellow independent creative shop Brothers & Sisters, which declined to repitch for the business. Gill Huber, managing director at Ingenuity+, said: 'Throughout the pitch process Neverland continuously showed its passion and commitment to Center Parcs, giving the brand a sense of what the agency would be like as a partner for the brand's next stage of evolution. Read More Skinny wins Grand Prix for Radio and Audio at Cannes Lions 2023 'We appreciate the effort and time given by all the agencies that took part in the process and glad Center Parcs found its perfect partner. I look forward to seeing what this new dynamic duo can create together.' Brothers & Sisters first won the account in 2013. Y&R London (now VML UK) later took over in 2017. The former won the account again in 2021. The incumbent has created Center Parcs work such as 'Bears', 'Family forever' and 'Cherish the moment'.
