Austin Way

CUSTOM TRAVEL, SANS THE WORK

YOU PICK WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY. AUSTINBASE­D KEY CONCIERGE TURNS IT INTO AN ELEVATED EXPERIENCE.

- BY CHUCK ANSBACHER

Imagine the perfect vacation. Your driver picks you up at the airport and whisks you away to your luxe vacation rental. The fridge and bar have been stocked with snacks and spirits—maybe just popcorn and prosecco for your girls’ weekend, or groceries for you and your family. You’ve got reservatio­ns at all the buzziest restaurant­s, tickets to shows, and hyper-local recommenda­tions for what to do—from the hottest yoga studios to the coolest nightclubs. The best part? You didn’t have to plan a thing.

That’s the premise of Key Concierge, the local startup launched at South by Southwest 2014 by Austin native Kim Shrum. Now in 10 markets and soon expanding to 20, Key partners with vacation rental sites like Austinbase­d HomeAway and boutique hotels including SoCo gem Kimber Modern (110 The Circle, 512-912-1046; kimber modern.com) to offer custom concierge packages with minimal work on your part.

Austin experience­s include a live-music crawl and a private Hill Country bike ride; Aspen visitors can enjoy brunch and a hot-air balloon ride, and in LA, clients can enjoy the services of a private beach butler. “There is no request too bizarre or too big,” emphasizes Shrum, who previously worked in private equity. “You always have that concierge in your pocket who is actually a local in the market.” key.co

“IF YOU SUFFER FROM FOMO, THEN KEY IS FOR YOU.” —KIM SHRUM

 ??  ?? hey Concierge works with luxury rentals to provide custom experience­s like picnics (ƜƥƨƜƤưƢƬƞ ƟƫƨƦ ƭƨƩ ƫƢƠơƭ), shopping trips, restaurant reservatio­ns, and concert packages.
hey Concierge works with luxury rentals to provide custom experience­s like picnics (ƜƥƨƜƤưƢƬƞ ƟƫƨƦ ƭƨƩ ƫƢƠơƭ), shopping trips, restaurant reservatio­ns, and concert packages.
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