Things to do on holiday

Goodbye Marketplace

16/11/2016

Over the last year we have been working hard to bring a community of travellers and local experts together, enabling people in new places to find and buy interesting and useful services. That community evolved into what we called the Concierge99 Marketplace.

We’ve had some great successes and have enriched holidays in places such as London, Granada and Lisbon - and want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved thus far. Unfortunately, we just haven’t seen the level of traction in the Concierge99 Marketplace that we need in order to further invest in and grow that part of our offering.

That’s why, in November 2016, we decided to shut down the marketplace area of our broader Concierge99 service to refocus our energies and resources on new and related projects as well as expand some of our existing services - such as the Top 5 Guides (which have been shared over 40,000 times so far), our nascent Chatbot (launched in October 2016) and two new areas we’re very excited about that have launched recently - travel inspired Local Food and Drink Recipes and our Tools to Enrich Travel.

RIP Marketplace!

We’d like to take a few moments to reflect on why the Concierge99 Marketplace itself did not work out as, like anything, this is a learning experience.

We firmly believe that enabling local people to provide services to people on holiday is A) a good business model; B) a great way to invigorate local economies; and C) an even better way for people to truly experience a new city. It was and remains a great idea - as evidenced by recent expansions and acquisitions in this space by major players such as Airbnb.

However we were unable to crack two specific areas crucial for any online marketplace:

Firstly, we found it difficult to get significant levels of customer traction. As a startup we needed to be able to attract travellers, probably just before or when they are actually ON holiday, and then present them with a local service they want to buy right there and then. And we had to do that with almost no brand recognition. Ultimately, we were unable to achieve this in a replicable and cost effective way. We found models that gave us some success but to scale them would have required significant capital investment from outside parties, an avenue we weren't quite ready to go down.
Secondly, we were unable to convince users that there was enough value in the platform so that they didn’t take their monetary transactions offline where the opportunity presented itself. This clearly points to an issue with both making the transactions within our marketplace easier than taking them offline, AND providing auxiliary services around the transaction to make it beneficial. Unfortunately, whilst being able to see the problem, the solution remains elusive.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who joined the marketplace - those who offered services, those who purchased services and those who just browsed - you all contributed to the success we did manage to have and also to the learnings we take away from closing this area.
We are really excited about the new services that we've chosen to focus our resources on. Take a look at the links above to see all the new developments.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns at all. We always love to hear from you and look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.

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And a chatbot was born...

14/10/2016

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For a bit of fun, we set ourselves a challenge last week: Can we take some of the travel tips our Top 5 Guides are full of, and make them accessible via a chatbot? We wanted to be able to do it as quickly as possible, with minimal fuss but still create something that might be useful for people AND be a learning experience for us.

With that in mind, I took on the task. I didn’t want to go down the route of building something from scratch and I didn’t want to over complicate matters. So I decided on a single task: Take some existing content and make it accessible via a "very-easy-to-use" chatbot, preferably available to a wide, general audience. And I wanted to do it in an afternoon.

So I spent an hour or so checking to see if there were any SaaS platforms available that would enable me to build the logic behind a chatbot without too much coding. There are a few out there and I eventually settled on FlowXO for a number of reasons, including a free starter option, the ability to branch on conditions, ease of integration with a popular messaging platform (Messenger) and the option to extend the service by adding more complex functionality at a later date.

Using FlowXO, I set up a basic chatbot that presented responses based on inputs from the user using what essentially amounts to a decision tree.

Within about 30 minutes I had the basics of my service ready, using tips from our already existing Granada travel guide. I then tweaked some of the wording so that it appear more human and less like bullet points, submitted it to Facebook for approval and then 24 hours later, it was live!

I have to stress that this isn’t a particularly clever chatbot - it’s basically visual IVR where you can select a few options and get some canned responses. That said, it does what I believe it needs to do - enable people travelling to Granada to receive some expert tips on what to do and where to go in an easy-to-use and intuitive way. Right now there is no reason to make it “appear” any cleverer.

If you feel like it, give it a try! You can get started by saying Hi to Concierge99 on Facebook Messenger or simply following this link.

We are always happy for feedback so fire away and let us know how it goes!

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Interview with Flamenco Performer Juan José in Granada

4/9/2016

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We continue our Interview Series with an ever more varied and interesting pool of local experts right here in sunny Granada.
Juan José, a local flamenco performer and manager, and his team are a group of talented individuals that offer way more than just your simple musical entertainment at an event; you'll find violinists, Spanish guitarists, soprano singers, even magicians, pianists and of course the cream of the crop, the flamenco dancers themselves.
I love the idea of bringing in performers to an event as I remember very fondly (and with hilarity) a friend's wedding that showcased 'singing waiters' - supposed waiters at the dinner reception that suddenly burst into operatic arias and beautiful renditions of popular songs to the amazement of everyone in the room! The performance blew us away and years later, we're still all talking about it.
Read on to learn more about these Granaino performers in particular. The original interview was conducted in Spanish and that can be found below.

We kicked off the usual probing questions looking for details on Juan José's company, his background and any information we could get from him about the music scene in Granada, especially traditional flamenco. So here goes!

Concierge99: How long have you been doing music performances in Granada?
Juan José: 12 years

Concierge99: What is your favourite part of performing?
Juan José: Seeing people smile, enjoy themselves and get excited for our performances.

Concierge99: Who are your favourite types of clients?
Juan José: Any kind of customer - provided that they are respectful to other customers and to the artists that perform.

Concierge99: Sum up your team in a few words.
Juan José: We are a dynamic company, formed by dedicated professionals, who enjoy what they do, always try to satisfy the audience with high quality performances and good prices.

Concierge99: What should all travellers to Granada know about this city?
Juan José: That Granada is a very welcoming city that takes great care of its tourists. We help solve any problems and strive to integrate the city's visitors with the Granadinos living there.

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Quick Top 5 Guide to things to do in Dubrovnik

25/8/2016

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The spectacular city of Dubrovnik - nicknamed the Pearl of the Adriatic Sea and established in the oh-not-so-distant seventh century, is home to a sea port of azure-blue waters, happy friendly locals and Croatian wine not to be missed. Since Dubrovnik juts into the sea and is surrounded by thick medieval walls, it provides the perfect haven of traffic-less and cobblestoned Old Town to satisfy the history buff while pristine beaches and clear waters thrill the sun seeker. Oh and did I mention that it’s the location for filming the King’s Landing scenes in Game of Thrones? (here's a link to a self-guided tour so you can check out the spots yourself).

While you're visiting this part of Croatia, we recommend the necessary things to do in Dubrovnik to get the most out of your visit plus some restaurant and bar recommendations for the foodie and socialite!

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Guide to things to do in Granada - Edition 2.0

18/8/2016

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Having established ourselves as bona fide Granada locals by now, we felt the need to update our original Top 5 Guide to Granada with even more insider tips on all the newly opened bars and discovered restaurants we've found during our year of this city so far.

These are spots we've discovered that are each special in their own right: Looking for a bite to eat during the siesta hours and everything seems closed? Or aching for a spot of wine tasting while learning about the local wines with a talented Sommelier? We cover it all here:

Rosario Varela (Bar with free tapas, Calle Varela, 10): Rosario Varela is a very Brooklyn- and Shoreditch-type bar that is open all day long (i.e. it's open during the hours when many bars close from 4:30pm to 8:30pm) with cool music, trendy tattooed bartenders and indoor or outdoor seating. Order a copa de vino, café solo or their incredible G&Ts that practically come in fishbowls. Bonus is you get a delicious tapa (free) to accompany your drink. Sister of one of our original 'Best Drinking Bars in Granada' San Matías 30, aka BAR, just up the road.
Filigrana (Bar with free tapas, Plaza Isabel La Católica, 2): We've discovered that this brand spankin' new bar is a great spot for watching matches on their big screen. With indoor and outdoor seating all in view of the screen, it's perfect for groups that can drift into the air conditioning or out to the breezy heat. This bar is also open all day long so handy for late-afternoon/evening snacking.
El Bar de Fede (Bar with free tapas, Calle Marqués de Falces, 1): Ever try to arrange a group get-together but struggle to find the perfect bar with standing plus sitting room, easy access to the bar and good food and drink to boot? Well, this is your ideal spot - standing-height tables with optional seats in the evening lend an easy-going air to this bar which is actually sit-down in the day (their tables adjust to different heights - it's useful engineering at its best!). Friendly waiters that speak English (only if you want them to) and delicious tapas make for a popular gathering spot.
Terraza Bar-Ranco (Sit-down BBQ restaurant, Camino Nuevo del Cementerio, 17): We're so glad we were told about this place by a local friend; it's off the beaten track of the standard strolling-zone being quite far up in the hills overlooking the city and it's a totally different experience to traditional downtown restaurants. For one, you need to call at least 24 hours ahead of the time you plan to dine to place your order for their barbecued meat. (The chef only buys and cooks what's been ordered for that day so it's the freshest possible.) Get a whole rabbit or chicken or a plate of ribs to share around the table. It's obviously very meat-heavy but worth the trek up the hill to witness the views over the city and surrounding mountains. To get there, veer up behind Campo del Principe and it's a straight shot ahead. In the summer, it's open Wednesday evenings through Sunday for dinners only - I'd recommend booking a table for 10pm or later as you'd be dining alone if you sat any earlier!
Petra Vinos y más (Bar plus backroom for wine tasting, learning about local wines and accompanying tapas): We met Fuensanta, a local Sommelier in Granada and were amazed to be introduced to her cellar-like backroom lined with wine bottles and artwork, a haven for any wine aficionado. Come learn about the organic wines of Granada and the foods that complement them with Fuensanta to guide you through it all.
Plaza de la Universidad (good area for tapas or hanging out during siesta hours): Wandering around and looking for a delicious tapa or siesta-hours drink? Plaza de la Universidad is a handy spot to linger and especially at:
- The Corner (for fill-your-belly tapas right in the plaza): Not usually open during siesta hours but worth the wait is The Corner for tapas like a whole baked potato with fillings, mini pizza, sandwich and more. You can also watch football or other sport matches here. Indoor and outdoor seating plus free wifi. We find we gravitate towards here when we don't have a set place in mind but hungry for tapas and a nice outdoor spot to watch the world go by.
- Baraka (for all day drinking & snacks/sandwiches menu nearby on Calle Jerónimo): modern bar/café where groups of friends come to hang out or couples for a chat in their sheltered outdoor terrace with cool music & free wifi; dogs and smokers welcome.
- Tocateja (low-lit wine bar for some of the most delicious tapas in town on Calle Trinidad): open later than many other spots and still serving tapas, this friendly wine bar has a cool, cosy atmosphere where you'll while away the hours without realising it.
Gelateria Via Latte (for ice-cream in Plaza Trinidad): I know we rave about Los Italianos in the original Granada guide, and they are great for classic flavours, but this Gelateria is a real treat for any sweet tooth; my favourite flavours are Mango Yogur coupled with Ferrero Rocher, on a cone for just €2.60. Saying that, I think I'll go for one right now...
We didn't list our favourite Italian spots previously as we wanted to showcase the local fare. However, the following establishments cannot go unmentioned as they serve the most delicious Italian food I've had outside of that boot-shaped country:
- Cacho & Pepe (Calle Colcha, 6): Takeaway café with lasagnas (classic beef and various veggie options) or fresh pastas and sauces with traditional desserts to round it off. There are two tiny 2-person tables you could sit at but it's more expensive to dine-in and you'll probably be disturbed by all the hungry patrons dashing in for their fix of of Italian. So we recommend grabbing a classic lasagna and moussaka-type veggie option each for €6 and finding a bench in the sunshine in nearby Plaza Nueva to watch the comings and goings of the Granada courthouse and surrounding hotels.
- VidaXtra (also Calle Colcha, 6): A sit-down Italian restaurant this time, the friendly team at VidaXtra will make sure you're made to feel welcome at the few indoor or outdoor tables, and serve up some incredible dishes by the Sicilian chef. Try the bruschetta to start and each grab a generous portion of pasta for main. We recommend the traditional Spaghetti Amatriciana for a real taste of Italy.
- Grazie Mille (Calle Gran Capitan, 15): No seating at this place, it's pure takeaway fresh pizza and pasta and how delicious it is. With massive pizzas and loads of choices of toppings, join the queue of people here to get your share (don't worry, the queue moves quickly but make sure you keep your place amongst the hungry crowd). They close Saturdays and Mondays so better check before showing up and risk getting disappointed.
Restaurante Yamato (Calle Colcha, 7): (Yes, this is a goldmine of a street!) If you're on the lookout for something other than tapas or (gasp) even Italian, across the alleyway from Cacho y Pepe and VidaXtra is our absolute favourite Japanese restaurant. Obviously as fresh fish as you can imagine (coming in every day from the coast 30 minutes away), tasty sushi rolls, dim sum, gyoza, it's all there and mouthwateringly good when you've been eating tapas for months at a time... ;)

We list the necessary 'Things to Do' while you're spending time in Granada, and we're sticking by that advice, but here are some updates on those and a few others we've found in the meantime:

We've met some amazing Granainos during our time here and it turns out that one of the most quietly talented, artistic and friendliest of those also offers art classes. Carmen is a local artist who specialises in the art of engraving and reproduction techniques and has a studio in town showcasing it all. A small group can take her engraving classes (currently in Spanish only, or put in a request for a translator) which take place right in her studio. While you're there, check out her hand-designed silk shoes, matching silk scarves and other items of clothing and textiles. I already own two pairs and have gifted more to friends and family who rave about the beautiful designs and colours! They are truly a unique gift for yourself (or, ok, someone else) that you can be assured is a local speciality of Granada.
Something I can't believe we didn't add to the original 'Things to Do in Granada' is to visit the Arabic Baths. €28 for a 90-minute session or €40 to add in a back or legs massage (I would, it's so relaxing) and you can book in from 10am to midnight, the weekday day sessions being much quieter than the evenings and weekends. It's the cleanest and cosiest spa I've even been in with candlelit, steamy rooms, hot stone seats and dreamlike music to lull you into a serene state. You'll leave practically being poured out into the cobblestone alleyway where you sleepily stumble back to your hotel to continue the soporific feeling.
One tip to add to the ‘Tips to Visiting the Alhambra’, is that we’d recommend joining the queue for the Nasrid Palace just AT the time of your ticket time. This way you are at the back of the queue, the last to enter and so do not have a big crowd of enthusiastic and picture-snapping tourists pushing to get past you and rushing you through the exquisite rooms that deserve more than just a mere glance or even a photo. Being last lets you stroll and enjoy it to the maximum - just make sure to let the official know what time your ticket is for and they'll ensure you get in with your correct group.
If you have a car and an extra day in the area, it's really worth the drive up into the Sierra Nevada mountains during any season simply to see the views. The steep road switchbacks up the mountain while the city and valley falls away behind you. Check out the villages nestled into the mountainside and stop in one for a late lunch (places are usually open from 13:30 to 16:30). If you make it all the way up to the Sierra Nevada ski resort town, there are cable cars and hikes you can take during the summer when the snow has all melted - the incredible views and the sight of the sun setting over Granada from the top of the mountain will stay with you for a long time to come.

If you're looking for some beauty services while you're in town or a day gym pass to work off the extra calories that come with a holiday, here are the best ones we've found:

Best Hairdressing Salon: Martina's in Plaza Realejo, no. 6. Martina speaks five languages (English, Spanish, French, Swedish and Italian) and is a talented London-trained stylist running a cosy little salon in the coolest neighbourhood in Granada. Approx. €70 for full head of highlights and meticulously done. Beat that London.
Best Gym & Classes: Gimnasio Imagen (Calle Santa Paula, 29) is equipped with all the usual and best machines, various classes throughout the day to fit any schedule, and their on-site personal trainers. Take advantage of their premises during your visit at just €8 for a day pass, €30 for 5 days & €50 for 10 days. Personal Training sessions available with no commitment, starting at €28/session.
Best Threading: Plattino Peluqueros for as pain-free as possible threading in the spotless studio (Under €10 at Calle Puentezuelas, 53)
Best Nail Salon - ...sorry, I'm still on the lookout for this. Found a couple that haven't been up to scratch and surprisingly expensive (AND don't take card, what's up with that?)...so stay tuned on this one, I'm determined to find one! Suggestions welcome!

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Goodbye Marketplace

And a chatbot was born...

Interview with Flamenco Performer Juan José in Granada

Quick Top 5 Guide to things to do in Dubrovnik

Guide to things to do in Granada - Edition 2.0

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﻿Goodbye Marketplace

And a chatbot was born...

Interview with Flamenco Performer Juan José in Granada

Quick Top 5 Guide to things to do in Dubrovnik﻿

Guide to things to do in Granada - Edition 2.0

The Authors

Register for blog updates:

Archives

Categories

Goodbye Marketplace

Quick Top 5 Guide to things to do in Dubrovnik