Sometimes our live is pure inertia and we don’t even realize it. Life goes by fast with thousands of impacts everyday.  We’ve been stalling for a while, thinking and imagining what it was going to be like afterwards. We wanted more time with family, more fun with friends, more experiences for ourselves and more moments to think about those around us.

Now that we’re back to normal, nothing can be forgotten. The sunshine is brighter everyday and those little moments that we longed for now bring us happiness and smiles on our faces.

Some things only happen once in a lifetime, but when they happen, they leave a mark. A hug is comforting for those who receive it and those who give it. A ‘good morning’ on the street when you meet someone gives you energy to start the day happy. To take a coffee with colleagues to disconnect from work creates bonds and friendship.

Now is the time to enjoy all those little things we had forgotten and that are much closer than we thought. 

A romantic getaway with that special person. A moment of rest and bliss in that hotel with spa you love so much. A flying visit to the nearest charming city. A good time with friends enjoying live music in the chicest rooftop in town. A micro-stay to help you keep resting and disconnecting from everything without crossing the world to do so.

It’s time to live here and now, to feel that we have a lot to be happy about. Didn’t you miss your favourite restaurant three blocks from home? Weren’t you looking forward to go to the beach and feel the smell of the sea? Didn’t you want to turn a normal dinner into an unforgettable date in the coolest suite?

Because the time has come to start enjoying those well-deserved little great holidays; the ones that even being close manage to take you far away. It smells of summer, of freedom, of laughter and endless chatters. It’s time to enjoy your city like you’ve never done before. It’s time to sleep in those nearby hotels that you don’t normally consider. Now it’s time for the micro-experiences that will give you a great summer.

It’s time to realize all the valuable things we have here. Being able to enjoy it again only happens once a year. Are you going to let it go?

Valentine’s Day, the day of the lovers, a day in which between romantic dinners, gifts and flowers, one seeks to revive the flame of passion, often exhausted by the routine of daily life. For this special day, the marketing team of BYHOURS launched a study to a niche of its users who use the hotel service in packs of hours with their partner (currently 23.5%) . Among the more than 300 responses obtained, three rules stand out, which were repeated in more than 60% of the answers: the secrets for a long, lasting relationship full of passionate love.

Passion, the Holy Grail of relationships

According to Harvard studies, led by Professor Richard Swanton Schwartz, in the process of falling in love the chemicals associated with the reward circuitry flood the brain, producing a variety of physical and emotional responses. It is the state we recognize as falling in love: the racing heart, sweaty palms, flushed cheeks, feelings of passion and anxiety about seeing the person desired.

This sensation is carried by the rise of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, but also brain activity in the caudate nucleus zone, a region associated with the integration of sensory experiences in social behavior, and the ventral tegmental area, associated with pleasure, attention and motivation to pursue rewards. Passionate love also lowers serotonin levels, which brings a hint of obsession and madness in the first few months of falling in love.

Unfortunately for some, during the first year of love, serotonin levels gradually return to normal and the “stupid” and “obsessive” aspects of the condition moderate. That period is followed by increases in the hormone oxytocin, a neurotransmitter associated with a more mature and tranquil form of love. This is precisely when love becomes more mature and the initial obsession subsides.

The three types of love

According to studies by Helen Fisher, a famous American anthropologist, author of “Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love” and one of the world’s experts on love, humans have developed three central brain systems for mating and reproduction: Passion (sexual desire), Attraction (romantic love) and Attachment (Partner Love). Love can begin with any of these three feelings, however, while sexual desire evolved to seek a variety of partners, romantic love evolved to allow the mating energy to be focused on just one person, and attachment evolved to allow you to feel a deep bond with this person long enough to have a family. In each of the states different neurotransmitters predominate and it is the changes in their levels that cause feelings related to desire, sexual attraction or emotional attachment.

Is it possible that the passion lasts?

The most loyal BYHOURS users who use the service to keep the flame of passion alive in their relationship comment that the surprise factor is key to maintaining desire after long years of marriage. More than 40% of the open responses included examples of surprising couples: knowing how to escape from routine, share new experiences or well thought out small experiential gifts are factors that most list couples who claim to have the flame always alive.

The studies confirm the users’ claims. Helen Fisher, asked by BYHOURS about the details of their studies regarding tips to keep the flame alive, commented: “I don’t know what these couples did specifically, but I can tell you what they should do: new, new, new. Any kind of novelty drives dopamine in the brain and that’s the core activity of being in love. It’s a constant exploration and any kind of exploration, physical or spiritual, can help to sustain romantic love over the years.”

The spark, the vital nourishment of the flame

Undoubtedly, what was most repeated by the happily married users was the factor of continuous surprises. Some tried a new sport, others made romantic blind dates in one of the hotels of BYHOURS, others suggested escapes to unknown places. The spark, however, was the second most repeated factor: “Our secret is to keep living the relationship as if we were lovers,” said Belen, one of the users of BYHOURS. “Absolute trust in your partner makes all aspects of a relationship easier. Keeping the flame alive is complicated but keeping the details in both day-to-day life and sex makes you feel safer by their side. Every day I try to express in different ways what makes me feel (…) every day you have to surprise me so that it is not something monotonous: blindfolding, erotic massages, etc., makes me want my partner more every day. You have to take care of all the details.” – says Almudena, another user.

Help in the fulfillment of your dreams

Asked about the BYHOURS team, Ramon Nogueras Perez, psychologist, university professor, and specialist in couples therapy, says: “The key to keeping the flame is twofold: On the one hand, it’s good to try to avoid habituation, that is, variety matters. A certain routine is inevitable, but it’s good to try to add new activities and situations that allow us to rediscover our partner. On the other hand, one of the most important things is to understand what our partner’s most important dreams are, and to try to help them come true, to draw what Gottman calls love maps. Few things keep a couple’s flame more alive than the thought that you have a partner who’s going to help you achieve your dreams.

The golden rules

The happy couples of BYHOURS consider it essential to try to find time to surprise themselves with small details and new experiences, to maintain intimacy and positive thinking. Although surprises and intimacy were mentioned the most, among other advice we found

1. SURPRISE: Keep the surprise factors in mind
2. CHISPA: Creating blind dates, trying new things in bed and maintaining sexual desire
3. NEW: Knowing how to escape from routine and share different things
4. LAUGHING, LAUGHING, LAUGHING: Bringing a smile to your partner’s face each day
5. CONFIDENCE: Being friends with each other
6. INTIMACY: Trying to have intimate moments together every week
7. ROMANCE: Reliving the romantic moments that initially brought the couple together
8. RECIPROCITY: Being reciprocal in actions
9. ATTENTION: Make sure that the couple does not feel neglected
10. SUPPORT: Support in difficult times
11. CRAZY: Knowing how to incorporate small doses of madness into the relationship
12. CARING: Showing love every day through hugs and kisses
13. COMMUNICATION: Talking things out
14. ENTHUSIASM: Positivity, energy and optimism

At a time of maximum globalisation like the one we are living in, one thing is certain: the world’s greatest cities receive millions of visitors a year and therefore no longer hold any secrets. Everything has been visited, every route of interest has been scrutinized and even the most inhospitable corner of any large city has been photographed by some tourist.

In spite of this, at BYHOURS we don’t lose hope, that’s why today we want to talk to you about places that do not appear in the main cities’ guides. Because although we will hardly discover in this post some route that isn’t already known by many, we do believe that we can show you places that maybe are new to you. And who knows, maybe you’ll even find here inspiration to start organizing your next getaway.

If you find yourself in Madrid, you probably plan to visit the Museo del Prado, Plaza del Sol, Puerta de Alcalá, Parque del Retiro… if there’s something the Spanish capital doesn’t lack, that’s points of tourist interest. However, if you’re into the underground scene, you’ll enjoy visiting the Chamberí metro Ghost Station. “What are you talking about?” you might ask. Well, it’s a real metro station opened in 1919 and abandoned in 1966, which has been recovered as a museum preserving the aesthetics of that time. A unique experience that will transport you back to mid last century and will help you understand how was life in the capital back then.

If your trip includes a visit to Barcelona, you will surely have already walked along the Rambla, taken a stroll along the Paseo Maritimo or climbed the Montjuic mountain. But the Catalan capital is also famous for the quality and quantity of its museums, from the Miró Museum to the Picasso Museum, including the Macba or the CCCB. But here we want to discover you another type of museum, one that will allow you to revisit works by classic and contemporary painters, while interacting with them as you have never done before. We are talking about Barcelona’s Museum of Illusions, where the visitor is immersed in all kinds of works through elaborate optical illusions. A unique experience for a special museum.

We can’t talk about cities full of secrets without mentioning Rome. Probably the city that holds the largest number of secrets in the world, mainly because most of them are still buried under the ground in the form of a Roman Empire site. And those that have been discovered, you know them well so we won’t go through them. We’d rather talk to you about Rome’s Orange Garden, a not very well known place despite having a magical aura, especially at sunset. From its almost eight thousand square meters of extension and thanks to its elevation, you will enjoy the best views of the city you can imagine. Rome will shine at your feet like in the times of Julius Caesar.

We got a slice of the underground world talking about Madrid, now we fully go into it with a trip to Berlin, the most alternative European capital. There you will find many underground places full of mystery, but perhaps the most curious of them all is the Spreepark, the only amusement park in Germany that was closed to the public and later abandoned. A post-apocalyptic scenario that will make lovers of the creepy-crawlies fall in love.

The same applies to London, another of the meccas of the alternative culture, cradle of the punk and hippie movements of the 80s. Now you can feel as if you were in the years of flower power fervor, visiting Neal’s Yard, an oasis of color in the heart of the city. It actually is a square with a couple of adjacent streets that are home to bars and terraces full of life. A space that, strange as it may seem, is still relatively unknown to many, so hurry up and visit it before it becomes mainstream route.

In South America, the main cities of each country are cradles of secrets and mysteries, impossible to name them all, but we have two spaces that can awaken your interest if you take your steps towards Latin America. 

The first one is in Mexico City. Known as “the market of witchcraft”, we are talking about the Mercado de Sonora, located in the city center. It is distinguished by having a great offer of magic, spirituality and religion items of all kinds, being able to find potions and amulets for all kinds of evils. A must visit in what will turn out be a real walk through the roots of Mexican society, deeply rooted in spirituality and Santeria.

The second point to be discovered is in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Football, tango and politics form its citizens particular triangle of the passions of their. You will be able to discover all of them by visiting the Boca or River stadiums, the thousands of tanguerias in the city or the famous Casa Rosada, house of the Argentine Republic government. But if you want to get out of the classic tourist route, your place is the ecological reserve of Buenos Aires Costanera Sur, where you will discover an authentic green lung very close to the financial district and where you’ll get in touch with dozens of native bird species.

Our journey through the secrets of cities around the world ends here. We hope we have inspired you to undertake your next trip to one of these destinations and if that is the case, don’t forget that with BYHOURS you can book 3, 6 or 24 hours microstays in all of them, as well as in more than 3,000 cities around the world. Whether it is to take a shower, a nap after lunch or to wait for your flight departure, remember BYHOURS supplies your comfort space in the best hotels in the world.

The hotel sector has been highly affected by the health and economic situation that has emerged in recent months, bogging it down into a large crisis. This crisis has caused hotels to encounter a new, so far unknown, paradigm, which makes them rethink the consumption and offer pattern to be proposed to the customers.

The phases to lift lockdown restrictions that our society has experienced, and consequently, shops, hotels and restaurants among others, have meant that we do not currently have the security and freedom to travel to other parts of the world. That’s why local tourism has become the only way out for citizens and hoteliers.

BYHOURS holds the key for supporting the sector so that hotels can continue offering customers what they like best: a stay in the hotel of their dreams.Being the only international platform and app that offers micro-stays of 3, 6 and 12 hours in more than 3,000 hotels around the world, this is the solution for hotel occupancy.

Local tourism will be the trend and the claim among citizens around the world. The motivation of helping the country’s economy and the fact of not being able to travel with total freedom, will make people choose a national destiny for their holidays and relaxing getaways.

What does it bring to the sector?

BYHOURS, since its creation in 2012 and with a worldwide expansion, has brought the freshness and dynamics of offering the user what he needs to the hotel sector. It’s a company that has broken paradigms and has proved that micro-stays are a hot topic, being very cost-effective for hotels. Such is the case that we already have more than 3000 hotels around the world to which we have already generated more than 300K reservations and more than 15 million euros.

The hotels have more visibility thanks to BYHOURS platform, which achieves more than 100k visits per month, and has great reservations figures on a monthly basis. 

Thanks to the hotel classification by time pack, country and city, as well as the offered price, users do have it very easy to find the hotels available only on BYHOURS platform. The hotel design and its visualization in the web allows the client to know better the good hotels that collaborate with BYHOURS, and thus to become a recurrent when making reservations.

Do you want to know firsthand how is BYHOURS platform? Our hotel team has prepared a tutorial so that you can see for yourself all that joining BYHOURS can bring to you.

You surely keep as a treasure memories of your trips to some of the most beautiful countries in the world, those that were in your bucket list, maybe because of their exotic culture or because of their lush beaches. Perhaps it was their wild nature that caught your attention? In any case, trips full of pleasant memories that probably began in an airport… or perhaps more than one if you had to make a stopover.

Because today we want to talk about airports, the starting point of all long-distance trips. We’re going to discover the secrets of some of the biggest and most spectacular airports in the world, as well as the available options for you not to spend hours and hours waiting in an airport chair trying to rest with an eye always open so that your hand luggage is not stolen.

We start our route in what’s probably the largest air connection hub that exists: Dubai International Airport. With over 85 million passengers in 2018, it’s one of the busiest airports in the world. Of course you can find dozens of restaurants and the most prestigious brands shops, but if you are looking for some inner-peace time, don’t hesitate to visit its Zen gardens with a waterfall included, a space that will allow you to forget for a moment that you are still inside an airport. 

And once you’ve done all your shopping and visited the Zen garden, you realize that you still have 8 hours left in your stop over. What do you do? Resting in one of BYHOURS’ hotels next to the Dubai airport, such as the City Seasons Dubai Hotel, where you can comfortably rest while waiting for your flight departure.

We are now travelling to another prominent air connection hub. This happens to be the largest airport in Europe in terms of passenger volume. You are right, we are talking about London’s Heathrow Airport, with more than 78 million passengers in 2018. This airport does not stand out neither for its architectural design nor for its leisure activities in offer. In fact, the most outstanding feature in this airport is its size: with more than 12 square km of extension, the airport counts with train service connecting its 5 terminals. As a curiosity, the airport has a sixth terminal for VIP purposes which is only accessible to the Royal Family members and other personalities so, unless you are Queen Elizabeth II and for some strange reason you are reading the BYHOURS blog, you will not be able to set foot in this terminal. 

What you’ll be allowed to do is forgetting about uncomfortable waitings in airport seats, by booking for 3, 6 or 24 hours at the Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport hotel. Luxury and comfort next to the airport’s main access.

We now move on to German terrain, specifically to Frankfurt’s airport, third on the list of Europe’s busiest airports, with more than 69 million passengers in 2018. The interesting thing about this airport is that, unlike London’s, it does offer activities to entertain its travellers. Are you a yogi? Perfect! You can relax by practicing yoga at any time in any of the two rooms that have been set up for this purpose. There you will find mats and a screen with exercises that will serve as a guide. Are you more of a film lover? Perfect too! The airport has its own projection space: eight cubicles with carpet floor and three comfortable armchairs in front of a large screen. The best thing is that you can choose the movie you prefer amongst those in offer.

But as you well know, if you really want to rest while you wait, at the very door of the Frankfurt airport you will find the Hilton Frankfurt Airport Hotel. Spa, gym, restaurant and all the luxury amenities that only Hilton hotels offer.

Our journey through the world’s greatest airports ends in South America, specifically in Bogota. Its main airport, El Dorado, was recognized in 2018 as Latin America’s best airport in a survey among travelers organized by the company Skytrax, which specializes in airports and airlines. This recognition came to them having taken into account aspects such as their arrivals service, connections, shopping, security and migration.

Even without large entertainment facilities, the El Dorado airport was reopened in 2017 after local government invested more than US$1.2 billion to replace the old terminal built 58 years ago. So get ready to enjoy a modern airport that counts with all the comforts you’d expect from a 21st century infrastructure. 

But if you are the kind of person who cannot be impressed by avant-garde architecture and instead highly values comfort and resting time, you’ll find at your disposal several hotels, such as the Hotel Habitel, located just a few meters away from the airport’s entrance. Your hotel by hours in Bogota airport.

As you can see, an airport is an ecosystem in itself. Each one of them offers the traveler diverse entertainment options within the limitations of a space designed for air traffic. But if what you are really looking for is some rest, trust BYHOURS to book your hotel by hours at the world’s main airports.

You have to fly and you’re afraid of missing your flight? Today at BYHOURS we give you 3 tricks to not miss a flight and get to your destination without any problem because even though we have everything programmed, there are several external factors that do not depend on us and can make us miss the scheduled flight.

Factor 1: Traffic

The first trick to not missing a scheduled flight is to keep in mind that as much as you want to, you can’t control the traffic. There is always a big city near the airport and near a big city there are traffic problems, especially if your flight is during the week. Whether it’s 7am or 2pm, you might arrive late at the airport because of a traffic problem and therefore miss your flight.
Bearing in mind that traffic is a determining factor in arriving on time, it is best to do the following:
If your flight is early in the morning: Sleep in an airport hotel, in BYHOURS we have a section where you can see all the hotels near the airport in each city. All you have to do is click here.
If your flight is at midday or in the afternoon: Arrive between 3 and 4 hours before and relax in one of the hotels that you can find near or inside the airport and take advantage to work relaxed in the room.

Factor 2: Security control

Normally when we go on a business trip we don’t check in a suitcase, so we carry everything in a small suitcase (See article on bag or suitcase here). That’s why the security control can be a bit more uncomfortable than usual so you should know that going prepared will save you a lot of time.
That’s why you should know that: Do not carry anything metal that can be detected by the control

The metal detector
At the moment of validating our luggage, we will have to come face to face with a great enemy: the metal detector. He will be there, waiting for us, ready to shout to the four winds if we carry objects we shouldn’t. This device can make us lose a lot of time if we do not face him well prepared. Organize your toiletry bag with the products that are sold in numerous stores so that the passage is easy, fast and comfortable.

Factor 3: Documentation

Whether you go near or far, it is best to take the documents that may be required, by hand, not to put them at the bottom of the suitcase as you may have finally left them at home or they may have been lost.
Today there are many firms that sell special products to keep the necessary documents and avoid this type of mishap, the crucial thing is to incorporate the habit of taking it every time we go and have it close in case something unexpected happens and it is required.
And like everything in life, on occasion and although we put all our efforts to arrive on time, not always everything can be controlled so for any setback, cancellation or delay of our flight, it is best to have the BYHOURS app close by and take advantage of those hours to work quietly, go to the gym, relax in the SPA or sleep before traveling.