London startup Curated Spaces has combined the creator economy with travel bookings, allowing influencers to curate and earn from independent accommodation recommendations. Olivia Palamountain reports

Curated Spaces, founded by tech entrepreneur Molly Cooper and startup strategist Alex Oldfield, connects travellers with independent boutique properties selected by creators and influencers they already follow.

The platform features more than 50 handpicked stays including Beaverbrook, Boath House and Thyme, curated by tastemakers such as Laura Jackson, Estée Lalonde and Connor O'Donnell.

Curated Spaces positions itself as a free, accessible alternative to membership-based travel clubs or paywall-protected recommendation services, with a concept  that addresses what Cooper identifies as frustrations within both travel planning and creator monetisation.

Rather than requiring travellers to piece together recommendations from social media posts, podcasts or blogs, the platform makes creator suggestions directly bookable whilst providing transparent attribution and fair rewards for influencer partners.

"Curated Spaces is the world's first travel booking platform powered by tastemakers," says co-founder Molly Cooper. "We make travel discovery more human, experiences more soulful, and every moment offline genuinely worth it. In an age dominated by algorithmic suggestions, we believe that real taste, style, and authenticity should guide how people plan and book travel."

Traditional booking platforms typically prioritise property inventory and pricing over curation, whilst creator recommendations usually require users to manually search and book suggested accommodation. Curated Spaces combines both elements within a single interface, allowing immediate booking of creator-recommended properties.

Laura Jackson, co-founder and chief creative officer of Glassette, who features as a platform tastemaker, describes the service as addressing gaps in existing travel discovery methods. "Travel should be joyful, a bit spontaneous and full of character which is exactly what Curated brings to the table," she says. "As someone who's spent years sharing places I love, it's exciting to back a platform that finally gives creators the space and structure to do that brilliantly."

The concept emerged from Cooper's Apple Top 10 UK Travel & Places podcast, where she identified frustrations among independent hospitality providers struggling with traditional booking systems. Partnering with Oldfield in 2024, they developed the platform to streamline creator-venue collaborations whilst simplifying travel planning through trusted recommendations.

For independent properties, Curated Spaces offers direct access to influence-driven bookings without traditional marketing intermediaries. The platform focuses exclusively on boutique hotels, stylish cabins, charming pubs and similar independent accommodation rather than chain properties.

The startup operates at the intersection of the US$800 billion travel industry and US$500 billion creator economy, targeting travellers seeking authentic experiences beyond mainstream booking platforms. The company soft-launched in March 2025 with plans to expand both creator partnerships and property portfolio.
The platform reflects broader shifts in travel booking behaviour, where personal recommendations increasingly influence accommodation choices over price-comparison algorithms. By making creator content directly actionable through integrated booking, Curated Spaces attempts to monetise the gap between travel inspiration and actual reservations.

The focus on independent properties aligns with growing traveller interest in unique, characterful accommodation over standardised chain hotels. However, the platform's success will depend on maintaining quality curation whilst scaling creator partnerships and property inventory.