About

Thank you for visiting our website. The best way to know about us is to read the full Exclusive interview with the Yarden Bayles, founder of the new worldwide platform www.TheKosherBnB.com and The South Florida Community Voice.  Everything has been asked, enjoy the reading!

Q: Yarden, before we jump into talking about TheKosherBNB platform, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

A: Absolutely. I was born and raised in the charming Moroccan town of Agadir, where organizing a Minyan was often quite a challenge. A vivid memory from my childhood is accompanying my parents to hotel front desks, where we'd leave notes offering our home as a free hosting option for Jewish travelers seeking a kosher meal for Shabbat... I guess that stayed with me (laugh) Professionally, I studied accounting and pursued a career as a real estate agent. However, my journey in the hospitality industry in South Florida has spanned 15 years, even before the existence of platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.

Q: Can you share the inspiration behind starting thekosherbnb?

A: Certainly. The idea for TheKosherbnb emerged when I recognized the unmet needs of the Jewish community regarding kosher property rentals and travel. I've noticed that approximately 30% of our leads from platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and others came from the Frum Jewish community. TheKosherBNB is a worldwide platform where inquiries related to Eruv, Shuls, Minyanim, Chalavi, Basari, Shabbos Elevator, Shabbos mode, light sensors, the quantity of sinks, and the privacy of the pool are not only comprehended but embraced. In essence, thekosherbnb.com was created to fill a void I strongly felt within the short-term rental sector by delivering a specialized solution for Jewish travelers with distinct needs.

Q: What makes ThekosherBNB platform different from the others?

A: Well, we are unique in many ways (laughs). It takes less than a minute to become a host and start receiving bookings. The platform translates messages between hosts and guests into their preferred languages, converts currencies with daily rates, synchronizes calendars with iCal, and hosts have access to reports such as occupancy rates, comparable, and upcoming payments. Additionally, our interactive worldwide map allows travelers to see nearby shuls, restaurants, and Mikvahs from the rental property they are considering. We're very proud of the kosher map—it's super useful! Oh, by the way, we're launching our apps for Apple and Android next month.

Q.: People may wonder how do you verify if the houses are kosher?

A.: TheKosherBNB is a lead generator platform and acts like a “Shadchan/Matchmaker” between hosts and travelers. The properties can be listed in one of these 3 categories:

Strictly Kosher: This category features rental properties that have been rented ONLY to Frum people. Hosts can ask question to guests to approve or disapprove a rental based on observance and mutual trust.

Can be Koshered: This category includes houses that has a separate closet with all kosher dishes that has been locked by local mashgiach. Kitchen and BBQ can be koshered with an extra fee by a certified mashgiach that will unlock the kosher closet as well.

Not Kosher:  The category includes properties such as luxury houses, Nature Rentals, Ski rentals, or properties located walking distance to shuls. This category can also be koshered by the guests that will use disposable dishes.

Q: A worldwide platform is an ambitious and challenging project... Would you like to share some strategies you will put in place to succeed?

A: Yes, it is indeed an ambitious project. Our platform is based on a two-stage launch strategy. In the first stage, we are focusing on property registrations, and the first 50 properties per city will enjoy a prominent position on our front webpage for 12 months. It's free to post a property and become a host, but I need hosts to trust in this project and in me... and I ask for their patience, just a little (laughs). Once we have enough inventory per city, we will then launch an aggressive advertising campaign to attract Jewish travelers. Marketing is key, and I'm confident in my abilities in that regard (laughs). I may not speak Hebrew, but the phrase that keeps coming to mind when I think of this project and what I've committed myself to is "Am Israel Chai" (laughs). God willing, it will work because it is needed, and it makes so much sense.

Q: Are you by yourself in this project?

A: I'm fully dedicated to this project. I devoted an entire year to developing it to perfection, and believe me, making something so complex user-friendly is incredibly challenging. I'll continue to refine it with software integrations, yield management, and much more. If any investors are reading this, I'd love to hear from them (laughs), but in all seriousness, it has the potential to be a fantastic investment project.

Q: Yarden, can you share with our readers your personal travel mishap that urged you to follow your intuition and invest your knowledge and resources in creating the platform?

A: Of course, I can laugh about it today, but back then, it wasn't funny at all. A few years ago, while we were traveling to Israel, my husband was browsing hotels on Expedia. I told him to wait, saying, "I got this... I'm the Airbnb queen after all" (laughs). I went on my Airbnb app and found a beautiful apartment in Jerusalem, walking distance to the Kotel. I was quite proud of myself. Once booked, I received the arrival instructions with the address and codes. When we arrived in Israel, my brother-in-law asked me for the address to kindly drive us there. Once we plugged the address into the GPS, we realized that I had booked an Airbnb in East Jerusalem, in areas where Jews are not welcomed at all. I felt terrible, humiliated, and had lost my money, but I knew it was a message for me. I felt it in my soul. The rest, as they say, is history (laughs).

Full article https://tsfcommunityvoice.com/current-edition/

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