Welcome Beyond

Welcome Beyond is more than a unique collection of vacation rentals & boutique hotels. It’s a unique way of thinking about what a vacation should be. The concept We hand-pick places that we feel are truly original. Many reflect their owners’ passion for distinctive architecture and design. Some border on quirky (and may have crossed over the line). Several are quite posh. And a few are downright rustic. But what all of our properties have in common is that they’re exclusive – in the best sense of the word. Each is singular, memorable and definitely worth writing home about. Or at least a tweet or two… Above all, Welcome Beyond is about venturing beyond. Not just geographically, but beyond the obvious, the predictable, the expected. It’s about gaining new perspectives on regions, on cultures, on places of incredible beauty. On what really matters in a holiday — and in our lives. Who’s behind this? Welcome Beyond was founded in 2009 by two Berlin-based brothers who’ve spent their lives exploring, studying and working around the globe. In addition to a lot of genes, they share a fundamental insight about travel – that where you stay is as vital to the experience as what you see and do. Oliver Laugsch has been a designer and design director with agencies in the US, France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, creating the only known connection between clients such as Deutsche Bank, British Council, Chemical Brothers and the Getty Conservation Institute. Oliver channeled his lifelong love of design and architecture into formal studies at the Art Center College of Design. He’s fluent in German, English and French. Chris Laugsch worked in finance for a German multinational, ultimately taking on a management role with its Brazilian subsidiary. He was educated at the European Business School in London and Santiago de Chile. Chris alternates between German and English with his older brother – and throws in some Spanish or Portuguese to keep it interesting. Welcome Beyond’s advisors include Dr. Pegram Harrison, a Fellow of the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. Pegram has consulted to business organizations across the spectrum, from multinational corporations to entrepreneurial startups in developing economies – as well as government agencies and not-for-profits. He holds a BA from Yale, an MBA from London Business School and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. And he’s thought long and hard about what goes into an ideal vacation stay.