Contributions to Industry (Business)

Bowerbird Stays offers a variety of short term and long term rentals across the province of Manitoba. Bowerbird contributes to the tourism offering as it draws individuals to the province to stay at properties and also experience all that Manitoba has to offer. They have created tourist guides for each area in order to bring interest and revenue into the province. Each property is uniquely tailored to the location and its amenities. With approximately 25,000 Instagram followers, Bowerbird has developed a following of loyal devotees, and has had many guests travel from around the world to stay at some of their unique properties. In 2022 Bowerbird was chosen by IKEA Global as one of five businesses to help launch its IKEA for business campaign. A team came from Sweden and visited several Bowerbird properties, photographing them to be used in future IKEA campaigns. Our stays are design-forward, elevated, and often aimed at providing accommodations for larger groups. Bowerbird enhances the province’s tourism offerings by filling a niche in the market- larger spaces that can accommodate families and groups that are still elegant and design-forward.

Commitment to the Industry (Business)

Bowerbird Stays is committed to innovation, service excellence and professionalism as they offer unique stays such as Winnipeg’s Iconic Tree House, as well as various bright and cozy cabins located in the Onanole and Gimli areas. Whatever tourists are looking for, Bowerbird Stays will have it. Visitor satisfaction is maintained with our friendly and attentive staff to provide the most comfortable stay possible. With a commitment to ensuring that every Bowerbird guest leaves satisfied, the Bowerbird team has gone to some extreme lengths to ensure this–including driving through snowstorms to assist guests, helping to arrange engagements and micro weddings, to arranging playdates and delivering small extras to help elevate guest’s experiences. Bowerbird recognizes that staff are its most important asset, and to that end, staff have been supported and closely mentored, and have enjoyed perks like many free stays as well stays in other countries (including Hawaii).

Results (Business)

Bowerbird saw a niche in the Manitoba tourism market and quickly filled it. Beautifully designed, well-stocked properties able to provide the comforts of home with the elegance of a boutique hotel has helped Bowerbird to grow a loyal following of guests.
With a large amount of bookings, Bowerbird Stays has been able to inject the profits back into the properties. This includes adding Saunas, expanding decks and docks, and renovating and updating every property they’ve purchased. These additions have allowed Bowerbird Stays to bring in more tourists, and therefore revenue to the Province.
By adding trendy furnished apartments in places like Brandon’s historic downtown, Bowerbird has brought overnight tourists to an area where there haven’t been any for many years.
With its cabins in Riding Mountain, Bowerbird brought thousands of tourists annually to the region. And its shipping container cabin on Lake of the Prairies brought guests from all over the world.
Bowerbird Stays has significant positive feedback on booking sites such as Airbnb, as well as a strong presence on social media which helps to stimulate the growth of the brand. Bowerbird Stays was also featured in Western Living Magazine and
referred to as ‘Airbnb for design nerds’. The brand has grown significantly and provides guests with a boutique-hotel touch too.
Being featured by IKEA Global, Western Living, the Winnipeg Free Press and Travel Manitoba and has also confirmed Bowerbird’ unique offerings in this market.

Chronology (Business)
Bowerbird Holdings Ltd was established in 2013 as a property development company.
The short term rental portion began in 2019 when Robyn Sneath put her personal cottage on Airbnb during the summer when she was going to be away. This experience was so rewarding–being able to provide a place for guests to relax, rest, and recharge for a few days– that the business kept growing. It enabled Sneath to combine her passions–real estate, design and hospitality. Guests kept responding well and the business grew quickly, to 25 stays in 2022, including the Tree house in Winnipeg, a shipping container cabin at Asessippi, to a tiny, near-century old cottage at Winnipeg Beach. Bowerbird Stays provides guests with a comfortable and cozy stay where they can unwind and find some reprieve from the stress of daily life. Whether it’s at a cabin or in the city, Bowerbird is consistent with its client service and provides guests with an enjoyable, elevated stay at any of our properties. Bowerbird Stay’s main objective is to provide a professional, but warm and friendly level of service to guests looking for accommodations.

Summary
Bowerbird Stays has drawn guests and tourists to the province of Manitoba by providing a variety of unique stays, whether its a midcentury masterpiece on the river in Winnipeg, to a shipping container at Lake of the Prairies, to a lodge on 500 acres bordering Riding Mountain National Park. It has exposed its 25,000 Instagram followers to more of Manitoba and social media and blog posts about the regions where Bowerbird has properties has helped to increase and encourage additional tourism in these areas. As a woman-owned business, Bowerbird Stays has generated millions in tourist revenue since it launched in 2019, and hopes to continue to do so.