The ‘Bubbl’ Effect: Sharing a Home, Sparking a Life-Changing Connection

HELSINKI — In a world increasingly saturated with transactional travel, a Californian startup named Bubbl is setting out to redefine the meaning of a shared stay. Born from a simple, personal revelation, the platform layers trust, community tools, and a sense of belonging onto the concept of co-living, transforming strangers into an “instant tribe.”

The inspiration for Bubbl came directly from the founder’s experience of running ski share cabins in Lake Tahoe.

“I started Bubbl because I had seen first hand the magic that happens when people share a home together. For years I ran ski lease cabins in Palisades Tahoe, and every season strangers (who could afford hotels) would join to be part of our mini-community. They would walk in the door of the house as couples or individuals, and walk out as lifelong friends. I saw people in my houses do business deals, form life-long friendships, start romantic relationships and improve their skiing- so many benefits from ‘Bubbl’ing’. My own husband and I even met through a shared house experience,” says the Bubbl founder Hayley Melidonis.

Bubbl positions itself not merely as a booking platform but as “your passport to infinite possibilities.” This phrase embodies a sense of freedom for the solo traveler, liberating them from the stigma of isolation. Unlike the transactional nature of platforms like Airbnb, which primarily books beds from owners, Bubbl’s goal is relational, connecting people to share houses or hotel blocks together for shared experiences, whether at a tech conference, a wellness retreat, or a ski season. The user’s profile collects “Bubbl memories” like stamps in a passport, representing a world of shared adventures.

The typical “Bubbl experience” begins with an applicant seeing a listing related to an event or interest, applying to join, and being accepted by a ‘Leader’ (organizer). Crucially, once accepted, members gain access to shared profiles, a coordinated hub of information the group needs, schedules, and a group chat. This pre-arrival interaction ensures that travelers feel they “know them before you even get there,” stepping into a curated community rather than just checking into a room. It also helps them coordinate rides, packing lists, supplies, schedules, etc

Safety and trust are paramount to the shared-home model. Bubbl implements rigorous checks, including real-name profiles, ID verification for public gatherings, and a user rating system akin to Uber. Inclusivity is ensured by allowing users to search Bubbls by ‘vibe’—such as LGBTQ+ friendly, sober, or family-oriented—guaranteeing the right fit. The underlying human psychology, the founder notes, is that people want to hang out with people like them. To the question “Who Bubbls? “, the answer is “Pretty much everyone (who is social) Bubbls, they Bubbl with people like them”, and because people can choose their level of sharing, and luxury according to their budget, there are options for everyone from sharing rooms for Slush startup conferences to luxury F1 experiences.

At the heart of the ecosystem are the “Leaders,” the individuals who curate the vibe, set expectations, and manage logistics. They are the “glue” that gives a Bubbl its soul, whether they are a startup founder hosting peers or a ski enthusiast organizing a winter cabin. Bubbl streamlines the heavy lifting with features like one-click automation, but the Leader’s personality determines the community’s culture. The platform recently expanded to allow brands to sponsor stays for their customers, offering a powerful tool for in-person community building over days, not minutes, and it’s getting steam. One green technology brand has run Bubbls at 4 events so far, and counting.

Bubbl’s technology focuses on being the “enabler, not the experience.” Features like the shared Bubbl Hub are a “game-changer,” layering rooming, arrivals, and activities so everyone stays aligned, while group chat and verified ID provide peace of mind. The ultimate success is achieved when the app “fades into the background and people are laughing over dinner.” The platform’s roadmap is guided entirely by user feedback, born from the founder’s original pain points of manual coordination.

The company is also committed to a new model of conscious travel, highlighting “sharing as a sustainability superpower.” By consolidating ten travelers into one house instead of ten hotel rooms in different locations, Bubbl drastically reduces emissions, waste, the need for separate rides, and overall property usage. This will be particularly impactful around large-scale gatherings like major festivals and sporting events, where the platform aims to alleviate the burden on housing and reduce the environmental footprint.

“The other nice thing about Bubbl travel is that in general (and what I saw in my ski houses), people want to impress other people and act on their best behavior, rather than let others down. As such, Bubbl brings out the best in people, and we aim to keep it that way,” Hayley highlights.

Looking ahead, Bubbl is focused on expanding into major conferences and festivals—places where people are already hungry for connection, and don’t want to have FOMO of staying in the wrong part of town. The founder confidently predicts that in five years, Bubbl will be the default choice for social people group stays around events worldwide, from Coachella to the Olympics.

The founder’s final message to community-based travel skeptics is simple: “Give it a try once—you’ll never go back.” While sharing costs is a benefit, the true reward lies in gaining “friendships, adventures, business deals, and memories you couldn’t script if you tried.” 

Bubbl is built on the belief that sharing space creates profound opportunities for relationships that can genuinely change your life. Life is better shared, as we say at Bubbl.

Hayley Melidonis likes to share her best memory from the past:

“One of the most memorable connections or stories I have seen come out of a Bubbl is definitely the one when after 7 years of running share ski cabins, where multiple couples were formed, finally, on one Sunday morning in a summer Bubbl (not one that I ran), I met my husband. He was in his robe in the kitchen cooking everyone bacon and eggs. I walked in, said hello, he offered me bacon and the rest is history!!!”

VAHUR ORRIN

More information about the Bubbl Helsinki Experience: https://bubbl.co/listing/slush-bubbl-in-helsinki-?section=overview&showinterest=yes