From Local Roots to National Reach: The MyStays Journey

When family circumstances led Elle Knight to purchase Lakeside Accommodation in 2014, she saw an opportunity to own a business that could be flexible around her young family while providing some additional income for the household. At the time, Lakeside Accommodation held the management rights to eight apartments. 

Today, that small Taupō business has transformed into MyStays, a people-first, strategy-driven national brand managing more than 150 holiday homes across the North Island, supported by a network of Guest Experience Managers and a passionate team.

The Growth Journey

When Elle first took over the business, it was a true family operation with just herself and her mother-in-law.   “We would clean during the day and at night my mother-in-law would wash and iron linen while I replied to guest emails, manually processed payments and updated Excel spreadsheets to track bookings - there was none of the software that we use today.”

Over the years, the business grew organically, primarily through word of mouth. Local people heard what they were doing and would get in touch to see if they could also manage their properties.  During that time they didn’t spend a single dollar on marketing to property owners, “we were really fortunate that our focus on providing a premium service created its own momentum”

As demand increased, the team grew too; over time they employed cleaners and moved out of the home office and into a dedicated space. By the eight-year mark, they were managing more than 60 properties.

Following Covid, Elle pivoted the business by establishing Lakeside Rentals, offering a permanent rental management service, with the purpose of offering her property owners the option of changing their property to a permanent rental while still staying with the same trusted management team.

A couple of years ago Elle was fielding interest from people outside of Taupō enquiring about their short-term management services - whether it was from guests who had stayed with them, clients who had properties in other regions or from investors.   “At the end of 2023, we had four people from around the country contact us in one week. I said to my husband - I think it’s time to give this a crack.”

The first step was developing a national brand and today Elle oversees two brands—Lakeside Rentals, managing 65 permanent rentals, and MyStays which encompasses the former Lakeside Accommodation and manages 150+ holiday homes nationwide.  The core focus for Elle is still offering a premium service for both guests and owners.

Despite the rapid expansion, Elle is proud that the business hasn’t grown at the expense of its integrity or authenticity.  Right now, Elle’s biggest challenge is balancing growth with resources.  The business is gaining momentum across multiple regions, but it takes time to filter down to a point where new roles can be established; it creates a challenge of balancing the workload for the existing team, as they manage their usual responsibilities and the additional tasks that come with growth.  Elle believes communication is key, and is proud of how passionate her team is.

People Focussed Growth

For Elle, the heart of her business is people “people are at the core of everything we do, be it our team, our owners or our guests”.  This is reflected in the fact that once on-boarded, their property owners remain with them, and there is very little staff turnover in the business.

Throughout the business journey, Elle has focused on growing and empowering what she calls “the most phenomenal team.”  This has allowed her to work on the business rather than in a specific role within the business.  “Initially I was the cleaner and the admin person. Then I became the onboarding person and the finance person. I moved through every role as I created it, then hired someone into that role so I could move on to the next thing.”  This allowed the flexibility to refine systems and processes as the business grew.

Today, MyStays has a national team with nine staff at the head office in Taupō, 12 Guest Experience Managers, 15 cleaners in Taupō and two maintenance managers.  

Elle acknowledges the role of her team in the business growth, and it is a priority within the business to empower the team; including investing in coaching and mentoring.  While many of her competitors are moving towards automation and outsourcing, MyStays has leaned into the human connection.  “I want to grow people and provide meaningful careers.  I love walking into the office every day and having conversations with my team”

Everything they do ties back to clear company values. “Our values are on our wall and in our employment documentation. We can teach everything else, but if someone doesn’t align with our values, it’s not the right fit.”

Strategy and Planning: A Living Framework

MyStays’ people-focussed culture is supported by a strong strategic foundation.  Elle and her team had huge success at the 2025 Unison Great Lake Taupō Business Awards, winning both the Excellence in Strategy and Planning and the Overall Business of the Year categories.  The awards process was a great opportunity for Elle and her team to reflect on both how far they’ve come and where they’re heading next.

Elle describes their strategy as a living document that is woven into their everyday operations.  It is shared openly with the team, ensuring everyone is aligned and understands how their role contributes to the wider business.  KPIs for every role link directly to strategic goals, helping the team understand their impact on the business’s direction.

MyStays growth has been guided by a clear strategy that is revisited and refined regularly. “It’s important our strategy isn’t ‘set and forget’ or inflexible,” Elle says. “This industry moves quickly, so our strategy has to move with it.”  

Looking Ahead: Tech, AI and Smart Growth

Elle recently attended the ASTRA conference on the Gold Coast and returned inspired by the emerging tech and AI innovations being developed for the industry.  This has further sharpened the team’s commitment to staying innovation-led, and is a focus in the businesses growth going forward.  

With revenue management software, support from a pricing optimisation consultant and enhanced automation, the team is improving operational efficiencies and enhancing guest experiences while also maximising the income returned to property owners. 

Elle emphasises that future growth plans will never compromise the people who matter most.  “Right now, the focus is ensuring growth doesn’t come at the expense of our existing owners, guests or staff - sustainable growth is key.”

Staying True to What Matters

Elle believes that her focus on people is what sets MyStays apart from competitors in the market; her team have been on the journey with her, and their passion shows in the work that they do every day.   Her team has grown with her, helping lay the foundations that enabled the business to expand nationally.

She also understands the responsibility of managing someone’s holiday experience.   “Nothing would upset me more than a guest arriving at their property and it’s not to their expectations; when they have probably saved and looked forward to their holiday for some time - we need to deliver.”

The business maintains a premium service standard across its diverse portfolio of properties—and Elle isn’t afraid to make the hard calls.  “There have been times when we’ve absorbed costs because it was the right thing to do. Our reputation and integrity matter.”

Elle’s biggest piece of advice for anyone looking to grow their business is simple: empower your team.  Having worked through every role in the business, she is proud that the business is at a point where day to day running can function without her, allowing her the time to develop the business “It’s a game changer to free me to focus on the business growth and what’s next”.  This has been made possible through a great deal of empowerment and development of her team.

For Elle, her business growth isn’t just about more properties or higher revenue, it’s about creating meaningful careers, delivering a premium service and a strategic foundation.