Somewhere between a luxury hotel and a private residence, HIGHSTAY offers a contemporary take on high-end stays in the capital. Founded by Michael Dayan, Eric Dayan, and Jess Levy, the brand is developing a collection of exceptional apartments where residential privacy meets five-star hotel services. A unique approach to urban hospitality, designed for an international clientele seeking understated elegance and immersive experiences.
A new vision of the Parisian stay
HIGHSTAY’s founding ambition is based on a clear idea: to offer an alternative to the traditional norms of luxury hospitality. Rather than a standardized room, the brand offers true living spaces, designed to experience the city as a privileged resident. The apartments, located in iconic neighborhoods—from Saint-Germain to the Golden Triangle—are part of Paris’s architectural heritage while incorporating contemporary design.
Moldings, antique hardwood floors, generous spaces, and fine materials create a setting where history meets modern comfort. Each location has its own identity, but all share the same aesthetic standard: understated luxury, grounded in the quality of the space and meticulous attention to detail.
This approach responds to a profound transformation in high-end travel. Luxury is no longer defined solely by service, but by freedom of use, personalization, and a sense of belonging to the place.
HIGHSTAY VILLAS, a bespoke Mediterranean getaway
With HIGHSTAY, luxury hospitality reaches a new level with the launch of HIGHSTAY VILLAS, an exclusive collection of exceptional properties in the heart of iconic destinations such as Ibiza and Saint-Tropez. Designed as truly immersive retreats, these villas—including Infinity in Ibiza and Villa Coachella in Saint-Tropez—combine contemporary architecture, refined design, and ultra-personalized services. Infinity pools, spas, private cinemas, and in-house chefs come together to create a Mediterranean lifestyle where comfort, discretion, and bespoke experiences redefine the getaway.
Three founders, one shared vision
Behind HIGHSTAY are three entrepreneurs with complementary backgrounds, united by a shared vision: contemporary hospitality must blend experience, design, and a sense of place.
Prior to the HIGHSTAY project, Michael Dayan was involved in the development of Showroomprivé (a French online flash sales platform founded in 2006), notably as an associate director, where he worked on various commercial activities and partnerships. With a background in law, he played a key role in Showroomprivé’s commercial strategy and brand offerings. This experience in e-commerce and brand management has given him a deep understanding of the expectations of an international clientele.
The brother of Michael Dayan, Éric Dayan is also an entrepreneur and investor. He helped found Showroomprivé, where he notably oversaw B2B activities and physical sales prior to 2016. Recognized for his expertise in retail and flash sales, he subsequently shifted his focus to investing and entrepreneurship.
Jess Levy is a real estate investor and entrepreneur. He heads La Financière JL, a company active in investment and asset management. In the HIGHSTAY project, his role focuses primarily on real estate aspects: acquisition, selection, and enhancement of properties.
The trio has crafted a brand where entrepreneurship serves a lifestyle.
A commitment to service, with discretion as its hallmark
While HIGHSTAY champions residential privacy, the experience remains deeply hotel-like. A dedicated concierge, personalized services, housekeeping, and the organization of cultural or gastronomic experiences: everything is designed to offer seamless and discreet support.
This hybrid approach is the brand’s signature. It allows for a balance between autonomy and service, freedom and support. The stay becomes flexible, tailored to the needs of an international clientele comprising business travelers, families, or connoisseurs seeking extended stays.
From this perspective, the apartment is not merely a place to stay, but a space for entertaining, working, and living. A way to live in Paris rather than simply visit it.
A growing brand, driven by international ambition
Since its inception, HIGHSTAY has experienced sustained growth, driven by a rising demand for more intimate forms of hospitality. The brand is gradually expanding its collection of residences and exploring new formats, notably buildings entirely dedicated to its residential concept.
This strategy is part of a long-term vision: to make HIGHSTAY an international benchmark for high-end urban stays. The goal is not merely to open new locations, but to build a global signature based on the quality of the experience and aesthetic consistency.
In a rapidly evolving sector, the brand embodies a shift in luxury toward greater intimacy, personalization, and local roots. Hospitality conceived as the art of living.
A new way to experience urban luxury
In just a few years, HIGHSTAY has established itself as a unique offering in the Parisian hospitality landscape. Its hybrid model, at the crossroads of luxury real estate and hotel services, meets the expectations of a clientele that prioritizes experience over status.
Driven by its founders’ vision, the brand continues to grow with a measured yet assertive ambition: to redefine the way people stay in major capitals. A philosophy we explore through an interview with Michael Dayan, to understand how HIGHSTAY intends to shape the hospitality of tomorrow.
LUXUS PLUS : Highstay positions itself at the intersection of Parisian luxury hotels and high-end private residences. What market “gap” did you identify in 2020, and how does this hybrid model redefine luxury hospitality today ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : Luxury hotels offer impeccable service, but they involve a degree of standardization and constant proximity to the hotel environment. Conversely, high-end rentals provide space and autonomy, but lack a service structure that meets the expectations of an international clientele accustomed to the finest establishments.
The market gap lay precisely there: offering a place that feels like a true “home away from home” while incorporating a team trained in luxury hospitality, capable of anticipating every need with discretion.
This hybrid model redefines luxury hospitality by shifting the focus: service is no longer confined to a hotel setting but is integrated into a private space. This allows guests to experience the city at their own pace—to entertain, work, and spend time with family—without ever compromising on the high standards, precision, and attention to detail that define the world’s finest establishments.
LUXUS PLUS: You speak of “a new art of travel” based on privacy and personalization. How does this promise translate concretely into the customer experience compared to traditional 5-star hotels ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : Personalization isn’t limited to fulfilling a request. It begins before the stay. We communicate with our guests to understand the context of their trip—whether it’s with family, as a couple, for work, or for a special event—and we tailor every detail accordingly: room layout, services, experiences, and the pace of the stay.
Once on-site, this personalization continues naturally. Our teams are present, without ever being intrusive. They support the stay with discretion, adapting to changing desires and anticipating needs before they are even expressed.
Our concierge service plays a central role here. It doesn’t just make reservations; it designs bespoke experiences tailored to our guests’ interests. The goal is simple: to allow everyone to discover Paris in a more intimate, more local way, as if they were already familiar with the city.
LUXUS PLUS : Highstay has announced plans to target around 100 residences in Paris and is preparing for international expansion. What are your development criteria: destination, type of properties, client profile ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : Our development is based on a clear guiding principle: maintaining the high standards of the model while establishing it in cities that share the same cultural and economic influence as Paris.
Ultimately, our ambition is to establish ourselves in major European capitals such as Milan, Madrid, or London—cities that combine an international clientele, strong commercial appeal, and a genuine art of living. We are not seeking to expand to numerous destinations, but rather to select key locations capable of delivering the same level of product and service.
The criteria are therefore precise: central, iconic locations in the heart of the most sought-after neighborhoods, properties with strong architectural character, and the ability to deploy a local team trained to HIGHSTAY standards. The product must allow us to recreate what we have built in Paris: exceptional private residences, designed to be lived in, accompanied by discreet and structured hotel service.
The target clientele remains consistent with our current positioning: international HNWIs and UHNWIs, accustomed to the highest standards, who travel regularly and wish to find a reliable home away from home in different capitals. The idea is to create a network of HIGHSTAY residences across Europe, where our guests can experience the same signature style, the same high standards, and the same sense of privacy regardless of the city.
LUXUS PLUS : The Curated by Highstay offering marks a shift toward managing and operating a selection of apartments on behalf of owners who have entrusted you with their keys. What strategic role does this model play in your medium-term growth ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : The Curated by HIGHSTAY offering is first and foremost a complementary service to our core model. It addresses a growing demand from owners who wish to benefit from HIGHSTAY’s expertise and market positioning for the management of their properties.
That said, we are committed to preserving what defines the brand’s DNA. We therefore apply a very rigorous selection process for properties included in this program. Each property must meet our criteria regarding location, quality of construction, interior design, and, of course, service standards. The goal is to remain true to our positioning: ultra-luxury properties in prime locations, offering an experience consistent with the HIGHSTAY brand.
This offering also reflects the trust certain owners place in us. High-quality properties are entrusted to us because the HIGHSTAY brand is seen as a guarantee of expertise, reliability, and asset appreciation. For us, this is significant recognition of our expertise and the image we have built.
In the medium term, Curated by HIGHSTAY will remain an additional and selective offering. We estimate that it could represent between 10 and 15% of our portfolio, while maintaining the same level of standards and consistency with our luxury positioning.
LUXUS PLUS : The Extended Stay segment addresses a growing demand for long-term and hybrid stays. How is this offering transforming your business model and your customer base (expatriates, corporate, relocation, etc.)?
MICHAEL DAYAN : The Extended Stay offering does indeed meet an increasingly strong demand for longer and more hybrid stays. We’ve observed that some clients now wish to stay in Paris for several weeks, or even several months, while enjoying a high-end living environment and services that completely simplify their daily lives.
This clientele is quite diverse. For example, we welcome expatriates in the process of settling in, people who need a high-quality pied-à-terre while their primary residence is under renovation, or companies that house their employees for assignments lasting several weeks. We also welcome travelers who wish to experience Paris differently, by living there for a longer period, just like locals.
To meet these needs, we adapt certain apartments so they are perfectly suited for extended stays: more functional and spacious kitchens, workspaces, and amenities designed for daily life. Added to this, of course, is our full range of “guest experience” and concierge services, which allow guests to fully enjoy their stay without having to worry about organization or logistics.
This offering does not fundamentally transform our model ; it complements it. It allows us to expand our portfolio with a range of properties specifically tailored to these long stays, while remaining true to our high-end positioning. It also helps promote the HIGHSTAY brand to a new clientele, particularly corporate and international guests, who may then return for shorter stays. It is also an opportunity for our sales teams to attract this high-quality clientele and develop lasting relationships.
LUXUS PLUS : The new Highstay Maisons collection, launched in the Golden Triangle, notably introduces a 24-hour house manager and dedicated reception areas. Is this a shift toward a more institutionalized model, similar to a boutique hotel ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : The HIGHSTAY Maisons collection does indeed mark a shift toward a more structured model, one that, in its organization, aligns with certain standards of the hotel industry. The presence of a 24-hour house manager and dedicated reception areas provides a more institutionalized framework, particularly in terms of hospitality and service continuity.
Nevertheless, the intention remains the same : to preserve the freedom and privacy that are unique to HIGHSTAY. The buildings consist exclusively of apartments. Our teams are on-site to assist guests if they wish, but without ever altering the feeling of living in a private space. This is not a centralized lobby through which guests pass, but a personalized, discreet reception service designed to enhance the stay.
This model also opens up new possibilities. The ability to reserve multiple apartments, an entire floor, or even the entire building allows for configurations tailored to large families, private events, or corporate stays. This flexibility surpasses that of a traditional boutique hotel.
LUXUS PLUS : Against the backdrop of evolving experiential luxury and increased competition from hotel brands and premium platforms, what do you believe will be Highstay’s key differentiators over the next five years ?
MICHAEL DAYAN : We believe several factors will continue to set Highstay apart in the years to come.
The first is the strength of the brand. We are building a committed brand, with a genuine community of loyal customers who share the same vision of a stay in Paris: experiencing the city like a local, while enjoying exceptional comfort and service. This relationship with our customers is essential, and we aim to continue strengthening it.
The second pillar remains our uncompromising standards for our properties. Every apartment must be exceptional, both in terms of its location and the quality of the work done, as well as the attention paid to the decor. This highly demanding curation is at the heart of the HIGHSTAY experience and ensures strong consistency across our offerings.
Added to this are increasingly personalized and premium services. Our ambition is to offer contemporary luxury—both ultra-high-end yet unpretentious—where guests truly feel “at home,” supported by a dedicated team that anticipates their needs and accompanies them throughout their stay.
Finally, we believe HIGHSTAY is poised to expand gradually into international markets, building on the expertise we’ve developed in Paris. Our ability to manage exceptional properties and deliver a remarkable customer experience provides a solid foundation for bringing this model to other major destinations.
Our ambition is for HIGHSTAY to become, for our clients, the benchmark for high-end stays: a true dream pied-à-terre, a home away from home, supported by a strong brand and clients who are committed to its values.
Featured Photo : Michael Dayan © Fabien Breuil
