AS SEEN IN
We don't just list your property, we get you in print.
Curated by a travel journalist and a travel photographer with hundreds of bylines between us – and every member gets featured in our magazine, guaranteed.
WHAT WE ARE
Slow Stays is not a booking platform.
It’s a curated directory of the world’s best slow and sustainable places to stay, created and run by a travel journalist and a travel photographer.
But we’re also so much more than ‘just’ a directory…
We give our members something that no one else can.
Most directories give you a listing, and maybe the odd bit of promotion (if you’re lucky).
But with Slow Stays, you’re in the hands of people who actually make travel media, and have spent decades writing and shooting for some of Australia’s biggest publications.
So when you join, not only do you get a listing, dedicated promotion on our social feeds, and the credibility that comes with being in a tightly edited directory…
There’s also the part no other directory can offer: we’re out there writing and shooting stories like these, with our members in them:
This is just a fraction of the stories we’ve written and shot for Australia’s biggest travel titles, spotlighting our Slow Stays members.
We even put our members in a coffee table book, written and shot by us, and published by Hardie Grant.
Of course, despite having hundreds of bylines between us, we can’t control which stories editors choose to publish.
But we know that if a property meets the rigorous selection criteria for becoming a Slow Stay, they’re worthy of being featured.
So we took matters into our own hands…
THE MAGAZINE
Your property, in print
This year, we’re launching our very own print magazine — a considered journal of slow living and slow travel, with Slow Stays at its centre.
The inaugural issue is being created in 2026, and it’ll come out twice a year from there. Every member is guaranteed a place in every issue.
There’s a particular kind of credibility that comes from being in a print magazine, and as a member, you’ll have it.
MEET THE WOMEN BEHIND THE BYLINES
We’ve been making travel media for 20 years. Now we make it about our members.
Celeste Mitchell has spent more than 20 years as an editor and travel journalist. She’s been published in Escape, The Weekend Australian, Australian Traveller and Qantas, among others, and is the author of two books — Life Unhurried and Ultimate Beaches Australia. She knows the editors, the angles, and the exact kind of story that gets commissioned.
Krista Eppelstun is a travel photographer and videographer who shoots for the likes of Tourism Australia and Tourism & Events Queensland. Her images have been featured in publications such as Qantas, Australian Traveller, and in the books Life Unhurried and Ultimate Beaches Australia. She knows what it takes to make a property look great in print, because she’s the one behind the lens.
In 2018, we joined forces to create Life Unhurried, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping tired humans slow the heck down. The keystone pillar of the brand is Slow Stays, our world-first directory championing unique places to stay that hero nature, sustainability, and genuine rest — three things we’re wildly passionate about.
So what does membership in Slow Stays mean for a property like yours?
Here are three recent examples.
CASE STUDY #1
178,000 people reached, and our members didn't have to lift a finger.
When Visit Noosa, the region’s official tourism body, wanted an editorial guide to the slower side of the Sunshine Coast, they hired Life Unhurried to make it.
The resulting 40-page guide, Noosa Unhurried, highlighted a number of Slow Stays members, including Mayan Farm Villas, Killara Farm, Atelier54 and Into the Wild’s Tiny Heidi & Tiny Aahana.
Visit Noosa shared the guide with their 138,000 followers, and other accounts reshared it to tens of thousands more, resulting in their properties being seen by an audience of more than 178k highly-aligned followers.
Our members didn’t have to pitch anything, or pay a cent on top of their standard membership fee. They were in it, simply because they were members.
This is one of the unparalleled advantages of membership in Slow Stays. We’re the team that tourism boards seek out and trust to tell their story — and our members get to come along for the ride.
(And in case you’re wondering, this case study isn’t a once off. We’ve collaborated with official tourism bodies in Norfolk Island, Bellingen Shire and Central Coast NSW, with plenty more in the pipeline.)
CASE STUDY #2
One property, one year, *this* much press
Gabarraa Luxury Escape joined Slow Stays in 2025 with almost no press coverage. Twelve months later, this was its media footprint:
A photographic feature in Australian Traveller magazine
Inclusion in a round-up feature in Travel + Luxury (The Weekend Australian)
A dedicated feature on Life Unhurried
An Instagram reel and carousel to our audience – one re-shared by @visitnsw with a reach of 649,000 followers
Nothing about Gabarraa changed. (It was always this beautiful!) The only difference is that they now had people in their corner who knew who to call, how to position them, and how to make an irresistible pitch
“Being part of Life Unhurried has been such a valuable experience for Gabarraa. In our first year of membership, the media coverage and exposure introduced us to a thoughtful audience of travellers who genuinely value slow, sustainable experiences. The team has been incredibly supportive about showcasing unique places with integrity. We’ve welcomed guests who discovered us through Life Unhurried, making it a partnership we’re truly grateful to be part of.” – Toni Eggleston
CASE STUDY #3
#17 out of the Top 100 stays in Australian Traveller
Cathy Fitzgerald, founder of Secret Cabin Society, in her own words:
“Our experience working with the girls from Slow Stays has been awesome… Their experience and expertise in the industry has helped us so much — from a YouTube clip, coming no. 17 out of the Top 100 stays in Australian Traveller magazine, to increased followers and bookings…
Last but not least, they’re so easy and wonderful to work with. Always full of positive, happy energy and encouragement. We feel so honoured to be part of this wonderful Slow Stays community.”
Here’s what you get when you join Slow Stays:
Every member receives:
A guaranteed place in our new twice-yearly print magazine.
Two copies of every issue mailed to your door completely FREE – one for your Slow Stay, one for your own coffee table (valued at $29 each + shipping).
A dedicated listing in the Slow Stays directory — your words, your images, your booking links. You stay in control, and every dollar of every booking is yours. No commission, no booking fees, ever.
Features across our social channels each year — including dedicated posts, Reel re-posts & curated round-ups.
Members-only email guides — seasonal trends worth knowing, gentle nudges on what’s working, and the occasional look at what editors are actually asking for right now.
Exclusive member discounts on all Life Unhurried products (including SLEEP, PLEASE; NOT NOW, STRESS and merch).
And every member is in the running for:
Media pitches to national and local publications throughout the year.
Editorial pitches to tourism boards and bodies throughout the year.
A cover story or multi-page feature in our print magazine.
Campaign and competition opportunities.
Brand and influencer collaborations.
Themed features and trend round-ups across the Life Unhurried website and socials.
Consideration for future books and projects (including a proposed Life Unhurried re-release, and another book scheduled for 2028).
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Not every property is a Slow Stay
We only accept properties that meet our rigorous selection criteria, so that when guests see a property with the Slow Stays badge, they know it’s guaranteed to be unique, beautiful, and (for the majority,) treads lightly on the planet.
We feature everything from tiny houses and beach shacks to glamping tents, woodland cabins and luxury wilderness escapes, but the underlying ethos is always the same:
Light on the planet
Off-grid, low-impact, or sustainably minded.
Small and owner-run
Run by real people, not chains or conglomerates.
Nature-first
Somewhere you can see the sky, hear the birds, or lose reception without minding.
Restful by design
The property shifts something in guests’ nervous systems the moment they arrive.
That elusive something
We can’t define it, but we recognise it instantly (and so will an editor).
WHY NOW
The best time to join Slow Stays is now.
Here’s the honest truth: Slow Stays isn’t a household name yet.
We’re building it into one, but in the meantime, being early offers a unique advantage.
While the directory is still growing, every member gets a bigger share of every pitch, every guide, every feature. As we grow, that spotlight is shared more widely. The properties that join now are the ones we’ll have championed the longest, and known by name since the beginning.
So while we’re working the media to make sure the Slow Stays name and badge becomes a nationally-known icon, you get to enjoy a bigger piece of the pitching pie that comes with getting in at the ground floor.
”“Their experience in travel and media has been invaluable."
Paul Rowse, Larnook
THE INVESTMENT
What membership costs — and what it replaces.
A single press feature, pitched by a PR agency, can cost thousands. Same with a print ad. And the credibility of being featured in a print magazine? Most hosts never get it at any price.
Slow Stays membership is AUD $500 + GST per year.
That’s only $1.50 per day.
Even if not one pitch lands — if all you received was your listing, social features, and a guaranteed place in every issue of our print magazine, along with two copies in your mailbox — it would still be worth it.
The pitching and promoting we do behind the scenes is all upside.
UPFRONT & TRANSPARENT
“So will you get my property in the press?”
We can’t promise you a spread in someone else’s magazine or masthead. Those calls are made by the editors, and we’re not here to make false promises.
In the interests of transparency, here’s what we do do:
We actively pitch our members’ properties to the editors and publications we’ve worked with for two decades — for destination features, themed round-ups, and trend pieces. When a commission calls for “beach shacks with hot tubs” or “the most grounding escapes in New South Wales,” we work to get our members on the shortlist.
We actively pitch our members in our collaborations with tourism boards and other bodies. In the past two years, we’ve worked with the tourism boards of Noosa, Norfolk Island, Bellingen, Central Coast NSW and more.
We tell you, plainly, what makes a property press-worthy — and how to give yours the best possible chance of being the one that’s chosen.
We put you in our twice-yearly print magazine. Every member is included, with different members receiving top billing in each edition, based on the season, the theme, and what’s landing.
The difference is, unlike other directories, we’re not waiting for the media to come to us, we’re already inside.
FAQs
What makes a property a Slow Stay?
Every property is handpicked against our criteria for sustainability and soulfulness — think off-grid or low-impact, small-scale, owner-operated, nature-adjacent, wellness-minded and genuinely intentional in its design. If that sounds like your place, we’d love you to apply. If you’re not sure, get in touch — hello (at) lifeunhurried (dot) com.
Can you guarantee my property will be featured in the media?
No, and we’d be wary of anyone who did. Editorial decisions belong to editors. What we can promise is active advocacy: a working travel journalist pitching your property throughout the year, guidance on making your property press-worthy, and a guaranteed place in our own twice-yearly print magazine.
Are all members featured in all opportunities?
No. Most opportunities are specific to a place (like the Noosa Unhurried guide we made for Visit Noosa) or a theme (like Love Shacks, Celeste’s Australian Traveller piece on the best shacks around the country). We match the right property to the right brief. So while every member is in the running, not every member fits every story. Also, the more press-ready your property, the more often it’ll be the one we put forward.
Can I create my own listing?
Yes, you’re in control. Our platform lets you upload your own words and images, so your listing always sounds like you. That said, if you’d like expert help, we’ve got you covered…
Can you help me write my listing?
Yes! If you’d like an experienced writer to craft a listing that actually expresses your property’s true value and uniqueness (and that hasn’t been churned out by AI), we’re here to help. It’s an optional add-on, whenever you want it.
Do you charge commission?
Never. Slow Stays is a directory, not a booking site. We send guests to the platform of your choice, and every dollar goes to you.
Can I stay listed on other platforms?
Absolutely. Membership sits happily alongside Airbnb, your own site, and any other directory. And because Slow Stays is not a booking platform, there’s no need to sync calendars.
Who is your audience?
Our audience is predominantly female, Australian, and aged 25–54. They value sustainability as much as style, they appreciate the small touches, and they’re ready to book, making them the ideal match for thoughtful, sustainably-minded hosts.
How do I pay?
Membership is $500 + GST per year, charged annually.
What happens after you press the ‘apply now’ button?
- You’ll be taken to the application page.
Tell us about your property (a few details, the story behind it). It takes about 10-15 minutes. - We personally review your application.
Every application is read by one of us, not a bot or an algorithm. We’re looking for that mix of beautiful, intentional, and light on the planet. You’ll hear back from us within 2-5 business days. - If you’re in…
Once you’re accepted, we’ll send you a link to set up your listing. You’ll then pay your annual membership fee, and we’ll review, press publish, and start looking for the right moments to put your property forward.
You've already built something exceptional.
Let's make sure it gets noticed.
We can’t wait to learn more about your property.
With love,
Celeste & Krista
Team LU