Sina Murphy worked in the financial industry for 13 years, most recently as an international asset manager at Credit Suisse (CS). Today, she brokers a range of hand-picked vacation rentals.
Sina Murphy made a career as an international asset manager, first with J.P. Morgan and most recently Credit Suisse.
However, after 13 years, she felt the urge to set off for new shores: She founded «Off Grid Hideaways», an online booking platform that specializes in remote and exclusive accommodation. Murphy brought the necessary skills with her: both asset management and hotel management.
Syros II Hideaway, Greece (Image: Subtlestories)
The idea behind «Off Grid Hideaways» is to rethink the conventional definition of luxury. «Intentionally disconnecting from the digital world, creating real downtime and thus enjoying a better quality of life is pure luxury today,» explains Murphy.
Private homes of the wealthy
The properties that Sina Murphy brokers are often remote private homes belonging to wealthy individuals. They often don't want to rent them out - until Sina Murphy convinces them otherwise.
She personally reaches out to them, partly due to the nature of her clientele. Among them are numerous CEOs who trust her completely. «Most of my clients these days want to spend their vacations in stylish accommodation where they have peace and privacy and can enjoy the natural surroundings,» she says.
Renowned architects and designers
Sina currently has almost 20 vacation homes in her portfolio: from Switzerland to Scandinavia or Greece to Brazil. A number of criteria have to be met for a house to make it into her catelog. Architecture and design are very important: many of the properties are designed or furnished by renowned architects and interior designers, such as Marcio Kogan and Lair Reis from Studio mk27 Architects (Brazil), or Architecture Studio Block722 (Greece), Manuel Aires Mateus (Portugal) or Kolman Boye Architects (Sweden). Sustainability is also a major concern for the 46-year-old. This includes details such as the materials used in the house, as well as the energy sources used. She also pays close attention to the environment. And if it appeals to her personally, that's not a bad thing.
Ō Island Hideaway, Finland (Image: Archmospheres)
The key to Murphy's success is trust. She stays in regular contact with her customers even after their vacations. She also listens to her customers' wishes.
Now also hotels for short stays
She now not only lists exclusive vacation homes on her website, but has also added selected hotels with which she concludes cooperation agreements. «My customers sometimes only want to take a break for two or three days and want exclusive accommodation,» she says. That's why she always chooses the hotels herself and is extremely selective.
In summer, Sina Murphy is traveling in Finland. She has discovered a special island there and now wants to get to know the owners of the hotels. The former asset manager appears quite confident: She takes a photographer with her.
Vega Island Hideaway, Norway (Image: Subtlestories)
