The So Stay Hotel was established in 2016 thanks to the cooperation of the Gdansk local authority with local business partners. Based on the motto “Responsible for business – responsible for the community” the hotel was created to change the lives of young people who, due to their neglect by adults, grew up outside of their family homes.
The hotel operates on an innovative model, which combines a market approach (earning on services) with social responsibility by providing concrete support and vocational training for young people leaving care. At the hotel, young people gain qualifications and work experience through different types of programmes, including internships and job placements in the hotel. Thanks to the individualised approach and guidance from professionals in the hotel sector, participants gain relevant skills that enable them to have future opportunities in mainstream employment. Moreover, for young people who experience a difficult housing situation, the programme provides housing support as they learn.
A key element of support for young participants is professional mentoring. Professional mentoring consists of professional development and the mentoring of young persons in a professional career path. Throughout the development process, the mentor educates, supports and motivates the young participant. Two years after the start of the programme, the mentoring role is taken over by former apprentices who by then had acquired professional readiness to perform the task and to support new apprentices.
In the initial phases, the So Stay Hotel was supported financially by the local authority (which leased the building free of charge) and a range of business partners (who donated money to renovate and equip the facility to accommodate a three-star hotel). The hotel and its occupational training, however, are funded without the use of public subsidies, solely on the basis of its business income. The profit from the services provided covers the costs of youth education and running the business and in this way, the programme is completely decoupled from public subsidies/welfare support.