The hospitality industry is evolving, and the lifestyle concept is booming. Previously a term associated solely with fashion or decor, it is now revolutionizing the hotel experience. As of 2023, over 480,000 lifestyle rooms are registered worldwide. Lifestyle hotels aim to provide guests with a unique and personalized experience, often based on a specific lifestyle or culture.
However, it's important to understand that a mere theme does not make a hotel a lifestyle establishment. It is more about a new approach to customer relations and how the customer experiences their stay, incorporating elements of their lifestyle. Personalization, technology, and sociability are key words in this hotel segment.
The goal is clear: to attract Millennials and compete with peer-to-peer rental platforms like Airbnb. All whims are allowed to stand out and create a relaxed, welcoming, and unique atmosphere.
Let's examine, point by point, what makes a hotel meet the lifestyle criteria.
JOE & JOE Vienna
Lifestyle Criteria
A hospitality that emphasizes emotions and sensations
As the name suggests, lifestyle hotels extend the client's lifestyle. Through the five senses, the establishment attempts to connect with the guest: sight (lighting, decoration, art), hearing (background music or quiet spaces), smell (spas, floral decorations, ambient scents), taste (restaurants and bars with creative, authentic, organic, vegan menus), and touch (textures, materials).More friendly than a traditional hotel
Interactions with the staff are meant to be more casual, more advisory than salesy. Reception counters are open and inviting, and automation of certain functions through a back office allows staff to spend more time on welcoming, directing, and providing personalized advice.Fluidity and accessibility
Comfort and convenience are at the heart of the lifestyle hotel concept. This includes simplified check-in and check-out processes, such as at Citizen M hotels, where registration is done at electronic kiosks at the reception, autonomously, and the accessibility of dining options. In most hotels, one can order family-style meals from their room via a guest app, for example. The versatility and flexibility of the staff enhance the ease and smoothness that are completely characteristic of lifestyle hotels.Services that are increasingly diverse and improbable
The additional services are varied and appealing to offer a comprehensive experience: state-of-the-art meeting rooms, spas, concept stores, etc. Unusual services like bicycle rentals, yoga classes, cabaret shows, babysitting, and pet packages can also be found.Lively, creative, and evolving places
With a constant drive for renewal and innovation, some lifestyle hotels opt for cultural and artistic entertainment related to the destination (temporary art exhibitions, reading evenings, concerts with local singers or DJs, themed evenings, etc.). Social networks enhance this interactive aspect. Most establishments are active on Instagram or TikTok, essential spaces to discover the latest trendy spots.Technologies serving sociability and customer experience
Many lifestyle hotels are equipped with the latest technologies to enhance the customer experience. This can range from smart room systems to personalized applications for guests, as well as flat-screen TVs, connected speakers, gaming consoles, and unlimited access to all streaming platforms.Major Hotel Groups Take Notice
"Lifestyle" hotels, blending societal trends and new technologies, have proven the longevity of their concept. Major groups, as well as many independent establishments, have taken notice and are paying close attention.Since 2014, Accor has established itself as a pillar of this movement, investing heavily in its lifestyle division. Their commitment to this area is further strengthened by the joint venture with Ennismore, positioning together the world's largest lifestyle hotel powerhouse.
This partnership has given birth to a new autonomous entity, which combines a unique portfolio of 87 global brands and 11 in development, including The Hoxton, Gleneagles, Delano, SLS, Mondrian, SO/, Hyde, Mama Shelter, 25h, 21c Museum Hotels, TRIBE, JO&JOE, and WorkingFrom.
This entity includes an international design studio responsible for designing new establishments and supporting their communication with a team of digital and technology experts, tasked with innovating in terms of customer experience, and a team of catering specialists, charged with developing unique concepts rooted in each destination.
References in Lifestyle Hotels
The hoxton, a "trendy" hotel focused on design but committed to functionality without superfluity. Born with the idea of becoming a key meeting place for locals, the founder of the brand often chooses recently gentrified areas because the neighborhood is the very identity of the brand.
Mama Shelter shook the hotel industry by arriving with its concept of a boutique hotel. They have managed to disrupt the traditional codes of hospitality to stand out. Opened in 2008 in the heart of Paris, Belleville, the location, design, services, and atmosphere are flawless.
These establishments play with new hospitality values. A place original, sometimes described as "quirky". Mama Shelter revolutionizes with its design style signed Starck, its chic host table dining concept entrusted to Senderens while maintaining impeccable comfort levels.
These establishments play with new hospitality values. A place original, sometimes described as "quirky". Mama Shelter revolutionizes with its design style signed Starck, its chic host table dining concept entrusted to Senderens while maintaining impeccable comfort levels.
Citizen M. also opened in Amsterdam the same year with an equally astonishing concept. Citizen M, a high-end hotel, changes the rules of hospitality by creating automatic reception desks on electronic kiosks, rooms controlled solely via tablets, and making the lobby the heart of the operation.
Yes, this too is the lifestyle: digital at the service of the client to improve and streamline their experience.
Yes, this too is the lifestyle: digital at the service of the client to improve and streamline their experience.
Tribe is also a lifestyle hotel brand that stands out for its modern and innovative approach to hospitality. Designed for contemporary travelers, Tribe aims to provide a unique hotel experience focused on design, technology, community, and comfort.
Tribe integrates technology in innovative ways into the hotel experience. Guests can benefit from modern technological amenities, such as tablets in rooms to control lighting, temperature, and other features.
Tribe also stands out by encouraging interactions among guests. Common areas are designed to facilitate meetings and exchanges among travelers. Furthermore, these establishments often adopt an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach. They incorporate ecological practices and seek to minimize their environmental impact.
Tribe integrates technology in innovative ways into the hotel experience. Guests can benefit from modern technological amenities, such as tablets in rooms to control lighting, temperature, and other features.
Tribe also stands out by encouraging interactions among guests. Common areas are designed to facilitate meetings and exchanges among travelers. Furthermore, these establishments often adopt an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach. They incorporate ecological practices and seek to minimize their environmental impact.
Jo & Joe, this new disruptive concept, is meant to compete with the increasing demand from thirtysomethings for economical lifestyle products, with its unusual rooms and collective sleeping arrangements to reduce costs. Starting at €19 per room, this budget concept is unbeatable!
Les Piaules is a contemporary hostel chain born in Paris, France. It stands out with its modern, friendly concept, offering affordable, comfortable community-focused accommodations. Les Piaules offers various types of accommodations, from shared dormitories to private rooms. Dormitories provide an affordable option for budget-conscious travelers, while private rooms offer more privacy.
With a very urban character, these hotels are also developing in provincial and rural areas through the Assas Hotels group. In 2016, the group launched Rocky Pop, a lifestyle hotel in Chamonix, offering rooms at €53! In sum, Rocky Pop ticks all the boxes of a lifestyle hotel: it's unique, playful, sociable, and ultra-connected, allowing guests to enjoy the Haute-Savoie experience at an unbeatable price!
Lifestyle hotels illustrate the sector's adaptation to the desires of a generation seeking authenticity and unique experiences. By blending technology, personalization, and sociability, these establishments redefine the hotel experience. With the support of major groups and an ever-innovative offering, the "lifestyle" concept is permanently etched into the hotel landscape, heralding the future of hospitality.
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