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hotel trends | report


From left: Royal Palm South Beach Miami; farmers market


HOTEL TRENDS


n LOCAL COLOR: Independent hotels in local neighborhoods, with local food, local art, and perhaps a local destination gym, are in demand, with Millennials in particular looking for unique properties rather than brands. n ROOM RATES: Expect a spike in rates for every type of hotel over the next few years. On the flip side, Americans are finding cheaper hotels in Europe than in the US thanks to favorable exchanges rates. n STAY INDEPENDENT: Major global hotel chains, including Marriott, Hilton and Starwood, are soft-branding collections of independent hotels around the world to tap into a demand for unscripted experiences. n ALL IN: All-inclusive resorts are on the rise and will finally begin to develop in the continental US. The hotel giants, such as Hyatt and Marriott, are latching onto the all-inclusive segment. n NATURAL WAY: Farm-to-table hotels and nature-inspired hideaways are proliferating. The eco-luxury Hotel 1 brand, launched in South Beach and Manhattan in spring and features lobby farmstands and locally crafted furniture. The brand’s third hotel is set to open in Brooklyn by the end of this year.


On the flip side, Americans are finding


cheaper hotels in Europe than in the US, reports TripAdvisor’s 2015 survey of hotel-room prices. As the dollar gains strength against the euro and other international currencies, the average European hotel rate has dropped 9% as of February, compared to February 2014. With worldwide check-ins on the upswing,


several hotel groups are courting the independent-hotel enthusiast by soft-branding collections of hotels. According to Berman, these ‘un-branded’ properties don’t need the weight of the major hotel brands, but reap all the benefits of a premium hotel company, such as reservations and purchasing. A 2015 Starwood Hotels & Resorts poll of its


loyalty-program members found nearly 90% said they would be interested in staying at an independent hotel, while 70% said they had already stayed at an un-branded property. Starwood’s answer to the local-culture craze,


Tribute Portfolio, debuted in April with the Royal Palm South Beach Miami, and the restored 1939 Art Deco hotel will open the first US outpost of Toronto’s Byblos restaurant in 2016. “Tribute is built for travelers who seek unique


and uncommon hotel experiences, who appreciate one-of-a-kind amenities and moments,” says Dave Marr, global brand leader for Tribute Portfolio and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Over the past five years, we’ve seen the number of independent hotels in the upper upscale category


increase exponentially, especially in urban and key resort locations.” Te collection-brand will


target four-star


properties, with Nashville, Tennessee and Savannah, Georgia hotels on track for 2016. Asheville, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida hotels are slated for 2017. Plans call for 100 hotels and resorts over the next five years, with initial focus on North America and Europe. Starwood’s original soft brand, the five-star


Luxury Collection, is undergoing a $300m renovation-and-conversion program across the US. Sunset Key — 40 luxury cottages on a private island off the coast of Key West, Florida — and the Conrad Chicago recently signed on. Te Conrad is under renovation and will officially join the Luxury Collection with a new name by 2016. In July this year, Marriott International’s


Autograph Collection scooped up Te Hotel, a 30-room boutique property in Lucerne. Forged from a 1907 building, the Hotel first opened in 2000. Hilton’s Curio Collection, meanwhile, is renovating the 1907 Astor Hotel Saint-Honore in Paris. A former residence of Lord John Jacob Astor, who died on the Titanic, the 128-room hotel reopens under the soft brand in 2016. As the industry shifts gears, travelers can


expect a steady supply of these authentic, independent hotels over the next few years, Berman says. “It’s no longer the square box with the rectangular pool.”


fall 2015 | ASTAnetwork | 57


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