to specifically support softbranded lifestyle hotels. It complements the core Aparium Collection and currently includes Heron Hotel, part of Hilton’ s Curio Collection, in Alexandria, Va., and Surety Hotel Des Moines in Iowa, part of Marriott’ s Autograph Collection.“ Autographs, |
Crossroads Hotel in Kansas City’ s Art District features the XR bar in the lobby area. Photo credit: Crossroads Hotel
Curios, Unbounds— they operate inconsistently across the country,” Tricoci said.
Tricoci considers Aparium Collection a brand, akin to an Auberge Collection, but for the urban independent lifestyle hotel. In Aparium For, Tricoci said he sees a“ special white space,” a solution for certain
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owners and,“ frankly, for the brands themselves.”
One gets the sense that though Tricoci doesn’ t have any vendetta against the big brands, he hints at a dash of guile, but also brilliance, which has allowed them to prosper wildly, sometimes at the expense of the asset owner. He describes an almost waterfall of events, from owning real estate, to going asset light and managing hotels, to pivoting almost exclusively to franchise deals. He called it“ genius,” adding that the soft brands are essentially a response to companies like his.
Tricoci isn’ t shutting Aparium off from managing hard brands, either. He envisions picking up branded lifestyle assets in time.“ Lifestyle is tricky,” he said.“ You must have a particular expertise, patience and viewpoint because you’ re operating intensely and delivering service, especially around things like F & B,” he said.“ Expectations are higher
Surety Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, is associated with Marriott International’ s Autograph Collection and sits within Aparium For. Photo credit: Jason Crocker Thomas
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and the brands are now being a little bit more intentional.”
Though Aparium doesn’ t specifically operate hard brands yet, two of its hotels go by the same name— Populus— with one in Denver and one in Seattle. The Denver property turned heads from the start when it opened in late 2024, dazzling guests and critics alike with its biophilic design by Studio Gang. It’ s widely recognized as the nation’ s first carbon-positive hotel. Last year, Esquire voted it the Hotel of the Year for 2025 in its annual“ Best New Hotels in the World” and Time slotted it into its“ World’ s Greatest Places of 2025.”
Aparium manages both hotels via a partnership with Urban Villages, whose own ethos jibes symmetrically with Aparium’ s.“ They absolutely and unequivocally walk the walk as it relates to ecological, [ sustainable ] responsibility,” Tricoci said.“ There’ s belief that Populus can scale and grow.”
Some say that you haven’ t hit the big time until you hit the Big Apple. For Aparium, Broadwaybound was never a strategic goal. It doesn’ t mean that New York isn’ t in its sights.“ Will we eventually be there?” Tricoci pondered.“ I think so.”
Until that time, Aparium is hard at work finding opportunities in emergent and hip slivers of a city’ s whole— where the cool kids roam.“ There’ s still plenty of unique opportunities in markets that are underserved,” Tricoci said.“ Now, those are becoming served.”
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July / August 2026 hotelsmag. com 25 |