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SOFT BRANDS, ONCE CONSIDERED OPTIONAL, ARE NOW ESSENTIAL
– IAN DI TULLIO, CHIEF
COMMERCIAL OFFICER, MINOR
HOTELS
need for a brand in the upperupscale space that balances consistency with genuine localization. Second, guests increasingly want a sense of purpose built into their stay, whether that’ s wellness, cultural connection or community impact.
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Janu, according to Aman,“ bridges the gap between solitude and sociability, offering guests the freedom to choose how they want to engage: whether through restorative wellness, culturally immersive experiences or communal dining that sparks authentic interaction.”
“ The white space right now is experience-forward, wellnessliterate and biophilic design at a sensible price point,” said Bruce.“ Brands that blend lifestyle personality with serious meeting bones— great natural lighting, indoor / outdoor flow, frictionless tech— are filling that gap.”
Soft brands and collection plays are also surging, said Bruce,“ because they keep a hotel’ s independent character while plugging into distribution and loyalty ecosystems owners need.”
LivSmart Studios by Hilton, which launched in 2023, is Hilton’ s answer for the midscale extended-stay space and currently has two hotels open in Tennessee and Indiana and
Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley opened in May 2025. SH Hotels, now Starwood Hotels, launched the Treehouse brand in 2019.
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a pipeline of more than 350 active deals. Isaac Lake, brand leader of LivSmart, said the brand addresses the $ 300-billion workforce travel market that has continued to expand, especially with the rise in demand for more flexible and affordable long-stay accommodations. The hotels, he said, cater to those with relocation needs and traveling professionals like nurses, families or remote workers with average stays of 10 nights or longer.
FITTING IN Brand portfolios expand vertically and horizontally, said Dev. Vertically, portfolios add brands at new price points to tap into unserved or underserved markets( think Marriott adding Bulgari to serve the uber-luxury market). Horizontally, portfolios add brands( e. g., Element created to be an eco-friendly Westin at a similar price point) or brand extensions, such as legacy brands adding all-suites or extended-stay versions.
Minor Hotels jumped into the brand proliferation game with gusto in July, unveiling four new brands: The Wolseley Hotels( luxury with British flair), Minor Reserve Collection( luxury soft brand), Colbert Collection( premium soft brand) and the select-service iStay Hotels.“ We identified whitespace in the luxury lifestyle and conversion segments,” said Ian Di Tullio, chief commercial officer of Minor Hotels. Soft brands, once considered optional, are now essential, Di Tullio added, allowing independent hotels to
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HILTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON DRAWING DISTINCTIONS
– ISAAC LAKE, BRAND LEADER,
LIVSMART STUDIOS BY HILTON
keep their identity while getting the marketing and distribution support of a larger lodging company.
In some cases, adding brands helps avoid“ brand stretch,” said Bruce.“ With too few brands in a portfolio, there is risk of diluting the unique value of each brand,” he said.“ A wellbalanced portfolio provides the flexibility to grow while protecting brand integrity.”
Dusit Hotels, said Cretallaz, anchors the upper-upscale tier, sitting above dusitD2 in lifestyle upscale, Dusit Princess in upper midscale and ASAI Hotels in lifestyle midscale. It also sits alongside the soft brand Dusit Collection and Dusit Suites, which caters to the long-stay
upscale segment. Hilton has always been laser focused on drawing distinctions,
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12 hotelsmag. com November 2025 |