SOFT BRANDS holding firm
THE SOFT BRAND LANDSCAPE MAY LOOK CROWDED BUT THERE ’ S STILL ROOM TO GROW .
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
In this fragile post-pandemic recovery world , the hotel soft brand marketplace shows no sign of softening .
Already a booming subset of the hospitality business before the pandemic , soft brands — both the franchise and independent varieties — have rebounded quickly in the past year , rapidly adding member properties around the globe . Meanwhile , new soft brands have continued to emerge , among them Accor Hotel ’ s Emblem Collection , Wyndham ’ s Trademark and Regency Collections , and Curator Hotel and Resort Collection , a portfolio of independent hotels formed by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust .
As travelers seek more lifestyle hotel experiences while hotel owners search for added operational and marketing support , the soft brand landscape is sizzling .
“ It ’ s growing exponentially , hotels joining soft brands ,” says Steve Turk , a Miami-based hospitality consultant , citing the pandemic ’ s wide-ranging effect on independent hotels in terms of revenue management , expenses , labor issues , and safety protocols as the main reasons for contracting with a soft brand .
But with more hotels joining up each day , is there really enough room for everyone , especially as larger hotel companies keep unveiling new collections ? Many traditional soft brand executives say yes , pointing to the different types of collections for a range of hotels from luxury to 3-star , as well as the different needs of owners whether it be revenue management , operational assistance or marketing help .
“ I don ’ t worry about more entrants into the ( soft brand ) space . There is a lot of space here ,”
September 2022 hotelsmag . com 81