The Hotel Investment and Development Event (HIDE) held at Pullman London St Pancras recently shone a spotlight on lifestyle hotels and the experience economy. The debate, moderated by Heleri Rande from Think Hospitality Group, questioned the concept of a lifestyle hotel. Keith Evans, CEO of Lifestyle Hospitality Capital, described lifestyle as a creative process involving design, F&B, art, music, community, and purpose.
Cris Tarrant, founder of BVA BDRC, emphasized the emotional connection lifestyle hotels create with guests, going beyond a functional stay. Navneet Bali, CEO of LyvInn, stressed the importance of local authenticity while considering scalability and balancing originality with growth.
Evans outlined the lifecycle of a lifestyle brand in three phases: Innovation, Optimization, and Industrialization/commoditization, warning against dilution of authenticity with mass scale. Tarrant introduced the EPIC framework as a tool for measuring ROI, focusing on Elevation, Pride, Inside, and Connection to drive guest loyalty and premium pricing.
Bali highlighted the increasing desire for connections with locals and fellow guests, leading to the emergence of hotel/hostel hybrids. While a clear definition of “lifestyle” remained elusive, the customer-centric approach emphasized its importance in the rapidly expanding segment. The panel discussions at HIDE shed light on the key factors driving the success of lifestyle hotels in today’s experience-driven hospitality industry.
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