More and more travelers are looking for more than just a soft bed and a clean place to sleep in a hotel.
They want hotels that reflect their interests, whether it’s art, music, fashion or work, and where they can connect with other travelers who share the same passions.
This is driving the growth of lifestyle hotels, with the global share of new hotel lifestyle rooms nearly doubling since 2000, according to JLL’s 2025 Global Hotel Investment Outlook.
According to the report, by 2025 around 25% of new hotel rooms in Europe will be lifestyle hotels, followed by the Americas and Asia with 16% each.
According to a downloadable version of another JLL report examining lifestyle hotels in Asia Pacific, “Lifestyle and boutique hotels are defined by their unique, upscale environments, as opposed to the standardized experiences of traditional hotels.”
According to the report, the difference between the two is that boutique hotels are independent or family-owned chains, while lifestyle hotels are operated by established hotel companies.
Asia-Pacific has seen the highest growth rate over the past five years, with room supply quadrupling from 2014 to 2024 and increasing by a further 34% by 2027, the report said.
According to JLL, China has the highest supply of lifestyle hotels in the region, followed by Southeast Asia, with three times as many rooms as Australia, New Zealand and South Asia.
However, Australia and New Zealand saw the strongest growth in the supply of lifestyle rooms, the company said, driven by a surge in demand for unique and experiential travel.
JLL added that lifestyle brands are expected to continue expanding in Asia on the back of investor and guest demand, particularly for brands recently acquired by international hotel chains, such as NoMad (acquired by Hilton), CitizenM (acquired by Marriott) and The Standard (acquired by Hyatt).
distinctive products
From luxury flagships like The Singapore EDITION to quirky brands like Mama Shelter, lifestyle hotels are often smaller and with unique décor than core brand hotels. And in a departure from traditional hotels, these hotels emphasize social spaces over guest rooms.
“I think today’s guests are choosing hotels for more than just a room. They want a place to party and feel recognized,” said Sylvain Pasdelou, executive vice president of Asia Pacific at lifestyle management company Anysmore.
Lifestyle hotels are also popular with younger generations who spend more on travel than past generations.
Alan Watts, president of Hilton Asia Pacific, said: “The scope of travel in Asia has become so broad that we can now market essentially niche products to young, affluent customers who are culturally proud but ultimately confident.”
According to JLL, these hotels’ small footprint makes them easier and cheaper to build, but they also typically command a price premium of 10-11% above the overall market average, all of which make them attractive to investors and owners as well.
According to JLL data, food and beverage also plays a key role in the success of lifestyle hotels, allowing them to generate 30% higher food and beverage revenue per occupied room than the market average.
Marina Braciani, vice president and head of hotel research for Asia Pacific at JLL, said lifestyle hotels have traditionally dominated the luxury and luxury segments, but are now seeing significant growth in the upper mid-range and lower categories.
“Increasingly, lifestyle concepts that were initially premium are entering three-star and entry-level four-star hotels,” she added.
Ten new lifestyle hotel brands are set to open in Asia Pacific by 2027, including the popular French hotel Mama Shelter, which made its Asian debut in Singapore in September.
—CNBC’s Diana Himawan and Monica Pitrelli contributed to this article.
