Lifestyle Hotel, a new direction for Thai hotels
Last updated: 3 Aug 2025
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The growth trend for the hotel business in 2024 shows that the lifestyle hotel market in Thailand is growing rapidly, especially in major cities like Bangkok and Phuket. This trend is also beginning to expand into secondary markets in the provinces, which will play a key role in Thailand becoming a leading lifestyle tourism destination worldwide.
The growth of lifestyle hotel brands worldwide has been evident in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade. Since the first W Hotels opened 25 years ago, the hotel industry has seen a rapid rise of high-end hotels in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, although some of these hotels are independent.
The main driver is international hotel chains, which are trying to expand their brand portfolios to meet the diverse needs of hotel owners and move away from relying solely on established brands.
The concept of "lifestyle" in the hotel industry is becoming increasingly popular. Lifestyle hotels can attract travelers of various generations, benefiting long-term potential.
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Having Children and the Price of Children
The reasons why many millennials are deciding not to have children or having children later than previous generations may stem from several factors, including increased effectiveness of birth control. Women have more options than they did 50 years ago, as they no longer have to focus on marriage and children to secure their lives. Furthermore, social conditions are less conducive to childbearing. As Christine Percheski, Associate Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, told Insider, people often delay having children during times of political and social unrest.
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The key service elements of lifestyle hotels focus on five main areas:
Localizes Experience
This aims to offer guests a unique experience in the neighborhood surrounding the hotel. Unconventional approaches are also emerging, such as staff eschewing traditional uniforms and embodying local expertise, offering advice on topics beyond the hotel's boundaries.
Extensive Food and Beverage
Due to the rapid pace of food and beverage trends, lifestyle hotels are prioritizing modern dietary choices and restrictions, such as offering a wide selection of vegetarian options.
Health and Well-Being
To cater to the active and health-conscious lifestyle, lifestyle hotels often create health, well-being, and fitness spaces that stand out from traditional hotels.
Smart Technology
Customers of lifestyle hotels expect their hotels to be equipped with cutting-edge technology. From room booking systems to in-room digital solutions,
Hotel Design Gains More Freedom
Lifestyle hotels often enjoy greater design freedom, offering unique, eye-catching, accessible accommodations that seamlessly blend classic and modern styles. They also often prioritize sustainable tourism and environmentally conscious design.
___________________________________________
Key factors contributing to the popularity of high-end hotels include: Home-sharing platforms like Airbnb have grown rapidly over the past 15 years, challenging traditional hotels, leading hotel chains to develop products that connect guests more easily and offer similar experiences in a controlled environment.
Furthermore, to meet the needs of the new generation, millennial and Gen Z travelers have unique expectations and preferences. Hotel brands are adapting to meet these needs by offering unique experiences, flexible amenities, and a focus on community and authenticity.
Mr. Jesper Palmkwich, Senior Director of Asia Pacific at STR, a subsidiary of the global real estate data leader CoStar Group, revealed that the lifestyle hotel market in Thailand is growing rapidly, both in major cities and expanding into secondary cities in the provinces.
___________________________________________
The growth of lifestyle hotels is driven by both large hotel chains and the growing demand for them. With brands like W, Andaz, Kimpton, Canopy, The Standard, Indigo, ASAI, Capella, and independent hotels, it's clear that demand remains strong in this market.
For example, hotel groups like Accor, with its extensive portfolio of lifestyle hotels such as V Villas by M Gallery, and IHG, with several new hotels slated to open, as well as additional hotels under the The Standard brand, reflect the strength of this market in Thailand.
Overall, Thai hotels saw average occupancy at the end of 2023 at 95% of 2019, but significantly better performance than that year, driven by a 25% increase in average room rates (ADR). Increased revenue has led to improved profits, but costs, particularly labor costs, have also increased, putting pressure on cost control in 2024. ADR growth is expected to slow and stabilize in 2024.
Mid-range and budget hotels saw higher occupancy rates than in 2019, but room rate growth was relatively slow. Other hotel segments will lag behind luxury and upper-upscale hotels in terms of surpassing 2019 levels, but will catch up by the end of 2023, leading to a relatively balanced recovery in 2023.
CoStar expects that demand and occupancy rates in Bangkok will remain below their historical peaks for some time, but RevPAR remains positive due to high room rates, which are expected to be 18% higher than 2019 levels throughout 2024. Hotel advance booking figures for the first quarter of 2024 are similar to those in 2023, with Pattaya and the southern coastal resorts experiencing faster growth than last year.
___________________________________________
Thank you for the good information from Thansettakij.
The growth of lifestyle hotel brands worldwide has been evident in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade. Since the first W Hotels opened 25 years ago, the hotel industry has seen a rapid rise of high-end hotels in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, although some of these hotels are independent.
The main driver is international hotel chains, which are trying to expand their brand portfolios to meet the diverse needs of hotel owners and move away from relying solely on established brands.
The concept of "lifestyle" in the hotel industry is becoming increasingly popular. Lifestyle hotels can attract travelers of various generations, benefiting long-term potential.
___________________________________________
Having Children and the Price of Children
The reasons why many millennials are deciding not to have children or having children later than previous generations may stem from several factors, including increased effectiveness of birth control. Women have more options than they did 50 years ago, as they no longer have to focus on marriage and children to secure their lives. Furthermore, social conditions are less conducive to childbearing. As Christine Percheski, Associate Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, told Insider, people often delay having children during times of political and social unrest.
___________________________________________
The key service elements of lifestyle hotels focus on five main areas:
Localizes Experience
This aims to offer guests a unique experience in the neighborhood surrounding the hotel. Unconventional approaches are also emerging, such as staff eschewing traditional uniforms and embodying local expertise, offering advice on topics beyond the hotel's boundaries.
Extensive Food and Beverage
Due to the rapid pace of food and beverage trends, lifestyle hotels are prioritizing modern dietary choices and restrictions, such as offering a wide selection of vegetarian options.
Health and Well-Being
To cater to the active and health-conscious lifestyle, lifestyle hotels often create health, well-being, and fitness spaces that stand out from traditional hotels.
Smart Technology
Customers of lifestyle hotels expect their hotels to be equipped with cutting-edge technology. From room booking systems to in-room digital solutions,
Hotel Design Gains More Freedom
Lifestyle hotels often enjoy greater design freedom, offering unique, eye-catching, accessible accommodations that seamlessly blend classic and modern styles. They also often prioritize sustainable tourism and environmentally conscious design.
___________________________________________
Key factors contributing to the popularity of high-end hotels include: Home-sharing platforms like Airbnb have grown rapidly over the past 15 years, challenging traditional hotels, leading hotel chains to develop products that connect guests more easily and offer similar experiences in a controlled environment.
Furthermore, to meet the needs of the new generation, millennial and Gen Z travelers have unique expectations and preferences. Hotel brands are adapting to meet these needs by offering unique experiences, flexible amenities, and a focus on community and authenticity.
Mr. Jesper Palmkwich, Senior Director of Asia Pacific at STR, a subsidiary of the global real estate data leader CoStar Group, revealed that the lifestyle hotel market in Thailand is growing rapidly, both in major cities and expanding into secondary cities in the provinces.
___________________________________________
The growth of lifestyle hotels is driven by both large hotel chains and the growing demand for them. With brands like W, Andaz, Kimpton, Canopy, The Standard, Indigo, ASAI, Capella, and independent hotels, it's clear that demand remains strong in this market.
For example, hotel groups like Accor, with its extensive portfolio of lifestyle hotels such as V Villas by M Gallery, and IHG, with several new hotels slated to open, as well as additional hotels under the The Standard brand, reflect the strength of this market in Thailand.
Overall, Thai hotels saw average occupancy at the end of 2023 at 95% of 2019, but significantly better performance than that year, driven by a 25% increase in average room rates (ADR). Increased revenue has led to improved profits, but costs, particularly labor costs, have also increased, putting pressure on cost control in 2024. ADR growth is expected to slow and stabilize in 2024.
Mid-range and budget hotels saw higher occupancy rates than in 2019, but room rate growth was relatively slow. Other hotel segments will lag behind luxury and upper-upscale hotels in terms of surpassing 2019 levels, but will catch up by the end of 2023, leading to a relatively balanced recovery in 2023.
CoStar expects that demand and occupancy rates in Bangkok will remain below their historical peaks for some time, but RevPAR remains positive due to high room rates, which are expected to be 18% higher than 2019 levels throughout 2024. Hotel advance booking figures for the first quarter of 2024 are similar to those in 2023, with Pattaya and the southern coastal resorts experiencing faster growth than last year.
___________________________________________
Thank you for the good information from Thansettakij.
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