[ad_1]
Lifestyle hotels continue to be a must-have for the hospitality industry.
Ennismore, a collection of lifestyle hotel brands in which Accor is a majority shareholder, will partner with “culture-defining” resort brand Our Habitus. The new agreement means Ennismore will be responsible for the management and growth of the Our Habitus brand going forward.
Our Habitus currently operates 10 luxury lifestyle resorts in locations including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Chile and Namibia, with many of the brand’s future hotel plans in Saudi Arabia and Asia, according to a statement from Ennismore and Our Habitus.
“Habitas has created a unique niche in luxury hospitality, offering an incredible destination for passionate travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime adventures filled with unforgettable memories and unexpected discoveries,” Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin, who also serves as Ennismore’s executive chairman, said in a statement.
“Its clever positioning makes it a perfect fit for our Ennismore cohort and a natural fit with our bespoke approach to lifestyle and hospitality,” continued Bazin. “We are also excited to be joining forces with experienced investors who are key and long-standing partners to Accor and Ennismore and who are eager to accelerate the growth of Our Habitus over the coming years.”
For those unfamiliar with Our Habitas, the brand is focused on “experiential luxury,” with properties that incorporate themes of community service, art, wellness, food, adventure and learning. Oliver Ripley, co-founder and CEO of Our Habitas, will continue to oversee the creative vision of the brand.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers and get the latest news, in-depth guides, and exclusive deals from TPG experts
No longer the only player in lifestyle hotels
This brand expansion puts Ennismore at an interesting crossroads: The Lifestyle Hotel Collective was arguably the lead mover for major brands entering this sector of the hospitality market. Speaking at the New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference earlier this month, Bazin said that while lifestyle hotels make up less than 20% of Accor’s total rooms, they account for 45% of its growth.
However, competitors from Accor and Ennismore are also entering this market segment and appear to be moving at a fairly fast pace.
Ennismore opens dozens of hotels each year, and Hilton said this month it will open 100 lifestyle hotels in 2024 alone, with a goal of doubling its total number of lifestyle hotels to 700 by 2028. Marriott’s lifestyle brands, which include W Hotels, EDITION and Autograph Collection, are among the best-known in the industry. Overall, Ennismore has more than 100 hotels in its development pipeline, the company said.
Even smaller brands seem to be making inroads in Ennismore’s portfolio from time to time: Virgin Hotels is set to take over the Mondrian London Shoreditch later this year, marking the second Mondrian closure in London in the last five years.
This seems particularly damaging as Accor was positioning the hotel as the brand’s European flagship when it opened in 2021.
Adding a brand like Our Habitas is certainly one way for Ennismore to grow, but maintaining its existing portfolio and protecting it from competitors is also essential to its continued success and to keeping travelers loyal to its lifestyle ecosystem.
Related article:
[ad_2]
Source link