You may have noticed the terms ‘hybrid hospitality’ and ‘hybrid hotel’ growing in popularity in recent months, but what is a hybrid hotel brand?
While people have long used hotel bars and lobbies for socialising and working, the new wave of hybrid hotels blend coliving, coworking and shared social spaces.
Below, we have listed 12 innovative hybrid hotel brands who are leading the way in this space.
LOCKE HOTELS
Design-focused brand Locke Hotels ‘blends the traditional aparthotel format with the design, F&B and programming of a boutique lifestyle hotel’.
Created for those who have a penchant for luxury but are still budget-conscious, travellers can bag an apartment for as little as £75 per night. Combining the comfort home with modern interiors, each apartment offers a fully-fitted kitchen and slick living space.
As a hybrid brand, Locke Hotels’ spaces go far beyond the typical hotel lobby. Some on-site highlights include flexible co-working spaces, microbreweries, yoga studios and rooftop cocktail bars. Each site also boasts a locally-inspired cultural programme of events and a team of in-the-know ‘House Hosts’ who are on hand to share their top tips for exploring the local area.
Owned by the Edyn group, the pioneering hospitality group currently has five UK properties in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. They have also announced plans to open sites in cities including Dublin, Berlin, Lisbon, Munich, Cambridge and Copenhagen over the next few years.
CURIOCITY
This trailblazing brand’s story began in 2013 with the opening of CURIOCITY Backpackers – Johannesburg’s first inner-city hostel (and the place where the idea for Stay the Night was born). Three years later, they transformed a 1930s landmark heritage building in Durban into a luxury design hostel.
Since then, CURIOCITY have continued to lead the way and evolved into the continent’s first hybrid hospitality brand, opening the doors to their hybrid hotel in Cape Town just last year. This new product offers luxury private rooms alongside shared suites designed to cater to the modern traveller. Set in a modernist three-storey building in the heart of the city’s Green Point neighbourhood, the site also boasts shared social spaces including an onsite cafe-restaurant, pool and lounge spaces.
CURIOCITY’s continued mission is to create spaces where people can connect with each other and with their destination. Well curated activities and experiences are offered at each site to help guests go beyond the guidebooks and uncover the real story at the heart of each city. From artwork to furnishings, the decor and design found at each site is inspired by that particular city’s culture and reflects the brand’s signature style.
Looking to the future, CURIOCITY has big plans to expand both within the South African landscape and across the wider African continent. CEO and Founder Bheki Dube has also created a hospitality fund – compound collective – which will help black newcomers enter the industry and create great products.
YUST
YUST provide the ultimate space to stay, work and play, offering rooms for both short and long stays along with a stylish rooftop bar, restaurant and co-working facilities onsite.
Located in one of Antwerp’s most creative neighbourhoods, its flexible coliving facilities offer residents the privacy and comfort of a modern apartment, with stays available from one month to one year. There is also private rooms and slick dorms (including female-only options) for short stays. All guests have access to shared communal spaces – with effortlessly cool design – where they can meet like-minded people and become part of the ever-growing YUST community.
As well as this focus on community, YUST also prides itself on the quality of its food and beverage offering which places an emphasis on sustainability and organic produce. Open to guests as well as the public, its popular rooftop bar and restaurant boasts unique views of the city. Definitely an Instagrammer’s dream.
In line with its aim to become a leading international hospitality brand, YUST have plans to open in Liege in 2021 and Brussels in 2022. Watch this space.
THE HOXTON
The Hoxton is a series of open-house hotels with infamous lobbies that are loved by locals and guests alike.
Back in 2006, they converted a car park into their flagship hotel in London’s Shoreditch. They haven’t looked back since and now boast several locations across Europe and in the USA. The brand has become so distinctive, we think you could walk through their doors anywhere in the world and know you’re in a Hoxton (without checking the sign above the door).
From the rooms themselves to the shared social spaces, the decor is vibrant, cosy and welcoming. When it comes to F&B, The Hoxton’s bars and restaurants are destinations in themselves, covering everything from a panoramic seafood spot to discrete speakeasies.
And if you’re a remote worker who lives in a city with a Hoxton, chances are you have set up shop in one of their lobbies to work for the day (we know we certainly have!). Here in London, you can now go one step further and join Working From_, their brand new coworking space in Southwark.
FREEHAND
Freehand is a ‘collection of hotels that combine the social culture of a hostel with innovative design, award-winning food and beverage, and a community-driven atmosphere’. They offer guests the ultimate luxury on a budget experience, creating a welcoming and lively vibe for people to come together, connect and kick back.
With sites in US cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago, each of their spaces is inspired by the surrounding neighbourhood. They offer a mix of private rooms and dorms, all designed with comfort in mind.
Each site also boasts a range of high-quality dining options and ‘Broken Shaker’ bars staffed by mixologists creating world-class cocktails.
The brand was acquired for $400 million by Queensgate Investments in 2019 and merged with leading hostel chain Generator.
LONG STORY SHORT
Located in the historical centre of Olomouc, Long Story Short targets guests who are ‘looking for a break from the ordinary’.
Housed in a 17th-century horseshoe-shaped fortress, it is one of the Czech Republic’s most innovative hybrids. Roll up at their doorstep and you will find a luxury hostel, cafe and bar, restaurant and meeting spaces. During the summer months, their stunning terrace plays host to a weekly programme of events which are popular with both locals and visitors.
The award-winning contemporary design of Long Story Short has caught many people’s attention and it’s easy to see why. Perhaps the stand out is the private room, ‘The Big One’, which has a freestanding bathtub, king-size bed and heated floors.
And there’s exciting growth on the horizon – the newest addition to the Long Story Short family will be a café and wine bar which is opening at Museum of Art in Olomouc this week.
CONSCIOUS HOTELS
Conscious Hotels are a sustainable hotel chain with four hotels across Amsterdam. In prime locations, they offer the ideal spots for guests to drop their bags off and quickly head out to experience the capital.
With Instagrammable interiors, cheeky notes dotted around their spaces and relaxed vibes at each of their sites, Conscious is designed for the modern traveller. In a bid to create a social atmosphere which makes it easy for guests to meet and connect, they even offer a ‘free wine hour’ at 6pm on a daily basis at each of their sites. Sustainability is also at the heart of everything the brand does – in fact, Conscious Hotel Westerpark is 100% electric and solely powered by Dutch wind energy.
The brand also has two restaurants, Bar Kantoor and Moer, a Conscious Café and a coffee bar with delicious sweets called Sticky Fingers.
SIR HOTELS
Sir Hotels is a boutique hotel brand, designed for those seeking authentic experiences in unique locations.
Founded in 2013 with the opening of Sir Albert in Amsterdam, Sir now has five hotels in total, with sites in Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg and Ibiza. From relaxing at their onsite spa to catching up over dinner and cocktails at their rooftop bar and restaurant, Sir’s sites have something for everyone – as all great hybrids do.
For those who are seeking a change of scenery, both Amsterdam sites have stylish workspaces with private offices and coworking spaces available. With great views of the city, floor-to-ceiling windows, a fully stocked minibar and a personal assistant on call, Sir’s work facilities are ideal spots to get work done.
Sir Hotels are created and managed by the award-winning Amsterdam-based hotel development and management company, Sircle Collection.
25HOURS HOTELS
25hours Hotels are a German boutique chain with 13 hotels across nine cities. Their vibrant social spaces, playful decor and slick restaurants appeal to modern jetsetters looking for ‘easy, smart luxury’.
Their motto is ‘you know one, you know none’ which speaks to the unique features of each hotel. To differentiate each new property from its predecessor, a story is invented for each site which forms the basis of the design narrative. For example, the story chosen for the new Florence location is Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.
From rooftop saunas to lobby robots and even a (soon to be opened) drive-in desert cinema, it’s safe to say this brand is anything but conventional. Each hotel also has its own shop selling selected items to match the brand, so guests can take home gifts and souvenirs they will love.
25hours plan to open three to four new sites a year – after Florence, Dubai and Copenhagen are next on the agenda.
RUBY HOTELS
Ruby Hotels are a growing hybrid brand with sites in European cities including Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London, Munich and Vienna.
Adopting a lean luxury philosophy, Ruby create contemporary spaces for modern yet budget-conscious guests. They are able to offer affordable prices by “cutting out the superfluous and focusing on the essential”. Each hotel offers design-focused social areas which are ideal for catching up over coffee, chatting with new people and chilling out after a day of exploring.
At each of their German sites, Ruby combines their hotels with Ruby Workspaces. These coworking spaces are the ideal spots for people to work, meet like-minded people and become part of an inspiring working community.
Over the next year, they are set to open in cities including Frankfurt, Cologne, Helsinki and Zurich.
QBIC HOTELS
Qbic Hotels describes themselves as offering a ‘revolutionary hotel experience…built around the modern day explorer’.
With sites in London, Brussels and Amsterdam, Qbic is a small but rapidly growing hybrid hotel brand which is dedicated to sustainability. Dubbed as the ‘greenest’ hotels in the cities they are located, every decision – from solar panels to chemical-free cleaning products – is made considering the impact their sites have on the environment around them. They have even become the first hotel in the world to achieve B Corp status, joining ‘leaders of a global movement of people who are using business as a force for good’.
Creating a new kind of affordable when it comes to urban hotels, Qbic offers design-focused ‘crash pad’ rooms and quirkily designed social spaces to work (and play). Their modern restaurant and bar facilities are popular with those looking to enjoy quality food and drink and hang out with friends. The brand also offers meeting room facilities for businesses, so guests can go from boardroom to bar in no time.
Qbic Manchester is next up in their plans – it is set to open in early 2021.
SELINA
Selina is a hugely successful global chain which originated in Latin America back in 2014. Their model broke new ground in the industry and rapid expansion followed – you can now find a Selina in more than 70 destinations worldwide.
From buzzing global cities to remote jungle locations, their sites are created to cater to today’s nomadic travellers who are always on the move. They are a true hybrid brand – combining beautifully designed accommodation with coworking spaces, wellness experiences and local adventures.
Last year, Selina bagged a £80m finance deal to fund its expansion across Europe and has recently opened a new site on Brighton’s seafront promenade. This adds to its existing portfolio of UK properties in Manchester and Birmingham, with London up next on the list.
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From hybrid hospitality brands to design hostels and coliving spaces, our clients create spaces that connect like-minded people through shared experiences.
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DOWNLOAD OUR WHITE PAPER – THE FUTURE OF HOSPITALITY: WHY 2021 IS THE YEAR OF THE HYBRID
Looking forward to 2021, the lines between where we live, work, and play are blurring faster than ever before. As people demand more from the hospitality experience, hybrids are in a strong position to meet this new consumer where they are. In this white paper, we share our 6 predictions on why 2021 will be the year of the hybrid. We also have interviews with leaders in this space who share their insights on the future of the industry.
