In the global hotel landscape, large hotel groups often control numerous brands ranging from budget to super high-end. But lately hospitality giants have been creating new brands that target a specific group: design-minded, experience-hungry young sophisticates. These are brands we’re most excited about.
Edition
He was behind legendary New York nightclub Studio 54 and credited with first introducing the boutique hotel concept – so you just know Ian Schrager’s latest hotel venture will be inspired. The brand is Edition, which Schrager created with Marriott International, and stands out for its blend of boutique high style with big-name luxury. There are five Edition hotels so far but each has made a splash on the global design scene. Asia is home to the Sanya Edition, which occupies 50 beachfront acres of Hainan and features futuristic, neutral interiors, but will be joined by Shanghai, Wuhan and Bali properties in coming years. editionhotels.com
Cordis
To get to the heart of Hong Kong, you’d do well to head to Mong Kok. It’s no wonder that the bustling, sensory-loaded district is where Langham Hospitality Group launched its first spinoff brand, Cordis – which means ‘heart’ in Latin. To draw in luxury-seeking millennials (now mostly in their 20s and early 30s), Cordis seeks to offer personalised and efficient services, helpful technology, sophisticated-but-not-stuffy design and a focus on authentic experiences. And its Mong Kok-based hotel fits the bill, its locale offering an exciting change from traditional Langham addresses like Tsim Sha Tsui district and London’s Regent Street. In May, the second Cordis hotel opened in Shanghai’s Hongqiao district, with Auckland, Bali, Colombo and more Chinese mainland properties all in the works. cordishotels.com
Andaz
This Hyatt brand takes its name from the Hindi word for ‘personal style’ and has quickly found a hipster following. Already found in Asia, Europe and the Americas, the Andaz brand firmly defined its identity when it opened on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 2009 in the building once called Riot House, where rock stars partied between shows. Today, under the Andaz brand, it draws the cool crowd with its sophisticated lobby bar and Los Angeles’ highest rooftop pool. Although clearly geared towards a youthful, independent-minded demographic, Andaz is also about luxury. Case in point is the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, on the top six floors of an ultramodern 52-storey skyscraper. andaz.hyatt.com
Niccolo
Are you a ‘discoverer’? Then maybe Niccolo hotels are for you. That’s how Wharf Hotels – which also owns Marco Polo Hotels – describes its upscale, urban chic spinoff brand’s clientele. Niccolo is focused on the Chinese market for now, with the first hotel opening two years ago in Chengdu at the high-end mall International Finance Square. Its 228 guest rooms are minimalist and very photogenic – a far cry from the business aesthetic of the Marco Polo brand. Hong Kong now awaits Niccolo’s second property, to be housed in The Murray, a revamped 1960s building in Central district. Expected to open in late 2017, it is currently receiving architectural and interior updates by star architect Norman Foster. marcopolohotels.com
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