Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2025
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Hotel operator Ascott gets set to respond to today’s travellers’ desire to build relationships with visitors from all over the world

The hospitality industry is expected to grow further as Covid-19 fades from memory, with people travelling to seek new experiences and friendship, executives from hotel operator Ascott told The Nation in an exclusive interview.

According to its hotel brand lyf, experience and community-driven travel are among the trends that will drive the tourism industry in 2025. Travellers now plan their travel for a particular moment, around something they want to eat or to build relationships with others.

The brand’s survey indicates that 89% of young adults see travel as an opportunity to form new friendships, while 72% of adults regard travel as a way to pursue their passionate moments.

Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

“Travellers are looking for very unique and personalised travel experiences,” said lyf partner Glenn Koh, “A lot of them are also focusing on cultural understanding of the country that they visit rather than just touching and going ahead.”

Koh noted that travellers want to immerse themselves in different experiences, explaining that the brand has collaborated with local partners to ensure that lyf Sukhumvit 8 in Bangkok offers an experience that visitors in Thailand’s capital should not miss.

This factor has pushed the hospitality industry to launch more lifestyle hotels to meet the demands of travellers, he added.

Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

The lyf Georgetown Penang was officially opened on Wednesday (January 15). This lifestyle hotel in the popular Malaysian seaside state highlights facilities which encourage friendships, such as co-working spaces and kitchens.

With 35 lifestyle hotels both existing and planned worldwide, lyf is planning to operate 150 hotels across the globe by 2030.

Mondi Mecja, country general manager of Ascott Malaysia, said hotel operators need to offer experiences that cater to the demand for social living, such as offering a kitchen where guests can cook food with others from different countries.

Apart from a room, a bed and a shower, it is important for hotel operators to offer experiences that make guests feel different from somebody else, he said.

Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

Malaysian tourism growth

Mecja expects further growth for the Malaysian hospitality sector, thanks to an influx of domestic and foreign tourists, including from Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

Though the Malaysian hospitality sector has only just recovered compared to pre-Covid-19 levels, Malaysian tourism is expected to gain positive sentiment from being the host of this year’s Asean Summit and for its visa-free scheme for Indian and Chinese tourists.

He noted that Malaysian tourism also gained positive sentiment from the recent case of Chinese actor Xingxing which had triggered concerns among Chinese netizens over safety in Thailand.

To boost confidence among Chinese travellers, the company has deployed associates who can speak Chinese to ensure smooth communication in its hotels, and boost its hotel brands’ presence on Chinese social media.

Mecja, however, pointed out that the Malaysian government’s plan to increase utility costs could affect the operation costs. Airbnb’s advantage over the hospitality business would affect the company’s revenue, as it has not been regulated in Malaysia yet, he added.

Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

Opportunities in Thailand

Ascott operates more than 20 properties in Bangkok and Chonburi, though lyf Sukhumvit 8 Bangkok is the only lifestyle hotel in Thailand. However, lyf confirmed that it plans more lifestyle hotels in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

“In Thailand, there's a lot of creativity and culture that is there to be explored,” said Law Zhe Wen, lyf’s partner in business development.

“What we hope is that lyf can serve as an accommodation option and so as the living choice when travellers travel to different cities in Thailand and really experience different cultures.”

Lifestyle hotels to capitalise on community-driven travel

He did not expect intense competition in Thailand’s hospitality industry to impact the brand’s expansion, confirming that it depends on communicating what the brand wants to do clearly.

“Thailand has so many challenges, but we see more opportunities,” he added.