WATG Publishes New White Paper “The Evolution of Lifestyle Select-Service Hotels”
WATG Strategy dives into the future of select-service hotels and their ability to withstand economic downturns
WATG has released a new white paper titled, "The Evolution of Lifestyle Select-Service Hotels". The paper explores the select-service hotel model, and its proven ability to withstand economic downturn, resulting in higher profit margins compared to their full-service counterparts. The design strategy around select-service hotels is to maximize space efficiency which results in a lean labor model.
WATG has released a new white paper titled, "The Evolution of Lifestyle Select-Service Hotels". The paper explores the select-service hotel model, and its proven ability to withstand economic downturn, resulting in higher profit margins compared to their full-service counterparts. The design strategy around select-service hotels is to maximize space efficiency which results in a lean labor model. The 14-page report dives into the differences between hotel models that straddle both lifestyle and select-service categories.
As hotels begin their long journey of post-pandemic recuperation, the operational efficiency mastered by select-service hotels takes first priority. Investors and developers will look towards this category for a few reasons; including a more efficient and lower-risk labor model, construction cost and time savings, resilience in economic downturn, a higher net revenue through direct booking, and eye-catching spaces that draw visitors in through the power of social media.
"The lucrative nature of lifestyle select-service hotels has raised standards and brought new players to the sector, making it fiercely competitive. Major players, in turn, are evolving their strategies to stay ahead," said Greg Villegas, AIA, NCARB, Vice President, at WATG Irvine. "Maintaining a balance between efficiency and high perception of value will be key as lifestyle select-service hotels navigate toward a new and more evolved normal in the post-pandemic world. Unlike luxury hotels where guests still may expect high-touch service, select-service hotels can lean more heavily on technology and robots to take on repetitive or tedious tasks, thereby freeing staff to provide guests with better service."
WATG Strategy, the advisory division of the global, multidisciplinary design firm, grounds every project in economic realities through detailed market research, industry trend monitoring, concept visioning and competitive positioning. WATG Strategy has vast experience, undertaking due diligence for developers and operators around the world. The extensive database of supply and market performance allows the division to equip developers with recommendations which optimize the financial viability of a given scheme.
About WATG and Wimberly Interiors
WATG is the preeminent leader in luxury hospitality design, creating bespoke, exhilarating destinations that push the boundaries of possibility. Pioneering hospitality design for over 80 years, the firm has been dedicated to crafting extraordinary experiences rooted in the core principles of hospitality, with long-term success built on considered vision, innovation, and an unrelenting respect for local cultures and their natural environments.
From nine offices across three continents, WATG designs landmark urban and leisure destinations in collaboration with the most prestigious hospitality brands in the world. The portfolio includes Nobu, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, Park Hyatt, Rosewood, Conrad, JW Marriott, Sofitel, Belmond, and Hyatt, with recent projects spanning Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, The Abu Dhabi EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl, JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, and the Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services across Advisory, Master Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design through Wimberly Interiors, with sub-sector expertise in luxury resorts, urban hotels, branded residential, gaming, refurbishment, renovation and repositioning, and F&B.
WATG's research-led Advisory practice delivers market-leading consulting, providing the link between visioning, concepting, and competitive positioning, all grounded in economic reality. The firm's Digital Practice sits at the forefront of technology within the architecture, design, and hospitality realm. BIM excellence is its cornerstone, complemented by an ongoing investment in data, AI and machine learning that allows design solutions to be delivered with an agile sensibility.
Recognition spans more than four decades, from the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for Tanjong Jara Resort in Malaysia to inclusion on Forbes' inaugural list of America's Top Hospitality Architects & Designers in 2026. WATG-designed properties feature prominently in the Michelin Key Hotels guide across the Americas, APAC, Europe and MENA, including three-Key recognition for Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Taj Falaknuma Palace. Further accolades include the 2023 Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards, AHEAD Global, Asia and Americas, Prix Versailles, the World Architecture Festival, Travel + Leisure's 100 Best New Hotels, TIME Magazine's World's Greatest Places 2024 (Omni Homestead Resort & Spa), and Hospitality Design Magazine.
For more information please visit watg.com.
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