Lifestyle hotels: not just a buzzword

In this article, John Russell of NYLO Hotels says:

Travelers are tired of cookie-cutter hotels.
They want something that’s beautifully designed and unique
with all the comforts of home. Lifestyle hotels put the fun back
in travel, and they do it at nightly rates that greatly appeal to
today’s cost-conscious travelers. I see continued growth for the
segment with a lot of exciting new designs and rich lifestyle
amenities that make luxury affordable. Lifestyle hotels will
become the next generation hotel of choice.

What do you think? The article's author, Fran Kiradjian, founder of the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association, stands 100% by this claim and offers lots of evidence, including the launch of three boutique brands this year alone.

California's hotel market - boom or bust?

Chip Conley is the founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hotels (often just called JDV), California's largest boutique hotel collection.

Closely dependent on the state's economic health, how will JDV fare now that California has hit on hard times?

Chip's article in The Hotel Yearbook is surprisingly upbeat. (Then again, maybe that's not very surprising...) Among other points he makes, he believes that in the current recesson, if consumers are staying a little closer to home, "I'd rather be a California hotelier than a Hawaii hotelier." Makes sense to me!

What do you think? Any California hoteliers out there who care to comment? How (and when) do you see the recovery coming about?