The Stay's The Thing

Lifestyle brands and independent hoteliers are vying for the business traveler’s heart.

- Aatishnath & Jerome Greer Chandler

On Sept. 21, 2018, AloftHotels crowned the winner of their Project: AloftStar Asia Pacific, a regional music competition. India’s Hanita Bhambri was the winner of the finals, held at the AloftSeoul Myeongdong with journalists, musicians and last year’s winner, the Korean artists SAAY, all in attendance.

Music and hospitality might not seem like the most immediate bedfellows, but in today’s competitive landscape, brands have to stay relevant by tapping into the interests of their customers. The tidal wave march of the Millennials continues, altering business travel as we’ve known it in their wake. It’s more than a mere matter of exchanging wingtips and high heels for Skechers, or single-malt Scotch for craft beer. The changes wrought by Millennial business travelers are spawning whole new segments of the hotel industry. Chain-affiliated lifestyle hotels began to proliferate several years ago, as hotel brands responded to changing tastes. Today, the landscape is loaded with trendy properties with even trendier names like Vib, Tru, Moxy and Andaz, each seeking to leverage its own unique brand proposition in an ever more crowded field.

In the case of the aforementioned Aloft, the brand is hanging its hat on music. As Shu Ping Liang, director of brand and marketing, Asia Pacific for Marriott says, “AloftHotels has always been the brand for music makers and music lovers, with our hotels around the world hosting regular Live At AloftHotels events which bring intimate, live music performances to guests and music-loving locals around the globe.”