The last several years have brought about a renewed sense of vigor to the lodging industry. Coming of age Millennials, social media distribution networks and lodging sharing channels have all forced change to long-standing industry mainstays. Today’s business and leisure travelers are more educated, cost conscious and experience focused than ever before, and the U.S. lodging industry is increasingly shifting to target these dynamic travelers with new and stimulating products and concepts.
Unlike the U.S., the European lodging industry is highly fragmented with chain-affiliated hotels accounting for only 40% of the total rooms supply. As a result, European hoteliers have the independence and flexibility to create concepts that redefine the business and art of hospitality. Brands like CitizenM, Generator and Mama Shelter are already cashing in on U.S. demand for their concepts, but there is a lot more going on across Europe.
To explore these concepts first hand, I strapped on a backpack and head out to four European cities, scouting out the continent’s most exciting and innovative emerging hotel concepts that U.S. hoteliers should look out for. The journey starts in Berlin.
The Michelberger – A brand of one
Properties: 1
Property size: 113 rooms
Occupancy/ADR: N/A
Trip Advisor Rating: 45/663 hotel in Berlin
Since the fall of the wall, Berlin has reclaimed its reputation as a mecca for artists, hipster and partygoers, and with a low white collar to creative ratio, Berlin has a seriously high cool factor. Find your way past the train tracks, run-down factories and graffiti covered everything and you may stumble into the licentious neighborhood of Friedrichshain. At its epicenter stands The Michelberger hotel.
I walk into the hotel at 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon to find it packed with locals and guests sipping coffee and getting started on rounds of specialty house cocktails. The crowd is sporting the beard, tattoo and no-make up look, so it’s not immediately clear who is a guest and who is at work. I’m immediately worried that my Osprey bag is exuding the college backpacker vibe. Thankfully it’s been at least a week since my last shave.
The Michelberger staff would never describe the hotel as “hipster,” but instead as simple, unpretentious and in constant evolution. TVs throughout the corridors stream ‘The Big Lebowski’ 24/7 and the bar pours The Michelberger’s own Fountain of Youth coconut water and Michelberger Schnapps because, well, why not?
The property very much reflects the unrefined Friedrichshain and the full-time, five-person design team maintains the character and charm that has made it the neighborhood’s centerpiece. The corridors are dark and seemingly unfinished and rooms are equipped with loft beds and simple but comfortable furnishing. A handful of rooms like the Gold Room and Mexican Room have completely over the top themes, all DIY (do it yourself) style.
The Michelberger is a passion project, but a very profitable one (a room here can set you back anywhere from €60 to €300, that is if one is available).
Staying true to its vision, the brand intends to be a brand of one property (cue investor eye-rolls). The validity in this argument is that all too often, cool and inspirational brands lose the “it” factor because of institutional pressure and short-sighted investors. Brands like The Michelberger are right to hold course on a vision, but vision should ultimately guide growth, not hinder growth.
Contributed by Jorgan von Stiening, who works in a hotel development and branding consulting practice in New York.