How extended stay is maturing

News stories from this past week demonstrate how the extended stay and serviced apartment sector is rapidly diversifying, with operators and franchisors tailoring products and offerings to meet owner demands and guest profiles. As a result, the sector is maturing across every tier of the market. 

At the conversion and midscale level, My Place Hotels’ relaunch of Trend reflects a growing demand for flexible expansion strategies. Conversions represent a fast path to growth while also providing independent owners and operators with the commercial muscle of major brands. 

Trend also widens My Place’s extended stay footprint, introducing a three-tiered platform (Trend Hotels, Trend Hotels & Suites, and Trend Inns & Suites) spanning select-service, blended extended stay, and midscale assets. For parent company The Rivett Organization, this marks a clear pivot – prioritising conversions over ground-up development, and opening up its commercial engine to a broader pool of owners that are all faced with rising operational costs. 

Meanwhile, macroeconomic pressures and geopolitical headwinds may have temporarily pushed ESG off the main stage, but practical solutions are emerging. Hilton’s Clean Energy Prototype for Home2 Suites is designed to slash annual utility expenses by up to 40 per cent and cut operational carbon emissions by 440 metric tons per property. At a time when owners are laser focused on protecting NOI, Hilton’s prototype can help to hedge against rising energy costs and asset depreciation.

Finally, at the top end of the spectrum, Frasers Hospitality’s launch of Fraser Suites Reserve, set to debut in Bangkok this December, will cater to high-net-worth individuals and long-stay travellers. Wellbeing is a central pillar of the new brand, integrating Frasers’ global Wellness Edit programme alongside specialised treatments at the Bangkok property such as flotation tanks and red-light therapy. It shows how the upper traveller segment is evolving, and how living environments must be re-engineered to capture such demand. 

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