HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
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Soft Brands, Strong Appeal: How Hotels are Blending Identity and Experience

By Michael Hunter National Practice Leader, IRR-Hotels, Integra Realty Resources | June 2025

Even for a hospitality professional, it can be difficult to distinguish between hotel flags in 2025. Soft brands, which generally debuted in the late-2000s and took off in the 2010s, only add to the confusion. These properties, which allow independent hotels to affiliate with major chains, have become very popular with owners and travelers alike. A quick dive into this subset of the industry reveals their appeal for guests, as well as some potential challenges for owners.

The Collections: A Primer

Starting with the launch of the Ascend Hotel Collection by Choice in 2008, most parent hotel companies now have soft brands within their portfolios. Marriott features the Autograph Collection (launched 2010, 154 U.S. locations), Tribute Portfolio (2015, 87 U.S. locations), and the Luxury Collection (20 U.S. locations). Hilton features the Curio Collection (2014, 90 U.S. locations), Tapestry Collection (2017, 143 U.S. locations), and LXR Hotels & Resorts (7 U.S. locations). Other collections include those by Hyatt (Unbound, 2016, 20 U.S. locations and Destination, 18 U.S. locations), Best Western (Premier, 2014, 27 U.S. locations), IHG (voco, 2018, 18 U.S. locations), and Wyndham (Trademark, 2017, 120 U.S. locations), among others.

The typical naming convention is “independent name, location, collection” (such as The Art Hotel Denver, Curio Collection or The Seahaus Hotel Atlantic City, Tribute Portfolio). Differentiating between the collections is difficult for consumers; each company makes its own classification determinations. For Hilton, both Curio and Tapestry are upper upscale chain scale, with Tapestry usually at a lower price point and available in smaller markets. Soft brand properties always have a brand website and may also have an independent site, though online bookings will always direct to the brand.

The soft brand collections are perhaps best summarized by the tagline for the Autograph Collection; “Exactly Like Nothing Else”.

The Attraction: A Sense of Place

For many travelers, most trips begin with a visit to brand.com. When booking corporate travel or an interstate stop on the way to an eventual destination, a favorite major flag is usually the choice. These brands deliver consistency, standard amenities, and affordability for to-the-point stays, with the hotel in Centerville, Ohio often indistinguishable from the one in Centerville, Georgia.

With soft brands, the same visit to brand.com reveals additional offerings. Independently named hotels that would otherwise only be discovered through local knowledge or extensive research on OTAs are now easy to book on a familiar platform.

Most importantly, soft brands elevate a sense of place. Feeling connected - like a local – and the ability to seek out new adventures are available alongside the quality and service expected from major chains. The collections accomplish this through common themes, including:

History: Reimagining lodging of significance to prior generations, often with architectural charm
Location: For ownership groups and parent companies, allowing accessibility to high barrier-to-entry markets
Proximity: For guests, walkability to main attractions and services, embedded in local culture
Amenities: Unique on-property experiences, local food and beverage offerings, art and design flexibility

These themes help soft brand hotels reach demographics that may be attracted to short-term rentals for their similar characteristics. Booking a short-term rental in a downtown apartment building loses appeal when the hotel next door has a comparable façade and blends in with the surrounding neighborhood. While pricing may cause initial hesitation, transitioning to hotels through soft brands can introduce travelers to loyalty programs of major chains and allow them to discover the check-in/check-out and service benefits of hotels.

From an ownership perspective, the attraction also extends to weathering market downturns. While there is a cost of affiliation, the belief is that resulting occupancy will be higher and less susceptible to major dips.

The Examples: Personal Encounters

Trips to opposite coasts highlight personal occurrences of booking and staying in soft branded hotels.

1. Upstate New York

Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection in idyllic Saranac Lake, New York was a stop along a fall journey through New England. Nestled in the Adirondack Mountains near Lake Placid, the historic hotel originally opened in 1927 and reopened under the current iteration in 2018. It features a Great Hall public space with a bar nodding to the speakeasies of the 1920s and a veranda overlooking Main Street. We enjoyed walking to a local breakfast spot in the morning before a quick hike up Baker Mountain.

Hotel Canandaigua, Tapestry Collection is along the north shore of Canandaigua Lake, one of the famed Finger Lakes in the region between Rochester and Syracuse. We were a couple with a newborn, and also brought along our canine companion, shortly after the new-build hotel opened in 2023. The property features beautiful waterfront views and was next to a public park with walkability to breweries, restaurants, and downtown Canandaigua.

Both areas are relatively remote with primary options being independent properties or short-term rentals. Finding it difficult to sort through those myriad choices, and having never been to either area, the lodging search was simplified through the soft brand affiliations with major chains.

2. Pacific Northwest

The Sound Hotel Seattle, Tapestry Collection opened in 2019 on the lower floors of a tower in downtown Seattle’s vibrant Belltown neighborhood. The location allows for a short walk to the waterfront and Pike Place Market as well as corporate offices, with an excellent view of the Space Needle from a rooftop lounge. Artistic elements abound on the interior and a street level passerby could mistake the modern exterior for new apartments or condos. We particularly enjoyed our unit’s large window views of downtown and spacious bathroom.

One state to the south and within the same trip was a stay at The Holman Riverfront Park Hotel Salem, Tapestry Collection. The property opened in 2023 on a historic site downtown within proximity to the convention center and Oregon State Capitol. Rooms feature expansive balconies overlooking Riverfront Park and the Willamette River. There were several branded hotels a few miles to the east along Interstate 5, but for a small premium we secured distinctive and modern accommodations and the opportunity to experience the heart of a new city.

Four Hilton properties; all so different but all offering memorable lodging, local food and beverage options, and a sense of place. The one to three-night stays were perfect for these particular trips. Visits to soft brand properties within Marriott, Wyndham, and other collections during my time as an appraiser have revealed similar features.

The Players: Insights from Soft Brand Professionals

Matt Smith, General Manager of The Holman Riverfront Park Hotel Salem, Tapestry Collection, shared his inside knowledge of operating a soft brand hotel.

“It is about telling a story,” Mr. Smith said. “We have a unique ability to be creative in design, including with artwork and furniture, but also through our culture which can be tailored through leadership and management. Front desk and other staff have the freedom to be themselves rather than scripted in greeting guests. Our values are exhibited through the history and character of the site but mostly in the genuine nature of our staff and overall lodging experience. This comes through to guests in a big way.”

Mr. Smith said they receive broad support from Hilton from an operational standpoint. The PIP cycle is the same, but with more design and purchasing flexibility. Approximately 75% of guests are Hilton Honors members, with most booking direct. He estimated that their customer profile skews slightly younger (35 to 45 age range mentioned). Group and family demand can be lost due to extra complexities (no free parking, breakfast or pool). There is only one Hilton sign in the lobby, and most guests don’t yet fully understand the newer soft brand classification. They do, however, appreciate the hotel’s features and loyalty benefits.

Another GM of a soft brand hotel echoed many of Mr. Smith’s thoughts, highlighting less regular brand involvement but mostly direct bookings. While soft brand properties seem to offer higher quality F&B options with a greater, localized focus, he said they still struggle with many of the same categorical challenges as other full-service hotels.

Joshua King, Director of Sales for Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection, said he loves hearing from guests about the historic hotel’s “wow look and feel” upon entering. Their typical guests skew slightly older and enjoy the construction detail as well as the story of the new designers seeking out original photographs for the renovation. Greater than 50% typically book direct through Hilton.

An executive of a private investment firm that operates multiple soft brand hotels also commented, revealing some challenges in the space. “Some collections are great, we like Autograph, others not so much. Overall, it is a terrific concept but over time brands can become too hands-on. The first few years of an extended franchise agreement are outstanding, the remaining decade plus is not. Brand-owner relationships are becoming too difficult. We are focused on real estate first which oftentimes leads to independence being the preferred route.”

Along those lines, he feels brands have become more lenient in letting properties into the system to continue growth and cater to public stakeholders rather than existing owners.

The Verdict: A Winning Formula

Individually vibrant. Uniquely positioned. Thoughtfully curated. Distinctively independent. Stay like a local. Handpicked for you. One-of-a-kind stories to share.

All are current descriptions found on soft brand websites.

Certain consumers have come to think of hotels as bland, corporately owned boxes at interstate exits or next to airports. While most ownership groups are small businesses, the other stereotypes are sometimes true. Soft brands help to bridge the gap to hotels for those consumers at a time when they have more lodging options than ever. Short-term rentals may work best for a large group or an extended stay in a particular destination. But for many trips, soft brands offer the authentic experience desired alongside hotel convenience and assurance. The category has undergone rapid growth since introduction and is rewriting travel in real time.

Mr. Hunter

Michael P. Hunter, MAI, is a seasoned commercial real estate professional and Director at Integra Realty Resources' Columbus office, where he also serves as the National Practice Leader for the company's Hotel and Hospitality Specialty Practice Group. With nearly 15 years at Integra, Mr. Hunter brings substantial expertise in the valuation and advisory of hotel assets, overseeing all hospitality-related assignments throughout Ohio. He has completed more than 1,000 commercial real estate appraisals, including more than 250 hotel projects in the past five years. Mr. Hunter's work supports acquisition, financing, equity participation, due diligence, and real estate tax assessments, where he often serves as an expert witness. A Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI) and a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, his specialized insight spans all major property types, with a strong focus on hospitality. Extended Biography & Contact Information

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Payment for the services provided to you in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive may be made by automatic credit card, debit card, direct debit, bankwire or Paypal and other approved payment means offered in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive, and you hereby authorize HotelExecutive and its agents to transact such payments on your behalf.

You hereby authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card to pay for your membership to HotelExecutive. You further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card for any and all purchases of products, services in association with HotelExecutive. You agree to be personally liable for all charges incurred by you in association with your access or other use of any content provided by HotelExecutive or any third party in association with HotelExecutive. You acknowledge and agree that your liability for all such charges shall continue after termination of your access or any type of membership arrangement with HotelExecutive.

In the event that you have chosen to have your membership automatically rebilled, unless and until you notify HotelExecutive that you wish to cancel or terminate your membership to HotelExecutive, you hereby agree and authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to automatically renew your membership to HotelExecutive on a continuing basis and to charge your credit card (or other payment means you have selected) to pay for the ongoing cost of your membership. You hereby further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card (or other approved payment means you have selected) for any and all purchases of products, services and entertainment provided to in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive.

13. PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the Privacy Policy for HotelExecutive

We can be reached via telephone, email, or online at our contact page. When you visit our site we do not log any information regarding your domain or email address. Information Sharing: We do not share user information with any third parties other than via press release distribution as described below.

Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.