Solving for Brand

A perspective-based recap of Festival of Hospitality’s To Brand or Not to Brand? speaker series. Written by Kaitlyn Skov, STUDIO SKOV

In hospitality development, few decisions have a greater impact on success than brand.

Whether aligning with a global player, partnering with a pioneer or forging an original identity, every project begins with the same critical question: What brand path will maximise long-term value?

In the recent Festival of Hospitality series, To Brand or Not to Brand?, James Clarke (Crosstree Real Estate Partners), Alex Slors (Alex Slors Consulting), Timothy Griffin (Leven / Wellbrook Hospitality) and Jeremy Cooper (Sydell Group) joined us in the historic walls of NoMad London’s magistrates ballroom to explore this key question. Offering sharp takes from brand, development and owner-operator positions, the session unpacked the nuanced process and realities behind successful brand strategy and selection.

Maximising Value

Brand is one of the most consequential and strategic choices in a hotel’s journey – shaping everything from investor returns and operating models to guest experience and market differentiation.

Brand selection isn’t a tick-box exercise; it’s a critical process of evaluation and alignment between brand, opportunity and ownership priorities. “What's driving the business plan? What's the aspiration from the brand, from the owner? Without these answers, you can’t make informed decisions to get to the right solution”, James stressed. Brand can’t be evaluated in isolation. We have to consider it within the broader context of the market, asset, operations and owner objectives to hit the mark from day one.

Brand is a two-sided value engine: delivering compelling, emotionally resonant experiences for guests while driving healthy bottom lines and brand equity for owners. As both Alex and Jeremy underscored, “brand loyalty is a key driver of value and the ‘currency’ CEOs speak about when talking about their EBITDA”. When navigated strategically, brand doesn’t just align with project priorities – it can unlock and maximise long-term value (and success).

Choosing a Path

Navigating today’s dense and evolving brand landscape is no easy task, even for the most seasoned developers. To frame the conversation, the panel discussed three core brand paths – Global Brand Flag, Pioneer Brand Partnerships and Ground-Up Brand Development – examining the distinct opportunities and challenges of each.

— Global Brand Flags

Tried and true, global brand chains like Marriott, IHG and Accor, can bring the robust guest pipeline, sophisticated structure and systems that many owners crave. Additionally, these groups “offer deep market knowledge and operational expertise through their teams, adding an extra layer of confidence and security to the equation”, Jeremy shared in reflection on Sydell’s new partnership with Hilton on NoMad Hotels.

However, as a trade-off, these big brands often come with long-term commitments and greater constraints to creativity and contract terms, making it difficult to stand out or right-size the brand product to the specific opportunity and owner priorities.

Yet even when the trade-offs are accepted, placing a big brand above the door is no guarantee of success. “There’s a saturation point for brands… Opening a hotel in Africa or South America is completely different from opening one in London.” says Alex, pointing out that in highly developed, brand-dense markets like London, a global flag may carry less weight – offering limited differentiation compared to less mature markets, where brand presence can provide much-needed security and risk control.

— Ground-Up Brand Development

At the other end of the spectrum, building a brand from scratch offers complete control – enabling teams to shape their brand to the specific circumstances of the market, asset and guest, while honouring vision and owner priorities. For unconventional assets or niche market opportunities, this path opens the door to innovate, differentiate and craft experiences that are truly distinct, capturing value in ways traditional brands often can’t.

From his experience building, and now managing the Leven brand, Timothy shed light on the value of this flexibility: “Creating a new brand brings a lot of energy. It creates a story for guests to engage with… Gen X through Z consumers are looking for brands that have a voice, stand for something and reflect their personal values. A lot of existing brands aren’t able to do that, so creating something new and fresh that answers that need is quite compelling for an owner.”

But the freedom to create without constraints comes with greater responsibility and risk. Without strong operational support and hands-on involvement, even the most compelling concept can fall short. As Timothy explains, “It’s very important for us that where we create brands, we stay involved in them – so much of executing the brand well lies with the management team. It’s a full-time job to make sure the consumer really ‘gets’ and experiences the brand… otherwise, you lose the magic and ultimately, the value.”

– Pioneer Brand Partners

Sitting between global flags and ground-up brand creation is the independent, or “pioneer”, brand path. These smaller, emerging brands combine the flexibility to differentiate in crowded markets with the brand equity needed to scale. Within the luxury lifestyle segment, standout names like 1 Hotels, CitizenM, NoMad Hotels and Six Senses exemplify this category – having bred cult-like loyalty and investment interest. These consumer-attuned brands offer more flexible frameworks and creative freedom than global chains, while still providing the infrastructure and recognition needed to bring something different to market.

While pioneer brands can unlock strategic value, they demand careful execution to mitigate the risks. As James noted, introducing a newer brand alongside established names often requires greater hands-on involvement from developers and owners to realise the full value of the opportunity and brand strategy.

But with the right evaluation and alignment between brand, opportunity and ownership priorities, pioneers can be the perfect balance for success, as with 1 Hotel Mayfair. Acting as developer and investor, Crosstree identified a new niche position in Mayfair’s luxury landscape and seized the moment. Reflecting on Crosstree’s pioneer approach with the 1 Hotel brand, James commented, “Doing something that someone else has already done is probably not going to bring you any great change. So taking a slightly higher risk on an emerging brand (like 1 Hotel) can bring all sorts of interesting factors… It can bring more excitement to your opening process, which can help you stabilise the hotel quicker, and also, fundamentally, drive people to your property over time versus competitors, like The Ritz down the road.”

In backing the right pioneer partner, Crosstree didn’t just stand apart from the competition, they helped define an entirely new sub-segment of luxury in one of London’s most saturated markets.

The Race to Buy Pioneer Brands

In recent years, particularly in the lifestyle and luxury lifestyle segments, we’ve seen a wave of global hospitality giants acquiring category-defining independent and pioneer brands. From Six Senses joining IHG, NoMad Hotels with Hilton, and most recently, Marriott’s acquisition of CitizenM, a clear pattern is emerging. So, what’s driving this wave of consolidation?

Simply put: consumers crave bold, authentic brand experiences, and big brands crave scalable loyalty.

Rather than bearing the risk of building from scratch, big brand groups are acquiring the magic and the management teams behind these market-leading brands. They’re not just buying the name and assets; they’re investing in “the magic” - the unique brand DNA and IP. Speaking to Hilton’s recent acquisition of the NoMad brand, Jeremy reflected, “It’s incredibly hard to engineer a brand with real soul. So, when you’ve got something that works, something that’s resonating emotionally and experientially, it becomes valuable IP. That’s what Hilton recognised in NoMad. They didn’t want to create a brand from scratch. They saw the brand fitting their collection and wanted to partner with Andrew (Zobler) and our team - the secret sauce behind NoMad.”

When strategically aligned and executed, a roll-up can be a win-win. The independent brand gains global reach, scale and loyalty pipeline. The big brand gets the magic of the brand DNA and a prime growth vehicle to scale something consumers love. But preserving that magic is the real challenge, as Timothy cautioned, “There is a danger that if a creative brand becomes part of the bigger machine, you lose some of that magic.”

Preserving that magic, as both Timothy and Jeremy underscored, depends on more than structure, it hinges on the team. As Jeremy emphasised, “Preserving the brand identity is something we think a lot about. I think the way we’re structured with Hilton – as a separate management company, but within their umbrella – having the leadership and the vision to keep it intact, really sets us up to succeed.”

Ultimately, maintaining the integrity of the brand – it’s DNA, it’s magic, it’s soul – is what protects and sustains long-term value for both guests and owners alike.

Solving For Brand

How do we “solve for brand” in today’s complex hospitality landscape?

As made clear by our expert panelists, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer – only disciplined, intentional strategy.

Whether choosing to go with a global flag, partner with a pioneer or build from the ground up, success lies in selecting the brand path that best fits the opportunity and the ownership vision behind it; maximising value to both guest and owner. It’s about evaluating the right fit, anticipating trade-offs and committing to the journey with a team empowered to execute and protect it.

In the end, solving for brand is as much about alignment as it is execution – preserving the brand DNA, the magic – and translating it into both guest experience and bottom line value.

View the highlights video from the To Brand or Not to Brand? event.