Locations for trips globally are facing challenges with a different sort of visitor: a younger tourist from the millennial or Gen-Z demographic, eager for unique experiences instead of generic accommodations.
TL;DR
- Younger tourists seek unique experiences and specific design ethos over generic accommodations.
- Luxury is defined by feeling and connection, not just expensive materials, creating a sense of resonance.
- Swire Hotels rebrands premium line to The Upper House, focusing on personalized, dynamic experiences for younger travelers.
- The Upper House plans expansion across mainland China and East Asia, with new properties in Shenzhen, Xi'an, Tokyo, and Bangkok.
Today’s tourists are “looking for a point of view,” interior designer André Fu explained at the Coins2Day Brainstorm Design conference in Macau on Tuesday. In other words, they are looking for a specific atmosphere or design ethos in choosing where to stay or eat.
And, Fu elaborated, this concept even applies to the high-end hotel sector. “Luxury is not about the fabrics. It’s not about the marble. It’s about feeling. It’s about connection. It’s about the emotion that you get when you’re in a space,” he stated.
“When you have that feeling that this is a space that’s designed around you, rather than you being just a particle in that environment—that sense of resonance is so invaluable,” Fu said. “And I guess that level of connection…is what designers are thriving for these days.”
Swire Hotels deputy chairman Toby Smith concurred that travel habits were evolving. “We’re finding that people are extending their trip. They’ve got a business trip, and they might extend the trip by a day or so to really explore the city or the location they happen to be in,” he commented. This presents an opening for tailored experiences, like hotel personnel guiding a guest at the Upper House Shanghai through the city's historic French Concession area.
Fu's initial hotel venture was the Upper House Hong Kong, a boutique upscale lodging established by Swire Hotels, a division of the conglomerate Swire Pacific. This property developer is now intending to broaden its premium hotel line, the Upper House, across various metropolises in mainland China and East Asia.
Smith clarified that the driving force for The Upper House and its slogan “Houses not Hotels” was to attract younger travelers “were looking for something a little bit more youthful, perhaps a little more dynamic, less stuffy, less formal.”
The Upper House hotels are similarly modest in size, with The Hong Kong establishment featuring slightly more than 100 guest rooms. “It’s very hard to deliver true personalization and luxury for a property that has much more than 100 keys,” Smith commented.
In mid-October, Swire Hotels changed the name of its premium House Collective brand to “The Upper House,” and committed to launching additional properties throughout the area. The subsequent hotel, Upper House Shenzhen, is scheduled to debut in 2027 and will showcase designs by The German architectural practice Büro Ole Scheeren.
Swire is set to launch new ventures in Xi’an, Tokyo, and Bangkok, following its developments in Shenzhen. Bangkok will notably feature the brand’s inaugural branded residences within a structure conceived by Foster + Partners.
The hotel and lodging sectors, according to Smith's explanation, are “increasingly competitive,”. “Construction costs are incredibly high, so I think the only way to get value is to build luxury and charge more for it.”
Swire Hotels generated 441 million Hong Kong dollars ($56 million) in revenue for the first six months of 2025, a slight decrease year-on-year. The company cited a slower-than-expected recovery in Hong Kong’s hotel market and mixed performance in mainland China. Overall, Swire Properties generated 8.7 billion Hong Kong dollars ($1.1 billion) for the first half of the year. Swire Properties’s shares are up just over 35% for the year so far.
Nevertheless, the travel industry from Asia—which historically depended on visitors from places such as China, Europe, and the United States—was beginning to broaden its reach. On Tuesday, Smith highlighted the Middle East and India as growing origins for high-end travelers.
“We are very confident about our brand,” Smith said. “If we stick to our principles…then we will continue to grow at the pace that we want to grow.”
