A Taste of Local Life

The way Millennials and Generation Z travel differs significantly from their parents’ generation. Due to our increasing social awareness and the ever-growing importance of sustainability, travel trends keep straying further and further from classical tourism, instead centering on an immersive experience of a place’s local culture and its history rather than exploring the usual sights. For the hotel industry, this shift poses great potential – and a slew of challenges. One brand that has tapped into the changing sensibilities of Millennials and Gen Z is Life House, a US-based hotel concept that tells a comprehensive story and pays tribute to its locations’ local life and culture with each property.

The restaurants and cuisine at Life House hotels are in tune with their location. © Matt Kisiday

An American success story

The idea behind it is actually quite simple, but hits the bullseye with young travelers: other than a classic hotel, each Life House feels like a private residence that reflects the identity of its location. With carefully selected art and thoroughly designed interiors, each house embodies the overall aesthetic of its neighborhood. As a result, guests feel like they’re staying with a wealthy friend and have the opportunity to experience the destination like the locals do.

Each of the boutique hotels is designed with its own personality in mind. © Life House

CEO and founder Rami Zeidan recognized the growing demand for authentic boutique hotels early on and started spinning the trend into gold back in 2017. At 34 years old, the son of Lebanese immigrants has become a prime example of the American dream. He initially started his career in the world of finance at Deutsche Bank before he made the move to the hospitality industry, which he would soon revolutionize. With an innate talent for numbers and a passion for organisation, which the creative head was forced to adopt in the financial sector, he began to optimise administrative processes for hotels. A revolutionary white label software, a product of his own invention, laid the perfect groundwork to start his own business. With his community-based and design-centred concept, Zeidan is ambitiously following his mission of changing the travel industry in a sustainable way.

Life House founder Rami Zeidan is revolutionizing the hotel industry with his progressive concept. © Daniel Dorsa

Innovative pioneer

Zeidan’s versatile business model isn’t just breaking new ground in front of the scenes. The hotel management software he’s developed is programmed to significantly cut costs and optimise administrative processes. His team now manages over 50 hotels across the US. The need for hospitality businesses to become more efficient was revealed as the pandemic hit and Zeidan’s brainchild proved to be just the solution. Since the inception of their collaboration, the hotels have reported an increase of over 200 percent in profitablity and 45 percent in revenue.

Unlike traditional hotels, Life House properties blend seamlessly into their respective neighborhoods. © Life House

In addition to their authentic design and the seamless internal processes, Life House is tapping into the demand for social interactions. As the first hotel brand that’s fully backed by Silicon Valley, the group has developed an app that functions as a booking agent, room key as well as a social network. The app allows guests to communicate with each other and discover local small businesses and restaurants. If guests opt in to the social network, they receive access to the chat function five days prior to their arrival, allowing them to network and make new connections.

The hotels create the perfect conditions to meet other travelers and make new friends. © Life House

It’s a popular opportunity for foodies to make joint dinner plans, to gather for group workouts or simply find new friends while travelling. The concierge team is also reachable via the chat in the app.

Each Life House is given a thorough story that forms the basis for the entire design. © Life House

A house comes to life

To make the design of the hotels as authentic as possible, each location gets a comprehensible concept that tells the neighbourhood’s story, based on three pillars. Each new Life House journey begins with the house, which is always a historic building that’s lovingly restored and ever-changing to give the allure of a lived in private home. It’s of utmost importance that the original structure and the character remain intact in the process. With the introduction of its protagonist, each house is equipped with a human narrative that becomes the heart and soul of the place.

Like staying at a friend's house. © Life House

This fictional owner forms the basis for all decisions regarding the design, which reflects the purported owner’s distinct personal taste. The final touches come in the form of the personality, which makes the narrative come to life. These unexpected elements, which are rooted in the building’s heritage and the protagonist’s characteristics, give the house an unparalleled depth that’s palpable in every corner. These visual choices can make an intentional departure from the established story in order to provide the concept with authenticity and the allure of a private residence that belongs to a three-dimensional, multi-faceted person.

The rooms at the boutique hotels are individually designed and come with chic and cozy furniture. © Life House

Concept with a future

With five successful boutique hotels in the United States, Life House is just getting started. Since 2017, Rami Seidan has secured investments of over $100 million (among them online travel giant Kayak), with which he plans to expand his business further. In addition to his next three US properties – in Brooklyn, Palm Springs and Chattanooga – the brand is opening its first international Life House in Seminyak, Bali this year. With his revolutionary business plan, Zeidan is en route to conquer the global market in no time.

With every bite, you can taste the neighborhood's local identity. © Life House

The big intercontinental break seems inevitable at this point, as cost efficiency, rapidly growing profits and constantly booked up lifestyle hotels that target modern travelers so keenly are a universal recipe for success. Apropos of nothing, Zeidan is hoping to make the world a better place, one stylish and immersive boutique hotel at a time. “As the son of Lebanese immigrants, I firmly believe that travel can shape and mold us into who we are and who we will become. Travel can turn us into more open-minded, better people as we get to know different cultures – and that in turn we’ll be able to close the omnipresent divide in our society.”

Through the lense of a fictional protagonist, each house is given its very own personality. © Matt Kisiday