Based on findings from its brand study, East is rebranding as an alternative to luxury travel for today’s and future travelers that it calls Alt Luxury.
East Hotels’s new brand positioning embraces the mindset of today’s purpose- and value-driven consumers, according to the company. Being forward-thinking and inclusive allows for a lifestyle that encompasses more than luxury. The new brand positioning will roll out across East hotels currently in Miami, Hong Kong and Beijing, with more to come.
“What the new generation of travelers aspires to now is not necessarily the trappings of old-school luxury and the notion of service revolving around anticipating every need,” Dean Winter, managing director of Swire Hotels, said in a statement. “They want to feel truly at ease and to be welcomed, not judged,” he added. “They tread a bit more lightly on the planet. They don’t want extravagance.”
At the core of East’s Alt Luxury are six pillars:
- Culture of Equality: Treat people as equals and celebrate each person’s individuality.
- Place of Inclusion: Bring East hotels and culture to cities and places underserved by hotels, then become part of the neighborhood.
- Fitness Support: Rethink hotel fitness so that it revolves around supporting the fitness programs that most guests already have.
- Wellness Support: Recognize that wellness is individual to the person and includes food, nutrition, sleep, socializing and art, as well as exercise and stress relief.
- Real Solutions for Our Planet: Push the brand and the hotels to find better ways to care for our planet; no greenwashing.
- Community of Alternative Thinkers: Connect alternative-thinking guests, encouraging them to share their ideas.
With Alt Luxury, East targets a growing population of entrepreneurially minded and creative younger consumers whom East sees as Alternative Thinkers. According to the company, this is a burgeoning group of global cohorts who make their own choices, are sustainability-conscious and value relationships.
East hotels will collaborate with Alternative Thinkers, including guests, partners, local innovators and East team members, to create ongoing programming and innovations around the Alt Luxury pillars. These activations will include music events, popups, installations, artist collaborations, talks, running clubs, sustainable initiatives, and more. They will offer opportunities for authentic connection and a deeper understanding of the destination for international travelers.
East is launching Alt Luxury with content, online, social, and video, with four Alternative Thinkers to be followed by others in the future. The current four are:
- Luke Casey, a filmmaker and image creator who presents alternative stories in his work
- Olivia Cotes-James, a business innovator and entrepreneur who is challenging norms to close the health gender gap
- Sonic Lam, a fashion designer who crafts pieces from upcycled fabrics
- R.I.D.D.E.M., a music band that creates dialogue-like music experiences