Millennials and Gen Zers are looking for hotels to stay in. Many of their trips and vacations that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being planned again. And they’ll need somewhere to stay.  

Hotel brands know this and are specifically targeting Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Zers (born 1997-2013). 7 brands are aggressively targeting the two generations: Moxy, Canopy, Tru, Tempo, Curio, Aloft, and Even.  

Here’s an overview of these 7 hotel brands and some of their construction projects.  

Moxy by Marriott 

Moxy is a playful, affordable, and stylish hotel brand designed to give guests everything they want and nothing they don’t. With more than 60 experiential hotels open across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Moxy boldly breaks the rules of a conventional hotel stay—starting with check-in at the bar.  

The animated brand combines stylish, industrial design and sociable service at an affordable price point so guests can save on space and splurge on experiences. Created for the young at heart, Moxy celebrates nonconformity, open-mindedness, and originality above all.  

Owned and operated by the hotel giant Marriott, Moxy is rapidly growing and targeting Millennials.  

A Moxy location is under construction in downtown Cincinnati. There’s also a 120-room location being built in Miami’s booming Wynwood Art District. According to Marriott’s website, there are 127 Moxy hotels in the signed pipeline expected to open in North America, Caribbean & Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. 

Canopy by Hilton 

To those seeking an energizing, comfortable experience, Canopy by Hilton is the hotel that creates a positive stay through simple, guest-directed service and thoughtful local choices. Canopy is Hilton’s first lifestyle hotel brand, targeting Millennials and Gen Zers who are lifestyle-minded.  

 The first Canopy location was opened in Iceland in 2016, and two more came to the U.S. in early 2018.  

 A 168-room Canopy is coming to Louisville, KY. The developers plan to start construction later this year and have the hotel completed in 2024. As of March 2018, the company was developing about thirty properties, most in the United States. Around eighty percent are new builds.    

 With its lifestyle focus, Canopy is sure to attract Millennials and Gen Zers, which will encourage Hilton to continue expanding the brand throughout the U.S. and internationally.  

Tru by Hilton 

Tru, another Hilton brand, provides an experience that’s vibrant, affordable, and young at heart. Tru strives to be energetic, relaxing, yet unexpected. Tru’s goal was to create rooms of 228 square feet with “clever” bathrooms. The brand uses platform beds instead of box springs and uses a landing zone where guests can place their luggage and hang their clothes rather than a dresser. 

The hotel brand was announced in January 2016 in an effort to compete with Comfort Inn and La Quinta.   

Durham, NC, is the site of a new Tru hotel. Construction is expected to begin March 2023. Another location is currently under construction in McKinney, TX, a suburb of Dallas. This hotel will have 84 guest rooms, is four stories tall, and about 40,000 square feet. The hotel will also include a pool, a gaming area with a pool table, a business center, a boardroom, a sundries shop, and more. It is expected to open in March 2023.  

 With affordability in mind, Hilton is sure to keep expanding on its Tru empire, adding to the over 200 hundred locations in the U.S. as younger Millennials and Gen Zers look to save money on their stay.  

Tempo by Hilton 

Unveiled in 2020, another Hilton brand is targeting younger generations. Hilton describes Tempo as an “approachable lifestyle brand curated to serve a growing segment of modern achievers”. Again, they touch on the lifestyle side of a hotel experience. Each Tempo location offers well-being amenities, modern fitness facilities, and flexible meeting/working spaces.  

Forbes reports that Hilton plans to build Tempo locations in New York, Maui, Boston, Los Angeles, Lexington, Nashville, San Diego, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Houston, and Atlanta with an additional 30 deals in the works.  

Since Tempo is only about three years old, there aren’t many locations open yet. But rest assured that Hilton will kick construction for Tempo into overdrive this year and into the future.  

Curio by Hilton 

Curio is an upscale hotel brand within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Curio Collection is a soft brand, meaning its hotels are supported by Hilton but retain their own individual branding. Hilton selects independent hotels and resorts to be part of the Curio Collection.  

The brand was launched in June 2014 and was Hilton’s first “collection” brand. By January 2017, Curio Collection comprised more than 30 hotels and resorts in seven countries. As of December 31, 2019, it has 91 properties with 16,638 rooms in 27 countries and territories, including 20 that are managed with 4,322 rooms and 71 that are franchised with 12,316 rooms.  

Hilton expects to open 18 Curio locations globally in 2023 and 17 in 2024. At the end of 2022, Curio had 72 hotels in the U.S. Although Curio isn’t as affordable as other brands, the five-star luxury aspect of these hotels will certainly inspire affluent Millennials and Gen Zers to stay at Curio. Which means more locations will likely be built.  

Aloft by Marriott 

With over 180 hotels now open in over 25 countries and territories around the world, Aloft Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., delivers a fresh approach to the traditional hotel landscape. For the “always on” next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design.  

The brand is most notable for its modern architecture design style. Another characteristic of Aloft hotels is the naming of basic hotel amenities. For example, in each hotel, the swimming pool is referred to as “splash”.  

The first Aloft hotel opened in Montreal in 2008. More locations have opened in North America and internationally. Most Aloft hotels are in city centers or near airports. As of June 30, 2020, the chain had 183 hotels with 30,660 rooms.  

Top Hotel News reports aloft is planning 10 developments in 2023 and 13 properties with 3,155 rooms in 2024. Most of these new locations will be in North America.  

Even by IHG 

The seventh hotel brand targeting Millennials and Gen Zers is Even by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). Even was launched in 2012 with its main emphasis on “wellness.” The brand empowers guests to maintain their wellness routine while on the road by providing options to choose what that means to them. It has also intentionally designed every aspect of the hotel experience, in every square foot across all properties, with an emphasis on four components: eating well, resting easy, keeping active, and accomplishing more.  

The company had aimed to roll out the new hotel brand initially in North America with a target of 100 hotels in five years, with the first opening in June 2014 in Norwalk, Connecticut, with a 129-room hotel. But as of December 2022, there were 22 open hotels, though 31 additional hotels are “in the pipeline.” 

With wellness in mind, Even is sure to attract Millennials and Gen Zers. Having 31 hotels in the pipeline will spur construction of the brand’s locations and drive more projects.  

Key Takeaways  

Millennials and Gen Zers are driving massive demand for newer wellness and lifestyle hotels. According to a January 2023 article, hotel projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months are up 14%. 

Which hotel brands are targeting Millennials and Gen Z?

• Moxy
• Canopy
• Tru
• Tempo
• Curio
• Aloft
• Even

With a higher demand for specialty hotels by Millennials and Gen Zers and increases in brands’ developments, plenty of hotel projects will be created in the U.S. and globally during the next decade. But you’ll have to find them first. 

That’s where we come in.  

BuildCentral is the only database you’ll need for specific data, analytics, and leads on hotel and hotel-related construction projects.  

Visit our website for all the data you’ll need to find hotel projects: https://www.buildcentral.com/. 

Alternatively, you should check out our Hotel Market Vision Report for more insights on the future of the hotel market: https://www.buildcentral.com/first-hotel-market-vision-report-from-buildcentral/.  

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