High-End Hotels Go Small

Luxury hotels in the US and Europe are increasingly offering small, single-occupancy rooms to cater to solo travelers, who are willing to sacrifice space for experience.

The Small Picture: Post-pandemic, taking a vacation has become very expensive, so travelers — especially solo ones, which Kayak estimates will account for about 50% of American travelers this year — are looking for any way to save while they explore. Catering to that clientele could become a top revenue stream for hotels.

Behind the Door: Pack your bags, solo traveler.

• Luxury hotels like the Kimpton Fitzroy, Hoxton, AlmaLusa Alfama, and Hotel 850 SVB offer single-person rooms that go by names like “Sleeps One,” “Shoebox,” “Single Snug,” and “City Single.”
• They’re typically around 150 to 200 square feet, packed with all the necessary amenities, and still provide the luxury feel of regular rooms.
• The rooms typically feature multifunctional furniture, like dining tables that can convert to workspaces.
• The rooms usually cost about 25% less than a normal-sized room.

Checkout: These rooms have become extremely popular in vacation hotspots with a high density of young visitors: Los Angeles, London, Lisbon, and Portland. It’s okay that the room is tiny — people are there to be out and about, or at least to enjoy the hotel’s amenities beyond the room, like the lobby, bar, and pool.

But just how popular are we talking? WSJ reports that Hoxton’s eight hotels worldwide offer only 6% of their rooms as small, single-occupancy spaces, and they sell out just as frequently as standard double-occupancy units.

Prediction: Expect some new luxury hotels to offer only single-occupancy rooms in an effort to become a unique hub for solo travelers.