While new hotel development is difficult to achieve these days, one class of properties still popular with owners and developers is the boutique/lifestyle hotel. To satisfy the needs of owners and developers seeking to better understand this segment, Lodging Hospitality, in conjunction with HVS Hotel Management, is holding the inaugural Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference this fall. The event will be Oct. 12-14 at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, the nominal home of the boutique industry.

Speakers at the conference will include boutique and lifestyle hotel owners, operators, developers, designers and marketers who will discuss the opportunities and challenges in the segment. The conference will conclude on Wednesday, Oct. 14 with an exclusive bus tour of several top boutiques and lifestyle hotels in the Miami area.

The event kicks off with a reception on the evening of Monday, Oct. 12. On Tuesday morning, a general session looks at the conference’s key topic: Why Invest in a Boutique/Lifestyle Hotel. A panel of seasoned boutique and lifestyle developers will tackle topics such as new construction versus conversion, finding sources of debt and equity, brand versus independent and how to meet bottom-line projections.

What follows the opening session are six panel discussions in three general tracks: financing and development, operations and marketing and design. Panelists come from all areas of the boutique/lifestyle business, including brands, management companies, ownership, marketing, consulting and finance. The sessions include:

What to Build and Where. Boutique or lifestyle hotel? New construction or conversion? Brand or independent? Owner-operated or management company? These and other questions will be the topic for site selection, development and feasibility professionals working in the boutique/lifestyle segment.

Service With a Smile: Keys to Profitable Operations. Boutique guests expect high levels of service, but with attitude. They also want unique f&b and recreational amenities. How to make that happen will be the topic for a group of experienced boutique and lifestyle GMs and corporate operations executives.

Who’s Got Money? Sourcing Debt & Equity. Money, both debt and equity, is available to build and buy boutique properties, both new construction and conversions. A panel of lenders, mortgage brokers and hotel company CFOs unlock the keys to lifestyle hotel financing.

Selling the Boutique Experience. Traditional marketing doesn’t work well when selling the boutique hotel product. A group of advertising, marketing, PR and Internet strategists outline the best ways to find, attract and keep this lucrative guest.

The Exit Strategy: When & How to Sell. The ultimate goal of any real estate project is to sell it at a healthy profit. An eclectic group of hospitality professionals—valuation experts, brokers and owners—explain how to position a boutique/lifestyle property for sale and then make the right transaction.

Keeping it Fresh: Boutique/Lifestyle Hotel Design. The challenge with boutique design is to be fresh and cutting-edge but to create a product that has lasting appeal. Boutique designers and design-oriented owners and operators share their viewpoints, with a special emphasis on the role of green in the lifestyle and boutique product.

Luncheon speaker will be award-winning hotel designer Cheryl Rowley. Rowley and her firm, Cheryl Rowley Design, have created a number of iconic boutique and luxury lifestyle hotels, including a number of Hotel Monacos and Hotel Palomars for Kimpton Hotel Group. She’ll share her views on the current state of boutique design and look to future trends, opportunities and challenges.

The conference concludes on Wednesday morning with an exclusive tour of leading boutique and lifestyle properties in the Miami Beach area. Attendees will travel by bus to several hotels to receive special guided tours of guestrooms, public spaces and back-of-the-house areas.

Don’t miss this special event. Go to the conference website for complete information on the event.