Yotel is developing an upscale hotel format and a smaller city-center version of its airport-focused YotelAir line as it works toward 100 hotels open and signed by 2031, up from about 24 today. CEO Phil Andreopoulos laid out the plans in an exclusive interview with Skift published Oct. 21.
The company, best known for tech-driven, compact rooms, runs three brands today: the flagship Yotel, airport-focused YotelAir and YotelPad, its long-stay format.
The details behind the Yotel upscale brand
The new format would hold onto Yotel’s tech-forward, compact-room formula while landing in better locations at higher rates. Andreopoulos described slightly bigger rooms, upgraded bathrooms and better food and beverage, all without giving up the lean staffing model Yotel runs on.
“There’s definitely demand for an upgraded product,” Andreopoulos told Skift. “We’re in a couple of active conversations about what that might look like.”
Yotel hasn’t announced a name, launch date or locations yet.
At the other end of the spectrum, Yotel is designing a smaller city-center take on YotelAir. Its pods would rival Japanese capsule hotels for space efficiency, with one key difference: Guests can stand up in them. The company also plans to push into resort destinations.
What it means for travelers
Yotel signed a franchise agreement with Hilton in March, becoming the first brand in the Select by Hilton category. That deal puts Yotel in front of Hilton Honors’ roughly 250 million members, and the company expects Yotel.com, Hilton.com, Hilton Honors and the Hilton app to eventually drive about two-thirds of its business through direct channels. For travelers, that means Yotel rooms will show up where Hilton loyalists already book.
Rival compact-room brand citizenM took a different route. Its founding company sold the brand to Marriott last year and, now operating as Another Star, runs the hotels under long-term franchise agreements. Yotel kept ownership of its brand and design standards, so it still decides how new properties look and feel.
Where Yotel is expanding
Asia sits at the center of the growth plan. Yotel already has hotels in Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok, and Yotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre is expected to open in early 2027. The company is also in talks with three major Asian airports about YotelAir sites.
The wider target list covers South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Jakarta, Manila and more of Thailand. India is on it too, with conversions of existing hotels as the likely way in, though Andreopoulos admitted the company has “not even started” there.
What’s next
Watch for the Kuala Lumpur opening and any word on those three airport deals. The upscale brand’s name, pricing and launch date are still under wraps for now.
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