Luxury hotels must have ‘a point of view’ to attract visitors hungry for experiences, says André Fu

Interior designer Andre Vaux explained at the conference that tourists today are “looking for a point of view.” luck Design Brainstorming Conference in Macau on Tuesday. In other words, they are looking for a certain atmosphere or design ethos in choosing where to stay or eat.

This also extends to the luxury hotel space, Fu explained. “Luxury is not about fabrics. It’s not about marble. It’s about feelings. It’s about connection. It’s about the feelings you have when you’re somewhere,” he said.

“When you have that feeling of that space being designed around you, rather than just being a particle in that environment, that feeling of resonance is invaluable,” Fu said. “And I think that level of connection…is what designers thrive on these days.”

Toby Smith, vice chairman of Swire Hotels, agreed that travel patterns are changing. “We’ve found that people are extending their trip. They’ve got a business trip, and they might extend the trip for a day or so to explore the city or location they’re in,” he said. This opens up an opportunity for personalized service, such as hotel staff personally escorting someone staying at the Upper House Shanghai hotel through the city’s historic French Concession district.

Fu’s first hotel project was Upper House Hong Kong, a luxury boutique hotel developed by Swire Hotels, which falls under the Swire Pacific group of companies. The real estate developer now plans to expand its luxury hotel brand, The Upper House, to several cities in mainland China and East Asia.

Smith explained that the motivation behind the Senate and its slogan, “Homes, Not Hotels,” was that younger tourists “were looking for something a little younger, maybe a little more dynamic, less stuffy, less formal.”

Lukas Schaefer for Fortune

Upper House hotels are also small in size, with Hong Kong hotels having just over 100 rooms. “It’s very difficult to provide true customization and luxury to a property that has more than 100 keys,” Smith said.

In mid-October, Swire Hotels rebranded its upscale House Collective brand as “The Upper House,” and pledged to open several more hotels throughout the region. The next hotel, Upper House Shenzhen, will open in 2027, featuring designs from German architecture firm Büro Ole Scheeren.

Swire Shenzhen will be followed by new projects in Xi’an, Tokyo and Bangkok, which will be the first branded residences in a project designed by Foster + Partners.

Hotels and hospitality are “experiencing increased competition,” Smith explained. “Building costs are incredibly high, so I think the only way to get value is to build luxury and charge more for it.”

Swire Hotels generated revenue of HK$441 million ($56 million) for the first six months of 2025. Slight decrease Year after year. The company cited a slower-than-expected recovery in Hong Kong’s hotel market and a mixed performance in mainland China. Overall, Swire Properties generated HK$8.7 billion ($1.1 billion) in the first half of the year. Shares of Swire Properties are up just over 35% this year so far.

However, Asian tourism – which has long relied on tourists from sources such as mainland China, Europe and the United States – is beginning to diversify. Smith on Tuesday pointed to the Middle East and India as growing sources of luxury tourists.

“We are very confident in our brand,” Smith said. “If we stick to our principles…we will continue to grow at the pace we want to grow.”