“We’re all going to look back at this period five, 10 years from now and look at it very proudly as the period when lifestyle hotels were really validated,” Bruce Blum, president and co-founder of GB Lodging said. “I do think its leveling,” Niki Leondakis, CEO of Commune Hotels + Resorts, added. Consumers increasingly are searching for the local, artisanal and authentic in all aspects of their lives, including travel. “That’s going to continue because all the research around millennials and what they want … all points in that direction. It’s only going to get stronger and stronger,” she added. “When done right, an independent can do a lot better than a comparative chain in that market,” said Jamie Sabatier, president and COO of Destination Hotels & Resorts, which touts itself as the largest operator of independent hotels and resorts in North America with more than 40 properties in its portfolio. Get the full story at Hotel News Now