Actually, hotels sitting alone in a residential area can do well, as long as it's close enough to transit and transportation.
The Best Western in the Spring Garden neighborhood was a prime example. It wasn't a failing hotel--it was just butt ugly.
In New York, specifically Manhattan, the hipster hotel seems to be the Hotel Pennsylvania, which is a favorite with kiddos and visitors who want a cheap hotel near a train station. I think it's still the 5th or 6th largest hotel in New York City.
Hotel Pennsylvania also accepts pets. Unfortunately, it's under threat of being demolished to make way for an office tower full of suits. There's a hipster-based protest movement to stop the building from being sold and subsequently razed.
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Originally Posted by moritz391
A 'hipster' hostel/hotel with $50/night rooms and a cool cafe close to public transport would probably do quite well. Development has to be clever in all segments for a city to grow. There have to be interesting options at both ends of the spectrum--whether it means cool coffee shops along with great five-star restaurants or compelling hostel-style hotels to compliment chic boutique facilities desperately needed in Rittenhouse.
Some of my favorite urban neighborhoods internationally have such hotel facilities that bring a diverse crowd of savvy travelers who support cafes and corner bars.
I don't know anything about the proposal, and these guys probably aren't proposing anything too innovative. So I'm not saying it's a great idea. I just would say that residents shouldn't immediately dismiss the concept.
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