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AKA Hotels and Hotel Residences offer a unique experience, blending the best of both worlds—The amenities and accommodations of a boutique hotel with the comforts of a luxury apartment. Created to meet the needs of travelers who are looking for longer-stay accommodations, AKA has crafted a highly livable atmosphere with features such as sophisticated residence design, thoughtful amenities, and exceptional business and wellness services. All this is set in some of the most iconic neighborhoods around. With AKA’s blend of residential living and hotel-style hospitality, you can truly live it. With hotels in major metropolitan areas like New York (with locations near Central Park, Times Square, Sutton Place and NoMad), Los Angeles (West Hollywood and Beverly Hills), Miami, West Palm Beach, Washington, DC (White House and Alexandria), Boston (Back Bay and Boston Common), Philadelphia (Rittenhouse Square and University City) and even London, there are properties situated in major tourist destinations that also contain various business hubs.
Elevated Long Term Lodging at AKA Hotels
A Visit With AKA
We recently were invited to AKA West Hollywood for a brief stay that allowed us to get a better feel for the city than we would in a traditional hotel. The plush space in our room provided many storage solutions, a large closet space, stunning views, well-appointed bathrooms, a kitchen and dining area and a living room. The accommodations blended the comforts of an upscale apartment with the boutique amenities one would expect from a well-appointed hotel. The location on Sunset Boulevard was also fantastic.
“Prior to AKA launching in 2004, we recognized a gap in the market for high-design luxury furnished residences, as the only benefit of the furnished apartments on the market was more space,” Larry Korman, President of AKA, explained. “When launching our brand, we set out to completely elevate the category by working with some of the world’s top design professionals – from Koning Eizenberg Architecture to Meyer Davis and Piero Lissoni – to bring the romance of design to the hotel residence space, while incorporating lifestyle services and amenities that someone may find at a luxury resort.”
Unique Lodging For Today’s Travelers
AKA offers a unique accommodation option for a variety of today’s travelers. “Today, our hotel and hotel residences deliver a high-quality experience that is more livable,’ Korman told us. “AKA properties reflect a tranquil and sophisticated design that strikes the perfect balance between the privacy and contentment of a residence and the hospitality, service, and style of an intimate hotel.” AKA offers a great long-term solution, especially for business travelers who are longing for the comforts of home during lengthier trips.
Other travelers who many find AKA’s offerings extremely appealing are those relocating to a new city who want to familiarize themselves with a neighborhood. “We always look for excellent locations and iconic neighborhoods that are walkable and that are where people want to go, visit and experience,” Korman said of the brand’s vetting process for new locations. “For example, Marylebone is an upscale enclave that offers serene sophistication in the heart of London, which made it an ideal neighborhood for AKA. In California, AKA West Hollywood is in the heart of the vibrant and forward-thinking city at a coveted address on the iconic Sunset Strip. AKA Beverly Hills’ premier location is in the well-known Golden Triangle within walking distance of Rodeo Drive, Via Rodeo and Robertson Boulevard.”
Following the pandemic, digital nomads have become more prevalent, with some traveling the majority of the year, exploring new destinations while requiring accommodations that allow them to live and work comfortably. “AKA’s properties provide a range of world-class amenities and services that both add a luxurious touch to guests’ stays and provide the comforts of home,” Korman told us. “The brand’s signature amenities include a 24/7 dedicated resident services team committed to enhancing each resident experience; exclusive lounges and outdoor terraces; a.fitness workout centers outfitted with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment; a.cinema, an on-site private screening room featured at most AKA locations; complimentary high-speed Internet access; as well as complimentary meeting spaces.”
A New Hotel Option
“We listen carefully to what matters to our residents, and have our finger on the pulse of what our residents want and need,” Korman told us. “I travel often and am always looking at the latest trends and innovations in both luxury apartments and hotels, as well as tracking new design trends, all of which contribute to AKA’s ongoing evolution. Looking ahead, we will be introducing podcast booths to support creators who are staying with us. For our bi-coastal guests that travel often, we will be exploring offering conditioned clothing containers to make traveling even more seamless.”
Historically, long-term stays were ordinarily found in cheaper options in less desirable areas. They were frequently budget choices with few amenities, threadbare linens in older buildings with outdated appliances. Those days are gone with the abundance of upscale options entering the market, including more and more AKA properties. “A major advantage AKA has always been able to offer is a superior value, regardless of the length of stay—especially when compared with a traditional luxury hotel—from our expansive suites to private amenity spaces, unique programming, exceptional service and more,” Korman explained.
Beautiful Design
Also, unlike most long-term lodging options, AKA properties concentrate on a modern design, much like their upscale apartment counterparts. You won’t find any standard box-shaped buildings in the AKA portfolio. “Our design philosophy is sleek, contemporary and sophisticated, clean and crisp,” Korman said of the spaces. “AKA is based on the idea that somebody’s going through some level of chaos, and we’re going to provide calm. So the moment you step foot inside, AKA, the ambiance is immediately soothing, quiet and comfortable. Each of our properties has a distinct design point of view while following AKA’s signature design vernacular.
“We’ve collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated designers who bring our vision of a minimalist yet well-appointed aesthetic to life with custom furnishings. For AKA West Hollywood, we collaborated with Piero Lissoni to create a contemporary feel inside the residences. At Hotel AKA Brickell in Miami, New York-based Gabellini Sheppard Associates was selected to create an urban oasis defined by tranquility and elevated design. Drawing on the vibrant and sophisticated characteristics of the Brickell neighborhood, the hotel’s aesthetic provides a sense of place and a unique environment that manifests itself as a harmonious frame to focus and highlight both the character and culture of the hotel as it moves through time.”
Something For Everyone
AKA properties aren’t solely for those with business in mind. “In addition to catering to discerning leisure and business travelers, AKA’s unique clientele includes home renovators, couples in transition, newly relocated executives, creative directors in fashion, entertainment and media and more,” Korman told us. “Throughout the pandemic, AKA’s brand promise resonated more deeply with travelers than ever before—the level of care, personalization and space, among other attributes, mattered even more to our guests. As we emerged from the pandemic, we saw an opportunity to bring the signature elements of an AKA hotel residence into a transient hotel experience where we entertain nightly stays. AKA hotels and hotel residences reflect the attributes that established the brand as the premier long-stay provider, along with an evolved point of view on the hotel experience. We know our discerning clientele appreciates the aspirational aspects of travel and also seeks the creature comforts of home. AKA bridges these two needs together to form a signature stay experience—whether our guests stay for one night, one month or several months.”
