&Beyond: Hotel Brand, History, Lodges, Market Position, and Guest Experience

&Beyond is a privately held experiential travel and hospitality company best known for conservation-oriented safari lodges, tented camps, private reserves, and tailor-made journeys. Founded in South Africa in 1991 as Conservation Corporation Africa, commonly called CC Africa, the business began with the restoration of degraded farmland that became Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

Today, &Beyond combines several roles. It is a hospitality brand and lodge operator, a destination-management and travel-planning company, and a participant in conservation and community initiatives. Its operating focus remains Africa, while its lodge and journey portfolio has expanded into Asia and South America. The brand occupies the experiential luxury segment of the broader travel and tourism industry, with an emphasis on wildlife, remote landscapes, guiding, conservation, and small-scale accommodation.

What most clearly defines &Beyond is not a standardized hotel format. It is the integration of lodging, access to natural destinations, specialist guiding, trip logistics, and a stated commitment to care for land, wildlife, and neighboring communities.

1. What Is &Beyond?

&Beyond is an experiential luxury hospitality and travel brand founded in South Africa in 1991. Alan Bernstein and conservationist and hospitality entrepreneur Dave Varty are identified as principal founding figures in the creation of Conservation Corporation Africa, the company from which the modern &Beyond brand developed.

The original project was Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. The founders and their investment partners sought to demonstrate that wildlife conservation, responsible tourism, and benefits for surrounding communities could support one another economically. The business subsequently developed and operated safari lodges in additional African destinations, added destination-management capabilities, and adopted the &Beyond name in 2008.

&Beyond is not a conventional international hotel chain built around city hotels, franchised room inventory, or a uniform building design. Its core properties are full-service lodges and camps in wildlife reserves, wilderness concessions, islands, and other nature-oriented destinations. It also plans customized itineraries that can combine its own properties with third-party accommodation and transport.

The brand is positioned principally for affluent leisure travelers seeking guided access to wildlife, landscapes, and remote destinations with a high level of service and logistical support.

2. &Beyond at a Glance

Hotel brand name: &Beyond, also styled &BEYOND

Hotel family or parent group: The privately held &Beyond group

Brand type: Experiential travel company, luxury lodge and camp operator, and destination-management specialist

Founded: 1991, originally as Conservation Corporation Africa

Principal founders: Alan Bernstein and Dave Varty, working with an early investor and management group

Place founded: South Africa, with Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal as the founding conservation and hospitality project

Current headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa

Current ownership: Privately held; the brand is not part of a large listed hotel conglomerate

Industry segment: Experiential luxury travel, safari hospitality, nature lodges, camps, and customized destination travel

Market position: High-service, conservation-oriented hospitality in remote natural settings

Typical property types: Safari lodges, tented camps, island resorts, private villas, wilderness lodges, and expedition accommodation

Geographic focus: Africa, with a growing operating presence and travel-planning capability in Asia and South America

Primary guest segments: Affluent leisure travelers, safari guests, couples, families, private groups, wildlife enthusiasts, and special-interest travelers

Core proposition: Personalized journeys combining accommodation, guiding, wildlife access, destination logistics, and conservation context

Loyalty program: No broad points-based program comparable to those of major global hotel chains is central to the proposition

Operating model: A mixture of ownership, leasing, management, partnerships, and concession-based operations, supplemented by travel-design services

Current status: Active

Official website: Official &Beyond website

3. What Hotel Family Does &Beyond Belong To?

&Beyond belongs to its own privately held hospitality and travel group. It is not a sub-brand of Marriott International, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt, IHG, or another large multi-brand hotel company. The &Beyond name functions both as the customer-facing brand and as the identity of the wider operating organization.

This structure is important because &Beyond does more than operate accommodation. The group designs itineraries, coordinates transfers, provides destination-management services, employs or contracts specialist guides, and participates in land, wildlife, and community programs. Its business therefore spans lodging, tour operations, destination services, and conservation-linked tourism.

Brand ownership should not be confused with ownership of every property or parcel of land. Remote hospitality often depends on national park concessions, leases, joint ventures, management contracts, community partnerships, and relationships with landowners or public authorities. An &Beyond-branded lodge may be operated by the group without the company holding unrestricted ownership of the underlying real estate.

The company has also used partnerships to enter or develop markets. Its historical involvement with Taj Safaris helped extend its safari knowledge into India, while more recent projects have expanded the brand’s direct lodge presence in Bhutan and its expedition offering in the Galápagos. These arrangements do not make &Beyond part of a larger hotel family.

Unlike a franchise-led hotel company, &Beyond exercises substantial influence over the design, operating model, guiding, conservation narrative, and guest journey at its branded properties. This supports a more controlled experience, although individual lodges remain strongly shaped by their destination.

4. Who Founded &Beyond, and How Did It Begin?

&Beyond traces its origin to 1991, when Alan Bernstein, Dave Varty, and their partners established Conservation Corporation Africa. The founding project involved acquiring approximately 13,500 hectares of overused agricultural land in northern KwaZulu-Natal and restoring it as a wildlife reserve. That project became Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Varty brought experience from the South African safari and conservation sector, while Bernstein contributed entrepreneurial and investment leadership. The organization was built around a commercial argument: well-managed nature tourism could help finance habitat restoration, reintroduce wildlife, create employment, and generate benefits for communities living near conservation areas.

Phinda was therefore more than the location of the first accommodation. It served as a working model for the company’s operating philosophy. Native habitat was rehabilitated, wildlife species were reintroduced, lodges were developed, and local employment and community relationships became part of the tourism system.

The business began in South Africa, but the word “Africa” in Conservation Corporation Africa eventually became too restrictive as the company moved into other continents and broadened from lodge management into customized travel. The name &Beyond, adopted in 2008, was intended to accommodate that wider geographic and experiential scope.

The founders’ original conservation and commercial proposition remains visible in the company’s current framework of caring for land, wildlife, and people. The implementation differs by destination, but the framework continues to influence site selection, guest interpretation, community partnerships, and impact reporting.

5. What Is the History of &Beyond?

1991: Conservation Corporation Africa and Phinda

The company began as Conservation Corporation Africa in 1991. Its first major undertaking was the creation of Phinda Private Game Reserve on degraded farmland in KwaZulu-Natal. Restoring habitat and reintroducing wildlife allowed the company to establish safari lodges and demonstrate a nature-tourism model tied to conservation outcomes.

1990s: Expansion beyond the founding reserve

During the 1990s, the company expanded into other safari areas in southern and eastern Africa. Its portfolio came to include operations associated with destinations such as the Sabi Sand region, the Okavango Delta, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Indian Ocean. Properties including Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and Mnemba Island helped extend the proposition beyond a single reserve or conventional game-drive format.

This period established several lasting characteristics: small lodges, destination-specific architecture, specialist guiding, full-service dining, remote logistics, and access to wildlife or natural environments as the primary reason for travel.

Community and conservation infrastructure

The company developed a long-term relationship with Africa Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization that works with communities near conservation areas. The relationship created a structure through which guests and the tourism operation could support projects involving education, health, enterprise development, and environmental needs.

&Beyond also became known for wildlife translocations and species-management work. These programs have included the movement or reintroduction of animals such as rhinos, lions, and cheetahs, although the nature of each project depends on government approvals, scientific advice, habitat capacity, and partnerships with other conservation bodies.

2000s: Broader travel operations and Asian experience

As the company expanded, it developed destination-management capabilities beyond its own lodges. This allowed it to assemble complete journeys using flights, road transfers, guides, third-party properties, and destination activities. A partnership with Taj Hotels through Taj Safaris also transferred aspects of its wildlife-lodge and guiding experience to India.

2008: Rebranding from CC Africa to &Beyond

In 2008, Conservation Corporation Africa adopted the &Beyond name. This was more than a cosmetic rebranding. The company was no longer limited to African lodge operations and wanted an identity suitable for multi-country journey design and expansion beyond the continent.

2010s: South America and a broader destination portfolio

&Beyond expanded its travel-design business in South America and added a direct hospitality presence through &Beyond Vira Vira in Chilean Patagonia. The property brought the company’s guided, activity-led approach into a landscape where hiking, riding, cultural encounters, food, and outdoor exploration can be as important as wildlife viewing.

2020s: Asia, expedition travel, and lodge renewal

The opening of &Beyond Punakha River Lodge in Bhutan gave the brand a direct lodge presence in Asia. In South America, the company added a Galápagos expedition-yacht experience, applying its service and naturalist-guiding approach to marine exploration. It has also continued to rebuild or renovate established African lodges, reflecting the need to modernize accommodation while retaining a strong relationship with place.

The resulting company remains rooted in African safari hospitality, but its modern identity covers a wider category: guided luxury travel in natural and culturally significant destinations.

6. What Industry Segment Does &Beyond Occupy?

&Beyond occupies the experiential luxury segment of hospitality and tourism, with particular specialization in safari lodges, nature retreats, wilderness camps, and customized destination travel. “Luxury” in this context refers to a combination of high service levels, low guest density, specialist access, private or small-group guiding, substantial trip planning, and accommodation in logistically difficult locations.

The brand is generally full service rather than select service. Lodges commonly provide meals, housekeeping, guest relations, guided activities, and transfer coordination. At many safari properties, the stay is structured around scheduled game drives or other guided experiences. Some rates include meals, selected drinks, and activities, but inclusions vary by property and itinerary.

&Beyond is also a nature and conservation-oriented brand. Wildlife, landscapes, local interpretation, and destination access are not secondary amenities. They are central to the reason the properties exist. This distinguishes the company from luxury hotels that happen to offer occasional excursions.

The portfolio spans several subcategories:

• Luxury safari lodges and tented camps
• Private reserve and wilderness hospitality
• Island and beach resorts
• Adventure and cultural lodges
• Expedition-style marine travel
• Tailor-made luxury tour operations

Wellness is present through spas, massages, fitness options, yoga, healthy dining, and immersion in natural settings, but it is not a universal medical or dedicated wellness-resort model. Likewise, property-level star classifications may differ by country. Such ratings should not be treated as a single global classification for the entire brand.

7. How Is &Beyond Positioned in the Market?

&Beyond is positioned as a high-service specialist for travelers who want natural destinations to be the center of a journey rather than a background setting. Its market position depends on combining hospitality with access, interpretation, logistics, and conservation experience.

High-touch rather than high-volume: Properties are generally smaller than conventional destination resorts. Tented suites, villas, and lodge rooms are arranged to support privacy and proximity to the surrounding environment. This permits more individualized service but also produces relatively high prices because remote operations, small inventories, guiding, transport, and conservation responsibilities are costly.

Specialist access: The functional value is not limited to the room. Guests are buying access to reserves, wilderness concessions, islands, rivers, mountains, or marine environments, along with the expertise needed to understand them. Guides, trackers, naturalists, pilots, and journey planners can therefore be as important to the proposition as conventional hotel staff.

Conservation-oriented identity: The company presents responsible tourism as part of its operating model, not simply as a marketing campaign. Its land and wildlife work, community relationships, and partnership with Africa Foundation reinforce this position. The extent and type of measurable impact vary by location and project, so the conservation proposition should still be evaluated destination by destination.

Individual properties within a coherent system: &Beyond does not rely on identical buildings or room layouts. An Okavango Delta camp, a Bhutanese river lodge, and a Patagonian retreat are intentionally different. Consistency is sought through service, guiding, journey planning, and a shared conservation narrative rather than architectural uniformity.

In competitive terms, &Beyond sits alongside other specialist luxury safari and remote-lodge operators rather than mass-market resort chains. Its broader destination-management capability also places it in competition with luxury tour operators and travel designers. This hybrid structure allows the company to manage both individual stays and complex multi-property journeys.

8. Where Does &Beyond Operate?

Africa remains the center of &Beyond’s identity, property base, operational knowledge, and conservation history. The company is headquartered in Johannesburg, while Phinda in KwaZulu-Natal remains its founding reserve and one of its most important lodge clusters.

Its branded African portfolio has included properties in:

• South Africa: Phinda Private Game Reserve, the Sabi Sand region, and the Greater Kruger area
• Botswana: Okavango Delta and northern safari circuits
• Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, and the Zanzibar archipelago
• Kenya: The Maasai Mara ecosystem
• Namibia: The Namib Desert and Sossusvlei region
• Mozambique: Benguerra Island and the Bazaruto Archipelago
• Rwanda: Mountain and gorilla-oriented travel

The company’s African travel-planning network extends beyond countries in which it directly operates lodges. This distinction matters. A destination may be available through an &Beyond itinerary even when accommodation is provided by an independent third party.

In Asia, &Beyond plans journeys in destinations including Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. &Beyond Punakha River Lodge in Bhutan represents a direct branded lodge operation, while other Asian itineraries may combine partner hotels, camps, guides, and transport.

In South America, &Beyond Vira Vira in Chilean Patagonia is an established branded property. The company also organizes journeys in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, and its Galápagos product adds expedition-style marine accommodation.

Public company materials have described a portfolio of approximately 30 lodges and camps, but the number changes as properties are opened, renovated, seasonally closed, or moved into or out of management. Announced developments should not be counted as operating properties until they begin receiving guests.

9. What Does &Beyond Provide?

Accommodation

The portfolio includes permanent safari lodges, seasonal or semi-permanent tented camps, private villas, island accommodation, wilderness retreats, and expedition accommodation. Rooms are often designed around views, privacy, outdoor living, and a visual connection to the landscape. Pools, decks, fireplaces, outdoor showers, or private plunge pools are available at some properties, but none should be assumed across the entire portfolio.

Guided wildlife and nature experiences

Guiding is one of the brand’s most important services. Depending on destination, activities can include game drives, guided walks, birding, tracking, boating, canoeing, fishing, marine excursions, hiking, riding, cultural visits, and photography support. In safari areas, guides may work with trackers who contribute local ecological and wildlife knowledge.

Dining and beverages

Lodges generally provide full-service meals and beverages because guests may have few practical alternatives in remote locations. Dining can range from lodge restaurants and communal tables to private meals, outdoor breakfasts, bush dinners, and in-room dining. Menus often incorporate regional ingredients and adapt to dietary requirements, although specific formats vary.

Wellness and fitness

Many properties offer massage or spa treatments, and some have fitness rooms, yoga spaces, pools, or wellness programs. The surrounding environment also contributes to the retreat proposition through quiet, low-density settings and outdoor activity. These facilities are property-dependent rather than universal brand standards.

Family services

Selected lodges offer family suites, private villas, flexible dining, child-oriented activities, and the WILDchild program. Age restrictions can apply to game drives, walks, certain camps, or shared safari vehicles. Families therefore need property-specific advice rather than assuming every lodge is equally suitable for young children.

Private travel and trip logistics

&Beyond can plan an entire itinerary rather than a single hotel booking. Services may include regional flights, road transfers, private guides, border and visa guidance, third-party accommodation, charter arrangements, and activity reservations. This reduces the number of separate suppliers a traveler or advisor must coordinate.

Celebrations, groups, and exclusive use

Private villas, camp buyouts, weddings, honeymoons, milestone trips, and multigenerational journeys are important uses of the portfolio. Conventional conference facilities are not a defining brand feature, but small executive groups or incentive trips can use exclusive properties where logistics and connectivity are suitable.

10. Why Do Guests Choose &Beyond?

Integrated planning for complex destinations

One reason travelers may choose &Beyond is the difficulty of arranging remote travel independently. Safari circuits often require light-aircraft flights, road transfers, park fees, guides, multiple lodges, and contingency planning. The company’s ability to coordinate these elements is especially relevant to first-time safari guests, families, and time-constrained travelers.

Specialist guiding

The brand places substantial emphasis on guides, trackers, naturalists, and interpretive experiences. Guests whose primary goal is to understand wildlife behavior, ecology, landscapes, or local culture may value this expertise more than a long list of conventional resort amenities.

Low-density properties in important natural locations

Many &Beyond properties have relatively few rooms or tents and are situated in private reserves, concessions, islands, or remote landscapes. This can provide privacy, reduced vehicle congestion in some safari settings, and a stronger sense of place. The degree of exclusivity depends on local land-use arrangements and whether activities take place on private or publicly accessible land.

A conservation and community context

Travelers who want tourism spending to be connected with habitat, wildlife, and local community initiatives may find the company’s operating philosophy relevant. The founding history at Phinda and subsequent conservation programs provide more institutional depth than a newly added sustainability message. Guests should nevertheless distinguish between broad brand commitments and the specific results of individual projects.

Personalization

Small lodges can adapt dining, activity timing, celebrations, and guide allocation to individual preferences. Private vehicles, villas, guides, or transfers may be available for an additional charge or included in selected arrangements. This is particularly useful for photographers, families, honeymooners, and travelers with a specific wildlife or activity objective.

Variety within one travel relationship

The portfolio can combine savanna, desert, delta, forest, island, mountain, and marine experiences. A traveler may use &Beyond for several stages of one itinerary while retaining a broadly consistent approach to service and logistics. Repeat guests can also use the company for journeys in different continents.

Accommodation designed around the destination

Guests may prefer a brand whose properties do not look identical. Architecture and interiors typically respond to climate, landscape, cultural references, and operational conditions. For design-conscious travelers, this destination-specific approach may be more appealing than standardized global hotel formats, even though it creates greater variation between properties.

11. Who Does &Beyond Serve?

Affluent nature and safari travelers

The central audience is the leisure traveler willing to pay for small-scale accommodation, professional guiding, remote logistics, and access to significant natural environments. This group includes both first-time safari guests who need extensive planning and experienced safari travelers seeking specific habitats, seasons, or species.

Couples and celebration travelers

Honeymooners, anniversary travelers, and couples are well suited to the privacy, scenic settings, private dining options, and activity-led days found at many properties. Island retreats, tented camps, and villas can support a highly private journey, although lodge atmosphere varies from social and communal to secluded.

Families and private multigenerational groups

Families may use private villas, interconnected accommodation, tailored guiding, and child-oriented activities. The strongest fit is usually at properties with family suites, flexible meal arrangements, and activities appropriate for different ages. Exclusive-use arrangements can help families control pace and daily schedules.

Wildlife, photography, and special-interest guests

Photographers, birders, conservation supporters, hikers, riders, anglers, and marine enthusiasts may select journeys built around a particular interest. Specialist vehicles, private guides, seasonal wildlife events, or focused activities can be incorporated when available.

Luxury travel advisors and private trip planners

&Beyond also serves an intermediary customer: the travel advisor or planner responsible for a complex client itinerary. Its destination-management infrastructure can provide a single operational relationship across accommodation, transport, guiding, and local support.

Routine corporate travelers are not the core audience. Small incentive groups, retreats, or leadership gatherings may use the portfolio, but the brand is designed principally around leisure, nature, and experiential travel rather than regular business-hotel demand.

12. What Defines the &Beyond Guest Experience?

The guest journey commonly begins before arrival. Travel designers help determine season, destination, routing, accommodation, activity level, and transfer requirements. This pre-trip planning is particularly important because some properties can only be reached by small aircraft, boat, four-wheel-drive vehicle, or a combination of transport modes.

Arrival at a lodge is generally personal and informal rather than modeled on a large hotel reception. Staff explain daily schedules, safety considerations, dining arrangements, and the natural environment. In safari destinations, the day is often organized around early-morning and late-afternoon wildlife activity, with meals and rest between excursions.

Service tends to be warm and conversational, supported by a relatively high ratio of staff to guests. Guides often become the main point of continuity because they accompany guests for multiple activities and interpret what they see. At some lodges, shared vehicles and communal dining encourage interaction; at others, villas and private services create a more secluded experience.

Rooms and public spaces typically use natural materials, local references, views, and indoor-outdoor design. The objective is usually to provide comfort without separating the guest completely from the destination. The exact balance ranges from tented simplicity to elaborate suites.

Dining, wellness, and special arrangements are fitted around the activity schedule. Technology is generally supportive rather than dominant, although connectivity varies substantially in remote locations. Some travelers may value limited connectivity, while others should confirm internet and mobile-service requirements before booking.

No single stay represents the entire brand. Weather, wildlife movement, guide availability, infrastructure, and local regulations can all affect the experience.

13. What Distinguishes &Beyond From Other Hotel Brands?

A combined lodge and journey-design model: &Beyond operates accommodation while also planning multi-destination trips. This gives it control over important parts of the journey beyond the hotel itself and distinguishes it from brands focused principally on room distribution.

A conservation project at the point of origin: The company grew from the restoration and operation of Phinda rather than adding conservation to an established urban hotel business. That origin has influenced the brand’s land, wildlife, and community framework for more than three decades.

Guiding as a central service discipline: Guides and trackers are not peripheral excursion providers. In many properties, they are central to guest satisfaction, safety, learning, and access. The company has invested in guide training and interpretive standards as part of its hospitality model.

Destination-specific properties: &Beyond seeks consistency in service philosophy, planning, and conservation context rather than through identical hotel designs. This gives individual lodges a strong local identity but also means the physical product and facility range can vary considerably.

A predominantly remote portfolio: Many hotel groups concentrate on gateway cities and established resorts. &Beyond specializes in places where access, staffing, utilities, food supply, conservation, and emergency planning require a different operating system. Its expertise in these conditions is a commercially important distinction.

14. How Should &Beyond Be Understood Today?

What remains central

Africa, safari guiding, small lodges, natural settings, and the relationship between tourism and conservation remain central to &Beyond. Phinda still provides the clearest expression of the founding model, while the company’s land, wildlife, and community framework gives its properties a shared strategic narrative.

What has changed

The company has evolved from an African conservation and lodge operator into a broader experiential travel business. The 2008 rebranding removed a geographically restrictive corporate name. Subsequent development in Patagonia, Bhutan, and the Galápagos expanded both the range of landscapes and the types of activity available under the brand.

Its product now includes not only safari lodges but also island hospitality, mountain and river retreats, marine expedition travel, and comprehensive itinerary design. The guest base has similarly broadened to include families, adventure travelers, cultural travelers, and people seeking private, multi-country journeys.

What the brand name signals today

As an analytical interpretation, the &Beyond name signals a high-service journey in which destination access, guiding, and natural surroundings matter at least as much as the room. It also suggests that the traveler is buying a coordinated system of accommodation, activities, transport, and local expertise.

Important limitations

&Beyond should not be interpreted as a uniform chain in which every lodge offers the same facilities. It is also not exclusively a safari brand, even though safari remains its strongest association. Finally, a conservation-oriented identity does not mean that every trip or property has identical impacts. Land tenure, local partnerships, transport emissions, community relationships, and environmental conditions differ by destination.

15. Frequently Asked Questions

When was &Beyond founded?

&Beyond was founded in 1991 as Conservation Corporation Africa. Its founding project was Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The company adopted the &Beyond name in 2008 as its geographic reach and travel services expanded.

Who founded &Beyond?

Alan Bernstein and Dave Varty are identified as principal founding figures, working with an early group of investors and managers. They developed a commercial tourism model intended to support wildlife restoration, hospitality employment, and neighboring communities.

Who owns &Beyond?

&Beyond is privately held and operates through its own corporate group. It is not owned by a major listed hotel chain. The company does not necessarily own the real estate beneath every lodge, since individual operations may involve leases, concessions, partnerships, or management arrangements.

Is &Beyond a luxury hotel brand?

Yes, &Beyond is generally positioned in experiential luxury hospitality. Its proposition combines small-scale accommodation, personalized service, specialist guiding, remote locations, and coordinated travel logistics. Property-level facilities and official rating classifications vary by country and lodge.

Where does &Beyond operate?

The brand’s strongest operating base is in Africa, including southern and eastern African safari and island destinations. It also operates or organizes journeys in Asia and South America, with direct branded products in locations including Bhutan, Chilean Patagonia, and the Galápagos.

Does &Beyond operate only safari lodges?

No. Safari lodges and camps form the historical core, but the portfolio also includes island accommodation, a Patagonian retreat, a Bhutanese river lodge, private villas, marine expedition travel, and customized cultural and adventure itineraries.

What is usually included in an &Beyond stay?

Inclusions differ by property. Many remote lodges include accommodation, meals, selected drinks, and scheduled activities such as game drives. Park fees, premium beverages, transfers, spa treatments, private vehicles, and specialist experiences may be charged separately, so guests should review each itinerary.

Why might travelers choose &Beyond?

Travelers may choose the brand for its destination knowledge, guides, small lodges, wildlife access, conservation history, and ability to coordinate complex journeys. It is particularly relevant to guests who want a managed nature experience rather than a conventional standalone hotel stay.