Hospitality Reimagined: Converting Offices into Lifestyle Destinations. Ft. Eric Jafari at AENDRE

Converting offices into hospitality destinations is not just a design exercise. It is planning, finance, consumer behaviour, ESG, operations and understanding what people now want from places.

Stephen Drew speaks with Eric Jafari of AENDRE about office-to-hotel conversions, extended stay hospitality, lifestyle-led real estate and how underused buildings can become more active destinations.

The conversation covers:

• How office buildings can become hospitality and lifestyle destinations
• What extended stay guests expect from design and operations
• Why planning, ESG and sustainability shape conversion viability
• How architects can work effectively with hospitality developers
• What technology and wellness trends mean for the future of hospitality

Read the episode on Architecture Social: Hospitality Reimagined with Eric Jafari

Watch on YouTube: Eric Jafari at AENDRE

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Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and welcome
• 00:50 Meet Eric Jafari
• 01:47 Eric's journey from Los Angeles to London
• 03:06 Building innovative hospitality concepts
• 05:15 Converting office spaces
• 06:00 Lessons from hospitality projects
• 13:39 Extended stay design insights
• 18:39 Successful architect partnerships
• 23:31 Navigating planning challenges
• 29:37 Office-to-hotel conversion challenges
• 32:12 Consumer preferences in extended stay hotels
• 33:23 ESG compliance and sustainability
• 35:06 Gen Z and changing consumer expectations
• 38:39 Technology in hospitality
• 43:17 Wellness and hospitality destinations
• 46:52 Trends and personal lessons
• 53:24 Conclusion and final thoughts

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