Branded Residences History and Future 1920's to 2030
The History and Future of Branded Real Estate
BRESI is the world’s first online marketplace and news website dedicated to the branded residences sector, and as part of our continued effort to chronicle all aspects of branded real estate, we take a deep dive into branded residences history, from its very earliest origins.
We have already written a snapshot piece around the general history of branded residences but this article will take it further to provide you with, the ultimate guide to the history of branded real residences, we will explore the very early days of this luxury real estate sector and how it has progressed during the last 100 years.
Branded real estate dates all the way back to the 1920’s and today it’s clearly recognised as one of the most exciting sectors of luxury real estate.
However as you read this history of branded residences you will quickly realise that this sector certainly took it’s time to become the mainstream product that it is today.
Branded residences are luxury private homes associated with a recognised brand, typically a hotel or lifestyle brand.
The history of branded real estate began with early hotel and residential developments in New York and by 2024 there were 1,400+ scheme worldwide (700 completed, 760 in pipeline) If current trends continue, by 2030 we could see as many as 4000 branded residential developments globally,
This detailed branded residences history overview traces the sectors journey from the 1920s through to today in 2025, and goes even further with what is projected until 2030.
The Early Origins of Branded Residences
The 1920’s - 30's
The earliest concept of branded residences took root in the 1920s, building on the Sherry-Netherland’s 1927 debut. In 1927, The Sherry-Netherland at 781 Fifth Avenue, New York City, introduced the branded residence model, offering private apartments with luxury hotel services.
Developed by restaurateur Louis Sherry and hotelier Lucius Boomer, the 38-story tower, designed by Schultze & Weaver with Buchman & Kahn, was the city’s tallest apartment and hotel development.
Its Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic facade, accented by gargoyles and a distinctive roofline, housed 165 hotel apartments for sale, from studios to expansive single-floor residences from the 24th to the 38th floors.
These unique service driven luxury homes were appealing to affluent buyers seeking a high-service, low-maintenance lifestyle at a prestigious address, exactly as they are today.
By 1930, New York’s economic recovery spurred similar projects. The Pierre, a luxury hotel opened in 1930, began offering private residences with hotel services with concierge and in room private dining options.
Read more about the branded residences early developments, that paved the way forward for the sector that we have today.
The Mid 1980’s
Hotel Brands Begin To Embrace The Concept
The 1980s marked a slight turning point and in many ways it was the true beginning for the branded real estate sector.
It was Four Seasons that played a key role in shaping the branded private residences model, and Boston was a critical starting point.
Four Seasons Hotel Boston was a luxury hotel with 273 rooms, but it also introduced a small number of private condominiums integrated into the property.
This was a novel concept at the time, as branded residences were still a niche market, with only a few predecessors from 50 years prior, so in essence this was the first of the modern era.
The residences were among the first to carry the Four Seasons Private Residences brand, offering owners access to the hotel’s amenities, such as concierge services, housekeeping, room service, and dining options
The residences were located in the upper floors of the building, designed to provide privacy while leveraging the hotel’s infrastructure.
Four Seasons will celebrate 40 years of private residences providing service driven hotel like homes, this year.
In Thailand, Aman launched Asia’s first branded residences in 1988, The Amanpuri Resort Phuket with approximately 30 private villas for sale. These three to ten bedroom villas, were integrated with the resort’s luxury services, that featured Thai-inspired design, hospitality and private swimming pools.
The villas were marketed as private sanctuaries, offering the seclusion of a personal home with the seamless service of a luxury resort, a concept that had never been seen outside of the US, but it was well received,
Aman offered owners the opportunity to join a rental program, allowing the villas to generate income when not in use, this concept proved to be very popular with wealthy Thai property investors from Bangkok
Owners enjoyed privileged access to Amanpuri’s facilities, including the Aman Spa, dining at multiple restaurants (e.g., Thai, Italian, and Japanese cuisine), water sports, diving expeditions, and the resort’s Holistic Wellness Centre.
Each villa came with a dedicated chef, housekeeper, and maintenance/security team, plus access to resort services like personal catering, babysitting, and concierge support.
The 1980’s were a slow but a pioneering period that established their viability, even though at this time most hotel companies were not actively participating in the sector nor did they see any benefit of doing so.
The Beginning of The Growth Era
Branded Residences 2000-2015
In 2000 Marriott International opened their first branded residences, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Washington D.C co located with a Ritz-Carlton hotel, other standout historical Marriott references were The Ritz-Carlton Residences Baltimore becoming the companies first standalone residences in 2008, and in 2010 the company opened it’s first branded residences overseas with The Ritz-Carlton Residences Singapore.
Between 2000-2012, the number of participating brands increased tenfold, which as a headline sounds amazing, but in terms of the number of developments they were still relatively low.
However with this said, it was considerable growth over previous years, we also began to see non hospitality brands entering the market with, Armani Hotel and Residences Burj Khalifa opening in 2010.
Although this growth had begun, branded residences were still not a global phenomenon and hotel companies remained cautious, as Jason Payne explains of his experiences in Asia.
“In 2010-12 I remember having great difficulty securing brands for projects that I was working on in Thailand, options were very limited, most operators that I spoke with, were very reluctant to jump on board, most BDM’s did not respond to my enquiries, and in reality I only gained meetings with operators due to my connections, I really had to become creative to secure brands for our projects.
To give you an idea of how “new” it was to some operators, our first development we paid no sales royalties, and initially signed only a HMA, it was only when we began advertising the residences for sale, that the operators legal department realised that there should be a licensing agreement.
Interviewed for the first edition of Chris Graham’s branded residences report, Javier Serrano at STR explained that the delay in becoming a fully established concept was because the operational costs and implications involved were not monitored, and as such they were not widely recognised as a profitable option.
2014-15 there was definitely a sea change, Chris Graham had published first highly acclaimed Branded Residences: An Overview in 2015.
At this point there were approximately 60 brands active in the sector. including a handful of non hospitality brands
The True Growth Era
2015-2024
By this period, hotel companies and brands had worked out the operational difficulties and conflicts of having a residential component within a project may cause, but also had realised that branded residences offered many benefits to them.
These benefits included brand exposure and to be perfectly honest revenue, and at this point in history, most hotel companies had added branded real estate as part of their growth plans.
Non hospitality brands quickly understood the benefits of branded real estate and began jumping in to the arena.
Fendi Chateau Residences in Surfside opened 2016 and The Porsche Design Tower Miami opened in 2017.
By 2020 there were 400 branded residences worldwide, with Asia and the U.S. accounting for the majority of developments, the growth continued and by 2022, the number of branded residence schemes globally was approximately 640, according to Savills, this reflected a significant increase from the 580 schemes reported in 2021, the sector had now grown by over 150% from the past decade.
By 2024, over 200 brands were active in the branded residences sector, spanning hospitality, fashion, automotive, jewellery, and other many other lifestyle sectors
Key markets included Dubai, Miami, New York, Phuket, and emerging hotspots like Vietnam’s Da Nang and Hoi An.
The Middle East and APAC were seeing the fastest growth.
Global Growth: The sector grew by 150% to 180% from 2014 to 2024, with some estimates suggesting a 198% increase in schemes over the decade.
Asia-Pacific (APAC): Branded residences in APAC grew by over 230% from 2014 to 2024, with Vietnam specifically seeing a 210% increase
Projects 2024: >1,500 schemes (700 completed, 760 in pipeline).
Hotel brands dominate, accounting for 79% of the market in 2023–2024, with luxury brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Marriott International leading the sector.
Non-hotel brands, such as ELIE SAAB Pininfarina, YOO, Aston Martin, and Baccarat, made up 19% of the market in 2023, increasing to 21% by the end of 2024.
A look in to The Future
Branded Residences 2025-2030
Branded residences have traveled a varied path. From 1930s experiments, The 1980s hotel boom, 1990 –2014 cautious expansion, and from 2015, to put it plain language we witnessed the sector “explode” to where we are today.
We think Chris Graham sums it up perfectly with the title headline from his latest branded residences report “The Relentless Rise of Branded Residences”
With approximately, 1500 projects either completed or in pipeline and a projected $120 billion market value, branded residences are now established and mainstream in the luxury real estate sector.
Growth is forecasted to double again in the next 5-6 years, and is not expected to slow down until we reach in the region of 4000 developments according to Savills.
Sustainability could dominate concepts, design and facilities, as developers and brands prioritise net-zero practices, solar energy, and recycled materials, driven by UHNW demand for eco-conscious homes.
Knight Frank projects 30% of branded residences by 2030 will meet green certifications in line with the growing global importance of developing sustainable real estate, and its alignment with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
Artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape operations. Smart homes will integrate AI-driven concierge systems, predicting resident needs, booking travel, and adjusting lighting.
We have a lot of this currently being implemented including residents security systems that use facial recognition for predictive analytics and entry to the homes and facilities.
Global expansion will continue to accelerate. India will add at least 20–30 new developments by 2030, Dubai will maintain leadership, new brands will enter, and expect more sports franchises, like Chelsea Football Club who announced their participation this month on May 1st 2025, with the launch of Chelsea Residences
The Future is bright and the future is branded