Each month, the Independent Lodging Congress closes its Off the Cuff series with a candid conversation alongside an independent hotel owner, operator, or developer. For its May edition, the ILC handed the reins to Larry Korman, President of Hotel AKA and AKA Hotel Residences, for a wide-ranging talk about where hospitality is headed and what he is building next.
As a fifth-generation real estate company, Korman Communities develops, creates, manages, and operates properties under the AKA brand. That hands-on model is the foundation of AKA Hotel Residences and its pied-à-terre on demand concept, a luxury serviced residence built for stays of a week or longer. In the interview, Larry connects that long-stay tradition to the growing slow travel movement, which encourages guests to stay longer and experience a place more profoundly. He also makes a clear case for keeping the personal touch at the center of the guest experience, with technology serving as an enabler rather than a replacement for human connection.
The headline from the conversation is the introduction of Atelier AKA Health + Wellness, the signature program that brings well-being alongside lodging and dining as a core part of the AKA stay. As Larry puts it, the work right now is “completing the AKA trifecta: lodging, dining, and now well-being. We’re proud to introduce Atelier AKA Health + Wellness, bringing together integrative health, functional medicine, elevated fitness, spa, sleep, and more. For our long-stay guests and residents, wellness isn’t an amenity, it’s a way of life. And true hospitality means caring for the whole person, every day they call AKA home.”
Atelier AKA Health + Wellness is designed around the natural rhythms of daily life, with offerings that are easy to integrate into a guest routine while away from home. The program pairs world-class fitness through a partnership with Technogym, the proprietary a.sleep rest and recovery program, healthy dining across AKA outlets, and a network of wellness partners in each city.
For partners and investors, the launch signals a deliberate next phase of growth. AKA is extending its long-stay platform into well-being in a way that deepens the value of each residence and reinforces the company’s position as a developer and operator of luxury serviced living. It reflects a principle that founder Steven Korman set long ago, that a property can get a day older, or a day better. Atelier AKA Health + Wellness is built on the second.
Read the full Off the Cuff conversation with Larry Korman on the Independent Lodging Congress, and explore Atelier AKA Health + Wellness at stayaka.com.
ABOUT
AKA Hotel Residences is the luxury hospitality brand of Korman Communities, a fifth-generation residential real estate company that develops, creates, manages, and operates its properties. Built on the pied-à-terre on demand concept, AKA offers fully appointed residences paired with boutique hotel service for stays of a week or longer in leading cities. Learn more at stayaka.com and follow company news at korman.com/about/news.
