A new hospitality model is quietly taking shape in rural destinations across Europe. Instead of operating as single, self-contained buildings, hotels are becoming shared-service hubs—connecting dispersed accommodation, reactivating dormant villages, and turning fragmented tourism into a cohesive experience.
In this model, the “hotel” becomes less about rooms and more about coordination, community, and continuity.
The FutureHotel Synergy Hub model is presented as a 2035 projection for hotels by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, a German-based applied research organization known for mapping long-term structural shifts across industries. The projection outlines how the hospitality industry could evolve over the next decade in response to demographic change, sustainability pressures, and fragmented tourism ecosystems.
However, from our perspective, this shift is no longer theoretical. Many of the practices described—shared services, dispersed accommodation, workation models, community integration, and heritage-led development—are already emerging in practice. We expect a significant portion of these predictions to materialize much earlier, with several elements becoming mainstream as soon as 2026, driven less by innovation hype and more by necessity.
From Isolated Stays to Shared Destinations
Rather than consolidating everything under one roof, the FutureHotel Synergy Hub serves as a central operational and social hub for multiple, dispersed accommodations—guesthouses, apartments, small inns, and historic buildings — spread across a village or region.
What ties them together is not architecture, but shared services:
- reception and guest support
- booking and payment systems
- housekeeping and maintenance
- staff, skills, and infrastructure
This approach increases efficiency, reduces waste, and makes small-scale tourism viable again—especially in places where standalone hotels no longer make economic sense.
A Hotel for Guests, Locals, and Workers Alike
One of the most radical shifts in this model is its target audience.
Guests, residents, employees, and business partners are all considered equal users of the system. Roles overlap. A guest might also be a remote worker. A local might host visitors, provide services, or co-own part of the infrastructure. Employees are not invisible labor, but part of the destination’s social fabric.
The result is a living hospitality ecosystem, not a transactional stay.
Heritage, Health, and Responsibility Built In
These hubs place strong emphasis on:
- local heritage and historic buildings
- mental and physical well-being
- sustainability and nature-based activities
- community responsibility for the destination
Carbon-negative stays, nature-first experiences, and “giving back by default” are not add-ons; they are core design principles. The destination itself—its people, landscape, and traditions—becomes the main attraction.
Who This Model Actually Works For
This approach is particularly suited to:
- family-owned guesthouses and small independent hotels
- locally managed apartments and rentals
- hosts approaching retirement who lack digital skills
- communities with strong identity but weak infrastructure
Larger stakeholders still play a role, providing digital platforms, booking systems, and operational know-how. The difference is that the value stays local, rather than being extracted by external chains.
Where It Makes Sense
FutureHotel Synergy Hubs are emerging primarily in:
- rural destinations with aging or declining populations
- places struggling to attract seasonal workers
- regions with strong seasonality and underused buildings
- nature-based destinations focused on hiking, sailing, biking, or wellness
These are often places without a clear village center—no agora, no hub, no common space. The hotel hub effectively becomes that missing center.
Rethinking Hotel Real Estate
Instead of new construction, the model relies on a mix of old and new:
- restored historic guesthouses
- small inns and apartments
- flexible shared spaces
- mixed-use buildings combining lodging, food, retail, and community use
To counter seasonal downtime, many hubs offer workation and long-stay options, enabling year-round use. Financing often comes from a blend of impact investors, niche real estate funds, cooperatives, and community crowdfunding—ensuring long-term alignment with local needs.
Who Stays in These Places
The guest profile is diverse, but consistent in values:
- Eco-conscious travelers seeking low-impact, locally rooted stays
- Adventure travelers drawn by nature and outdoor activity
- Wellness seekers prioritizing calm, health, and balance
- Multi-generational families need accessible, varied experiences
- Digital nomads combining remote work with meaningful surroundings
What unites them is not age or income, but a desire for connection over consumption.
The FutureHotel Synergy Hub is less a radical invention than a course correction—a response to overtourism, empty villages, and the limits of centralized hospitality.
It suggests a future in which tourism does not replace local life but supports it. And where a hotel is no longer just a place to sleep, but a reason for a place to exist at all.
