Branded residences: the premium, the pipeline and the risk

Savills puts the global average premium at 33% over comparable non-branded homes, rising to about 39% in resort locations against 30% in urban ones. The figure is highly local: roughly 20% in established cities and above 50% in emerging markets. In Miami, branded units trade at 30% to 65% more per square foot than comparable Class A condos, with the Four Seasons Surf Club at +72%.

Historically yes in mature markets, with caveats. Branded residences delivered roughly 65% capital appreciation over the five years to 2026 and transact around 25% faster than comparable non-branded stock. The risks are contractual rather than cyclical: management agreements can expire before ownership does, service charges run materially higher, and ArentFox Schiff flags the financing difficulty of co-located schemes where the hotel must stay viable.

Dubai leads globally with 64 completed projects and 87 more planned, followed by Miami with 48 completed and 55 planned, and New York in third place. São Paulo, London, Cairo, Istanbul, Bangkok and Phuket complete the leaderboard. Savills projects that by 2032 no single region will hold more than a quarter of global supply, which is the signature of genuine globalisation rather than a localised bubble.

The global average has held near a third, but the composition beneath it is shifting downward. The midscale segment grew 24% in 2024, per ArentFox Schiff, and the two largest hotel groups are extending their names into rentals: Marriott with W, and Hilton through a Placemakr partnership adding up to 3,000 apartment units. As a brand appears at more price points, the blended premium is likely to compress.