Hotels today advance how people live in cities, travel around the world, conduct business, commune with nature and even construct their fantasy lives. The modern hotel not only offers a place to sleep, but also provides its guests with an escapist experience through its design, sense of spectacle and amenities. Hotels are becoming destinations in themselves and, in times of the experience economy, properties aim to become “the ultimate hotel experience”. This paper's objectives are to understand the evolution of this specific segment, to analyse the conceptual framework that led to the current scenario, to get acquainted with the trendsetters and to feel the new wind blowing throughout the hotel business. The paper investigates the origin and evolution of the so called “boutique”, “design”, “hip” and “lifestyle” hotels, reviewing the major players, along with references to over 40 properties chosen for their peculiarity in design, innovative concept, unique marketing strategies, etc. Nowadays and more than ever, brands are mirrors for their customers. The hotel industry has taken good notice of this fact, thus the branding efforts and trends compiled through the study - such as co-branding and brands as experiences - are presented. Different hotel concepts, the philosophy behind them and the branding techniques employed by this hotel industry niche are included in the paper.