The term "lifestyle" hotel is synonymous with "boutique" hotel and "design" hotel.  Historically, these have been hotels that catered, both in their service and in their appearance, to a select group of clientele.  They have also typically been smaller than their mass-market counterparts, rarely having more than 150+ rooms, and usually less than 50.  This is partially to give better service to Guests and a higher level of involvement by the staff, but also because many were opened in old homes, inns, or other buildings that simply could not accommodate large numbers of rooms.
 
Ian Schrager, a prominent New York hotelier (and part founder of the Studio 54 discotheque), is credited with creating the boutique hotel segment in the 1980s.  His hotels, such as Morgans, Royalton, and Hudson (lobby pictured above) along with additional boutique hotels that had opened in San Francisco and London during the same period, formed the beginning of the current market segment.  Boutique hotels can now be found in almost every country in the world.
 
The growing need to differentiate brands and attract Guests has led multi-national companies to adopt this as the basis for several new chains.  These boutique or lifestyle brands tend to incorporate some regional or local influence in the design and décor while being consistently contemporary and stylish.  They focus on more affluent and urban segments of the market.  Because of the locations and market segment focus, these also tend to be very luxurious hotels.
 
This fairly recent emergence of chain boutique hotels has led many of the traditional boutique hotels to further refine their own image by offering experiences and amenities that can be found no where except for that single location.  Many times this involves incorporating local culture or ecology into the experience.
 
Regardless of which boutique or lifestyle hotel you may stay at, you can be assured of a unique experience.  As this segment continues to evolve and grow, there will no doubt be additional manifestations of the concept coming to market that will benefit consumers and all industry participants alike.