Garry Reed
Evergreen Lifestyle Villages
Managing Director
The future of retirement: A hotel-style experience
As the world of retirement evolves, more retirees are seeking luxurious living that combines the comforts of home with the luxury of a hotel, allowing them to enjoy a rich and rewarding retirement lifestyle.
This growing trend—known as ”hotelification”—is transforming the retirement landscape both abroad and locally. It involves integrating hotel-style services and amenities into retirement communities, with developers prioritising beautifully designed communal spaces, high-quality recreational, leisure, and outdoor facilities that foster a vibrant, social environment.
Retirees are not simply passing the time; they demand a retirement lifestyle enhanced by high-end hospitality, resort-style facilities, luxurious accommodation, and value-added services such as in-room dining, health and wellness programmes, concierge services, and expertly curated social events.
“We are leading the hotelification trend on home soil by offering residents a retirement experience that seamlessly blends hotel-like luxury, convenience, and independence,” says Garry Reed, MD of Evergreen Lifestyle Villages. “Our villages provide much more than just a home—they boast a range of hotel-style amenities that enable retirees to enjoy a lifestyle rich in comfort, high in quality, and thoughtfully designed with everything needed to live your best life.”
Recent research shows that retirees are looking for these qualities in retirement villages:
Premium amenities
This includes a variety of hotel-style amenities, such as modern, spacious homes designed with comfort and convenience in mind. Lifestyle centres should offer lounges, libraries, games rooms, and entertainment areas where residents can relax and connect. Additionally, health and wellness centres, resort-style sports and recreational facilities, and lush gardens all aim to enhance the retirement experience. Residents can enjoy a socially connected lifestyle with a range of activities— from movie nights and wine tastings to canasta evenings and art classes.
Exceptional hospitality
Competent village management teams are available to assist with daily needs. Housekeeping, hospitality, IT, administration, cleaning, maintenance, gardening, healthcare, and security are all managed, allowing residents to spend their time doing what they enjoy.
Dining experiences
Gone are the days of overcooked, tasteless old-age home meals. Hotel-style retirement villages offer restaurant-quality gourmet dining options prepared by trained chefs, with menus catering to a variety of tastes, nutritional needs, and dietary preferences. Residents can enjoy the company of friends or opt for convenient takeaway services.
Health and wellness care
With active ageing at the heart of retirement villages, health and wellness programmes are designed to promote physical and mental well-being. From fully equipped gyms and heated swimming pools to yoga and meditation sessions, residents can enjoy a healthy, active retirement. Tailored to individual needs, these programmes ensure a holistic approach to wellness that is both restorative and energising.
Financial flexibility
Today’s savvy retirees may not wish to invest all their savings into top-end accommodation; many prefer the flexibility of a compact, lock-up-and-go lifestyle that affords the freedom to travel and the spare funds to do so.
Community engagement
Hotelified retirement living isn’t solely about amenities—it’s about bringing residents together to foster a sense of community. Whether participating in a painting class, attending a guest lecture, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee with neighbours, residents always find ways to stay socially engaged.
“As the demand for hotel-style living in retirement continues to grow, we remain committed to redefining what it means to retire in style,” Reed concludes.
