In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Asli Kutlucan, CEO Europe at TFE Hotels, joins host Jessica Gillingham to explore how hospitality is evolving into something more fluid — where the lines between hotel, home, and lifestyle are becoming increasingly blurred.
TFE Hotels is leaning into what it calls “casual living” — a model that blends the comfort of home with the consistency and service of a hotel. With 22 properties across Europe, the group is scaling its Adina and Moment brands to meet growing demand for flexible, service-driven stays that can stretch from a few nights to several months.
Asli shares how this shift is being driven by changing guest expectations. Younger generations have grown up with Airbnb, co-living, and branded student housing — and they now expect the same flexibility, simplicity, and service in every stage of life. For many, ownership is no longer the goal. Convenience is. And that’s reshaping how hospitality and residential living come together.
The conversation dives into:
- Why “casual living” is emerging as a key growth segment — and how it combines hotel services with home-like functionality for modern, mobile lifestyles.
- How TFE is expanding Adina and launching Moment to capture demand for flexible, extended stays across Europe.
- Why extended stay hospitality remains underpenetrated in Europe compared to global markets — and what that means for growth.
- How guest expectations are shifting toward fully serviced living, from cleaning and maintenance to seamless digital experiences.
- The operational shift toward tech-enabled service, where automation removes friction and allows teams to focus on genuine, human interaction.
- How staff recruitment is evolving — prioritizing community-minded, service-oriented people over traditional hotel administrative roles.
Asli also explains how the MMNT (Moment) brand is being designed as a tech-forward, community-driven concept. Guests arrive already checked in digitally, freeing staff from transactional tasks and allowing them to focus on creating a more personal, informal experience. It’s a subtle but important shift — from service delivery to relationship building.
Beyond operations, TFE is also embracing adaptive reuse as a core growth strategy. By transforming underutilized office and retail spaces into flexible living environments, the group is addressing both urban vacancy challenges and sustainability goals. Projects like the upcoming Hamburg development — converting multiple floors into over 100 units — highlight how hospitality can unlock new value in existing city infrastructure.
Technology plays a central role in enabling this model. TFE’s new GXP guest experience platform, launching across Europe, is designed to streamline the entire guest journey — from check-in to service requests — while also improving staff efficiency behind the scenes. Asli is clear: the goal isn’t to replace people, but to free them up to deliver better hospitality.
Looking ahead, TFE is accelerating its European expansion, with new openings in the UK and continued growth of both Adina and Moment across key markets. The ambition is clear — to lead the casual living space by offering flexible, tech-enabled, and service-led experiences that match how people actually want to live today.
