The best surprise is no surprise at all?

Independent hotel brand

In the 1970s, Holiday Inn revolutionized the concept of homogenizing the hospitality experience in the United States. Increasingly, travelers wanted to know exactly where they were going to stay when they got tired. This is how the brand hotel as we know it today was born, the same here as there as everywhere. Holiday Inn created an expected level of value and experience that was solidified in its new slogan of 1975, “The best surprise is no surprise.” His was a promise of low prices, consistent quality and convenient locations to a generation of Americans who hit the road for business and pleasure.

Jumping forward 35 years, we can see the relative benefits and challenges that a world of branded hospitality has brought to the world. Hyatt, Hilton, Westin, Doubletree, W and Holiday Inn have consolidated their own brands and extensions of those brands so everyone knows exactly what they’re getting when they walk into the lobby anywhere in the world. There really is no more surprise to the millions of travelers who expect and demand the attributes these brands consistently deliver.

It could be concluded that this evolution of brand hotels would have resulted in the absolute destruction of the independent hotel market. not so In fact, over the past 15 years, supply growth for the stand-alone segment has lagged that of the branded segment by only 4-5%. Additionally, what independent hotels stand to lose to brand hotels in full occupancy, they typically make up for in average daily rate (ADR).

So what is the real challenge for the independent hotel in a world dominated by brands? It is imperative that the independent hotel owner takes the brand as seriously as their branded competitors. That means developing a brand strategy plan well in advance of hiring the architect, interior designers, food and beverage experts, advertising agency and hotel staff. The independent hotel must specify exactly who it is going to serve. They must define that audience (persona) from a demographic and psychographic perspective. It is essential, because that is exactly what brand hotels do.

When you check into a Westin, you know exactly what kind of guest will be there. What you want as an independent may be a very different guest, one looking for a unique hospitality experience, one you can’t get at a branded hotel. This is the great opportunity to deliver this new expectation of value and experience that is unique to your offering. Doing this any other way will create an undefined and adrift hotel property. Marketing becomes hugely costly and ineffective when you don’t know exactly who you’re marketing to. Once the transient and group goals are defined, you can create a brand strategy around them.

An independent boutique hotel that has done a great job of creating a unique experience unmatched by any branded hotel is The Ellis Hotel in downtown Atlanta. Well-defined guest personalities are articulated throughout branding, marketing, food and beverage, as well as in-room amenities. Difficult to do well, and they have done well.

Once you’ve created a branding strategy, you can call back the architects, designers, and F&B people. Now you have a brand, now you can build, now you can fill rooms with the confidence that you’ve done your homework and can deliver something brand name hotels can’t, because sometimes the best surprise is a well thought out and unique surprise.