Brand positioning and differentiation is the greatest opportunity for large budget hotel chains right now. Small and luxury hotel brands are going to give way to industry shrinkage leaving market share for less expensive hotels with the best reputations. Investing in branding now and snagging available market share now will position these hotels to be top of mind when the economy rebounds.

One way for budget hotels to invest in branding, or re-branding, while managing base costs is modular interior design. Using modular design elements is a great low cost way to refresh the interiors of budget hotels that will now attract former luxury and business travelers. Modular design is attractive and easy to assemble so a refresh doesn’t have to disrupt the daily flow of business. Additionally modular fixtures can be reconfigured as necessary to spruce up the look of the hotel again and again.

According to the New York Times, “new properties, planned during the early stages of the boom years, continue to open.” The show must go on. However, hoteliers must very carefully manage the costs of these expansions and new constructions so that rates will remain competitive and new customers will be excited about staying. Modular is going to be the way to do it.

Modular Bathroom Design

Mobile POS systems are not entirely new. Apple stores use a mobile system and the UPS drivers’ computer signature pad is another example. What makes the Sparrow unique is all the functionality built into this one sleek, compact gadget. With the Sparrow, your salesperson can pull up your preferences based on past purchases, check inventory, show you product information and check you out all while standing on the sales floor.

For the shopper this means, no more waiting for a salesperson to check the stock room or waiting in long lines. For the retailer this means connecting more with your customers, eliminating the cash wrap and freeing more valuable floor space for product displays. 

Designed by Aruliden, the Motorola Sparrow won a 2008 International Design Excellence Award for Communication Tools and was featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition.