What does a hotel owe its guests beyond a comfortable place to sleep? For a long time, the general consensus seemed to be a continental breakfast, a loyalty program and pool access from Memorial Day to early October. As long as the basics were covered, a solid trip would surely follow.
For decades, the biggest names in hospitality built their dominance on exactly that logic. Chains like Hilton and Holiday Inn made predictability their product; no matter the city, a glance at the logo told guests exactly what kinds of activities and amenities they could expect.
A growing number of travelers, however, are finding that an experience that could exist anywhere misses the point of going somewhere in the first place. In search of something more rooted, they’re booking with boutique hotels, where local immersion is its own unique offering.
In repositioning themselves as insiders to their destinations rather than just providers of beds and breakfast, boutique hotels are subtly rewriting the rules of hospitality PR.
The Flying Fifty
For visitors of Cullman, Alabama, a taste of the small-town South has never been more accessible thanks to Paul and Challie Knetter, founders of The Flying Fifty Hotel.
When Cullman Savings Bank built a new drive-through location, it wanted the upper floors of its new building to give something back to the community. The Knetters, already seasoned in real estate and short-term rentals, were brought on to manage the space and transformed it into a one-of-a-kind luxury hotel highlighting the city they called home.
The Flying Fifty’s name is a reference to one of Cullman’s defining moments. In the 1950s, the city faced an economic depression that forced many residents to leave due to job scarcity. When residents heard a cigar-rolling factory in Florida planned to relocate to the Bible Belt, 50 men flew to Jacksonville to meet with the owner, who agreed to settle in Cullman provided the town covered site development costs.
In just three weeks, Cullman residents raised $83,000, pooling resources at a time when few had much to spare. Following the factory’s relocation, industry in the area started to pick up. Today, Cullman County’s GDP is a little over $4 billion.
“Because of what they did,” says Challie Knetter, “there are so many more factories and job opportunities here in Cullman. They’re also a huge reason why we’re getting travelers today.”
The Flying Fifty honors its namesake by weaving Cullman’s history and culture into the guest experience at every level. Several suites are designed with local landmarks in mind, including Wallace State Community College and Ave Maria Grotto, a park on the grounds of Alabama’s only Benedictine abbey. Every mattress and set of linens comes from Cullman’s own Serta factory and HomTex, a linen manufacturer headquartered in the city.
Guests are also offered complimentary access to the Cullman Wellness and Aquatics Center, an invitation to experience the community firsthand, not just sleep in it.
According to Knetter, using local business partnerships to create a unique guest experience was intentional from the start. “It was surprising as we got into the process of creating the hotel to discover how many local products we could offer guests, and as we grow, we’re still trying to add more.”
For a hotel without the marketing budget of a national chain, that intentionality serves a purpose beyond just being hospitable. By grounding the guest experience in the specifics of Cullman culture, the Flying Fifty immerses visitors in a story worth telling. While search engine optimization helps bring some travelers to the door, word of mouth buzz is what really drives business.
“Since we’re small, we have to be strategic about offering cool amenities and making them even cooler, something you can’t offer in a larger hotel,” Knetter said. “After we get people in the door, once they stay and experience it, they want to come back and they tell other people about it.”
Hotel Bardo
Across state lines in the riverside city of Savannah, Georgia, Hotel Bardo operates with a similar community-focused philosophy, but a different way of executing it. Established in 2024, Bardo is the flagship property of private equity company Left Lane, and functions as a sort of neighborhood clubhouse as well as a resort.
In addition to its MICHELIN Key-winning rooms and suites, Hotel Bardo offers a wide range of experiences and events through its private social club, Club Bardo. From cooking classes that feature local farmer’s market ingredients to weekly jazz nights and daily yoga, Club Bardo is as much a neighborhood institution as it is a hotel offering.
According to Vanessa Tilley, Left Lane’s vice president of brand and marketing, the majority of Club Bardo members are permanent Savannah residents. While most hotel programming is designed to pull visitors into a new city and keep them engaged once they arrive, Club Bardo flips that logic, drawing locals into the hotel and letting guests meet the residents at the door.
Tilley points to the hotel’s weekly mahjong night as a prime example of that phenomenon in practice. The event didn’t originate with the hotel’s programming team, but with Club Bardo members who already played and wanted a regular space to gather. Tilley’s instinct was simply to make it official.
“Now, every Wednesday night is mahjong night. [Club Bardo members] were excited because they had the space and friends to play, and our hotel guests were also excited because they came to town and there’s someone who likes playing mahjong,” she said. “They make friends with similar interests, and we give them a basis for it to keep happening.”
Even the space itself reflects the community it was built for. Throughout the hotel, original art from the Savannah College of Art and Design gives rooms and common areas a sense of local style that no chain property could replicate. One of Tilley’s favorite works is an orange, pink and yellow mural by SCAD graduate Julianna Lupaccino (known professionally as Julu) that graces the hotel’s poolside lounge.
Bardo’s relationship with its artists doesn’t end upon installation. Lupaccino returns to the hotel periodically to lead workshops for Club Bardo members and hotel guests, opening a window into her creative process and her growth as an artist. These sessions add a layer of experience for guests while extending the artwork’s meaning beyond its frame, keeping the conversation between the hotel and its community alive.
Hotel Bardo’s community-involved approach has resulted in positive experiences shared in person, online and in publications such as Southern Living and the Condé Nast Traveler. In its two years of operation, it has proved that a bit of personality and local flair can go a long way.
Putting community at the center of guests’ stays might be the most powerful strategy in hospitality PR right now. Whether it’s sleeping on a mattress made just down the street or sitting down to play games with locals like a neighbor, the unique experiences boutique hotels offer give them a competitive edge over traditional chains.
As these independent properties continue to gain media recognition, earn awards and inspire visitors to return home and share the experience themselves, the signal they send to the industry is clear: for some travelers, immersion is its own kind of souvenir.
