Whether it's a new-build property or a 100-year hotel that has witnessed history, storytelling is what sets boutique hotels apart from branded properties.

During the "Staying Independent in a Very Corporate World" panel at the online 2021 Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference by TIEWN, Moniqua Lane, owner of The Downtown Clifton hotel and forthcoming Citizen Hotel, both in Tucson, Arizona, said her decision to open independent hotels was dictated by location.

Both properties are "buried in the residential heart of downtown" Tucson right around the central business district, she said.

"It never occurred to me to try to have a branded hotel," she said. "The property [and] the neighborhood lent itself to an independent. I love being independent. The costs associated with a flag [were] something I couldn't do at the time and I've never looked back. I don't think I would ever do anything other than an independent hotel. I'm really happy with the choice that was given to me."

Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar)