Thinking About Travel from a Jail Cell

Greetings.   For the past ten years I have had the privilege of working with some of the world's leading hospitality companies which has given me the opportunity to stay in some remarkable places.  Hotels in amazing locations with grand entrances, beautiful lobbies, and inspiring public spaces.  Hotels with large and luxurious guest rooms filled with cool furnishings and even cooler amenities.  And hotels with fantastic restaurants and very attentive service.  But that's not the only way to be remarkable.  And this point was brought to mind again this week when we stayed at the Langholmen Vandrarhem in Stockholm–a youth hostel or "wanderer's home" that was, until 1975, a very large prison.  Mind you, this is not a particularly fancy or expensive place to stay–though it is a bit pricey by hostel standards.  But through the vision and genius of its design team the prison has been transformed into a very different and memorable traveling experience.  An experience in which the guests stay in former prison cells that measure roughly 60 square feet (or 6 square meters for those of you who think metrically).

Sixty square feet that included two beds–i.e., bunk beds, a very skinny ladder, a small closet, a narrow but quite functional desk and desk chair, a small but comfortable reading chair, a safe for valuables, several small strategically-placed shelves and nooks for putting useful things, plenty of outlets and lighting fixtures, a very easy and efficient wireless internet connection, and a small flatscreen TV with remote.  Along with a book about Sweden's most notorious criminals and a series of fun pictures above the beds showing some of the property's most famous former residents.  All in 60 square feet that commanded a guest's curiosity and required a bit of impromptu space management in order to live in harmony with your suitcase, backpack, or whatever other stuff you travel with.

And surrounded by fun and engaging "prison" decor that began the moment the front doors swung open and continued through reception and in every corner of the property and its public areas.

All wrapped around a simple and remarkable story.  

And I got to thinking about how much space we really need.  Not just in our hotel rooms, but also in our business and personal lives.  And how having less space forces us to focus on what is really important and to clear out all of the stuff that doesn't really matter.  It's an idea that is especially  important in these challenging times in order to make sure that we are delivering real value in any industry.  Value that is focused on what customers really need to be successful while cutting out all of the stuff that isn't necessary.  Value wrapped around a simple and remarkable story.

 

We win in business when we create really unique and interesting experiences for those we serve.  And when we can inspire people to talk (or write) about them.

Cheers!