“Guests don’t want cookie-cutter experiences repeated in state after state,” says Calvin Quick, manager of the Hotel Aspen InnSuites Boutique Collection. “The Internet is the ‘great leveler’ for the independent minded traveler to pick among many flags or to pick a boutique flag secure in the knowledge that it’s part of a larger collection.”

The Hotel Aspen, for example, sets itself apart with fresh, clean studios and suites featuring white high-thread-count sheets on pillow-top beds with bold colored throws, flat-screen TVs, granite vanities, free Internet, a hip new logo and bright colors throughout the property. The brand, which was founded in 1980, now includes 10 hotels.

Each hotel has a unique name and “feel.” But it’s more than that, says Pamela Barnhill, division vice president at InnSuites: “For instance, one 168-unit hotel’s GOP increased $284,000 in the first eight months of 2008 compared to the same eight-month period in 2007.”

Lower costs, as compared with international brand flagging, allow member hotels to spend more on amenities such as free breakfasts and free evening social hours, according to the company. Plus, hotels benefit from a strong brand and reservations system while retaining ownership of their website and their toll-free reservations number. Members also control their own GDS Internet connection.

Web resources: www.innsuitesboutiquehotelcollection.com