Low Service Design

March 19, 2008 in patterns, research

From the Wall Street Journal:

In the past few years, more than a half-dozen small hotel groups have been cropping up in Britain and across Europe, offering cost-conscious accommodation. Though their rates and services vary, all are shrinking costs by cutting unessential amenities, which, depending on the property, can mean space, check-in staff, or natural light.

Describing themselves as “budget luxury,” “micro-boutique,” or “low-service design,” most also are offering upmarket touches in the form of stylish furniture, sophisticated electronics or perks such as free movies and Wi-Fi. The result is a pared-down service and lower rates.

Clayton Christensen wrote about this class of low-end innovation in his 2004 article Cheaper, Faster, Easier: Disruption in the Service Sector in Strategy & Innovation.