The Indie Boutique Hotel Leveraging Scrappy Rock N Roll Vibes to Stand Out

When guests walk into Jams Music Hotel in Munich, Germany, they encounter a floor-to-ceiling mural of Prince and a chance to pick out albums from the hotel’s vast collection of vinyl to play on the record player in their room.

“From this first moment with the guest, we have a connection, and it starts with the records they can borrow,” said Alexander Kaufmann, the boutique hotel’s founder.

Kaufmann needs to win visitors’ hearts — and ears — right away with his six-story, 65-room property. Independently owned boutique hotels face financing and distribution disadvantages relative to the global chains. The story of Jams tells a broader tale about how boutique hotels created by individuals and small companies can thrive in the shadow of behemoths.

Genuine boutique hotels, like Jams, contend with faux boutique brands from much better-capitalized owners. Yet Kaufmann thinks being small has its upsides. Casting a more personal eye on design elements can make a place memorable. By creating a more intimate relationship with guests, a hotel can encourage more word-of-mouth recommendations.

Jams has a ’70s music-themed interior that strives to look less “corporate” than chain music hotels like Hard Rock Hotels. The distinctiveness has helpe