West Elm announced this week that it will be opening a boutique hotel in Portland, Maine, the retailer's sixth such property scheduled to open in the next two-and-a-half years. Other hotels are scheduled for Detroit; Minneapolis; Savannah, Ga.; Oakland, Calif.; and Indianapolis. The hotels will essentially serve as massive showrooms for the furniture and home decor retailer, as guests will be able to purchase the furnishings and artwork in their rooms on West Elm’s website. In episode 62 of Total Retail Talks, I have a conversation with Peter Fowler, vice president of hospitality and workspace at West Elm, in which he discusses the retailer's out-of-the-box decision to get into the hotel business.