Hospitality guru Rob Blood doubles the size of his boutique hotel empire

Blood likes to say he never went to hospitality school, so he never learned the conventional wisdom that it’s hard to turn a profit running hotels with fewer than 150 rooms — the Lark model. (He said Lark has been profitable for years.) Adding Life House to Lark brings some technology know-how. More importantly, it doubles the hotels from which its 100,000 loyalty program members can choose. Members often book rooms directly, avoiding the need for hotels to pay commissions to online travel agencies.

The Lark management business had been concentrated in the Northeast. Now, it spans 27 states, as far west as California. Blood also offers design services through Elder & Ash, a firm he runs with his wife, Megan Kennedy. And he hopes to…