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Boutique hotels are intimate, elegant, and offer impeccable services. They are not affiliated with a chain and started in the 1980s. They vary in design, architecture, and theme, but stand out in design, service, and target market. They can be appropriate for business, honeymoon, or vacation and target the upper middle income level. Personalized service is a defining feature, and some offer the latest in technology. Many have well-known restaurants, bars, and lounge areas.
A boutique hotel is generally not affiliated with a chain, has an intimate and elegant look and offers impeccable services. Also referred to as a lifestyle or design hotel, the trend and related name started in the 1980s by North Americans. While many of these hotels are small, ranging from single-digit rooms to under 100, some in major cities have well over 100 rooms.
Considered among the first boutique hotels are Blake’s Hotel in South Kensington, London, and the Bedford, a hotel in San Francisco. Morgans Hotel in Murray Hill, New York is also considered by many to be one of the originals, as is the Village Court Hotel in San Francisco.
The definition of this type of hotel is rather vague. Sometimes they’re trendy and other times historic, and some are unique in design, architecture, or theme. The hotel usually stands out in these areas: design, service and target market. Some are themed and many try to be unique by offering themed rooms or by choosing an overall theme for the hotel.
A boutique hotel can be equally appropriate for business, a honeymoon or a vacation. The target market for the most part is the 25-55 age group, most within the upper middle income level. For some hotels, the target is the business traveler who will provide repeat business, refer others, and is one whose business is not based around a particular season.
Service may be the defining feature of what classifies a hotel as boutique. The goal of a hotel is a level of personalized service that is not necessarily achievable in a larger establishment. At many, the staff may know each guest by her first name, and most offer 24-hour guest services. Some offer the comforts of four-poster beds, bathrobes, and fireplaces in the lobby. Others offer healthy food choices, themes for mind and body, and on-site bookstores.
As a boutique hotel varies in other features, so too does its technological services. While some offer the latest in technology, others focus on a calm and relaxing environment. For some clients, the concept of a bed and breakfast may be similar. Many hotels have well-known restaurants on site, as well as bars and lounge areas that are also open to the public. As the trend continues to grow, many hotels sell themselves as boutiques, most of which are small luxury establishments.
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