When travelling, boutique hotels are among the greatest locations to stay. It’s an excellent solution if you desire your own space, don’t want to stay in a hostel, or don’t have the means to spend on luxury hotels. Boutique hotels are halfway in the centre, providing excellent facilities at a more affordable price.
Have you considered starting your own boutique hotel? You can learn all you need to know about boutique hotels below, whether you’re an interested hotelier or considering turning your property into one.
What Is A Boutique Hotel?
A boutique hotel is defined as “a tiny attractive hotel, particularly one located in a trendy metropolitan setting” by the Oxford English Dictionary. A boutique hotel has a unique personality, deliberate design and décor, and individualised service.
Although the concept is ageless, the phrase “boutique hotel” is a relatively recent invention. The term was created by renowned hotelier Ian Schrager and his business partner Steve Rubell when they opened the Morgans Hotel in New York City in 1984. Big-box hotels like Hilton and Marriott were likened compared to department shops, but the Morgans Hotel was more like a boutique: quaint, stylish, and artistic.
Although Ian Schrager may be credited with coining the phrase, according to some accounts, the Clarion Bedford Hotel, which opened in San Francisco in 1981, was the first authentic boutique hotel. There is some east coast-west coast rivalry, just like anything else!
Characteristics Of Boutique Hotels
Here are a few things to include when you begin preparing your plans if you want to open your boutique hotel:
Upscale Design – A boutique hotel’s exterior is often charming and traditional or cutting-edge and modern.
Personalised decor – All boutique hotels have a unique design that provides the setting with a warm personality and follows the style of the exterior decor.
Trendy restaurants – Add a restaurant or bar to your boutique hotel and provide regional cuisine that is both genuine and locally produced. In addition to pleasing your consumers, describing the specialty ingredients and the local companies they come from can benefit your neighbourhood.
Individualised Service – When staying at your boutique hotel, allow visitors to personalise their goods and toiletries. You may set your company apart by addressing customers by name as soon as they arrive.
Local Culture – Your boutique hotel should assist visitors in integrating into the community wherever it is located. They should be shown the best, whether via locally produced artwork, free bicycles for your clients to ride about town, or a few pamphlets that provide local insider secrets.
Size – It will be challenging to develop that “unique something” a boutique hotel requires if it has more than 100 hotel rooms. Boutique hotels may only have a few accessible hotel rooms in total. The quality, not the number, is what counts. Your boutique hotel’s ultimate objective should be to evoke a feeling of intimacy and comfort.
Create a “community living area” where visitors may congregate, have a drink, and laugh instead of building additional rooms.
What Makes Boutique Hotels Unique From Regular Hotels?
In addition to being much more individualised and hence “niche” than chain hotels, boutique hotels have some other distinguishing features. To name a few:
Boutique Hotels
- Typically contains 10 to 100 rooms.
- Have a small family-like staff contingent.
- Concentrate on comfort, luxury, and intimacy.
- Every boutique family hotel room is unique. Each is distinct in its style, food, design, and other aspects.
- They have more autonomy since they are locally owned and run by a business person.
- Focus on providing all necessary conveniences and a few surprising additions to boost the “wow factor.” These consist of private balconies, sumptuous baths, in-suite dressing rooms, and more.
- Local experience, local focus. Boutique hotels give guests a better taste of the geographical location they’re visiting.
- Most of them are in trendy metropolitan neighbourhoods with easy access to public transportation.
Regular Hotels
- It might range from 100 to more than 1,000 rooms. In the United States, top-chain hotels have an average of 313.1 rooms as of December 21, 2020.
- Concentrate on overall comfort.
- They are owned and operated by a major hotel corporation.
- Often identical in size, décor, style, food, etc., throughout all locations.
- Employ a large number of personnel to manage laundry, housekeeping, check-ins, and check-outs.
- Focus on simply having the necessities available.
- No matter where you are, provide the same level of service and experience.
Success Strategies for Boutique Hotels
The trend for personalised overnight hospitality and boutique hotels is still spreading in several large cities and small communities worldwide. The following is a list of what your boutique hotel needs to be the best among the competition:
- Elegant bar or lounge space
- Contemporary salon or spa
- Elegant decor with a cosy atmosphere
- Specialised and customised services
- Complimentary breakfast
- Pet-friendly
- Unique group activities like yoga classes or nature hikes
How to Locate Property for a Boutique Hotel
Search real estate websites for unoccupied houses already divided into sections with plenty of rooms, spacious common areas, and space to create a restaurant. This makes planning the layout of your boutique hotel simpler and reduces the need for upgrades. Ideas for vacant lot searches include:
- Historic structures like former industries or governmental structures
- Massive houses up for sale
- Building a boutique hotel by finding a spacious lot in a prime destination
- Pre-existing B&Bs or hotels to renovate
A boutique hotel may be the best option if you appreciate customised service, unique design, and a feeling of location. If you’re seeking price, worldwide loyalty incentives, or specialised features, there may be a better place to stay than a boutique hotel. A boutique hotel is an excellent alternative for visiting, investing, or creating your own. As guests desire a more local experience, boutique hotels may provide personality, service, and a unique sense of location.