Boutique Hotel: the new Hospitality Trend

Origin of the term

The term was used for the first time in the United States during the ‘80s. From that moment on, boutique hotels have spread all over the world becoming extremely popular and one of the most wanted travel experiences.

What is a Boutique Hotel?

Boutique Hotels are small luxury hotels present in the most diverse locations, characterized by unique furnishings and sophisticated atmospheres. These hotels do not just provide their guests with a place to sleep, they offer an unforgettable travel experience. To achieve this, they provide different kinds of comforts, services and luxurious amenities.

Boutique Hotel Characteristics

With the term Boutique hotels it is possible to indicate very different hotels. However, there are some recurring characteristics that must be always present.

Small size

The name itself, “boutique”, indicates that these hotels have only a few rooms and therefore are exclusive and intimate. Although there is not a specific rule about the size of a Boutique Hotel, it is a common opinion that they should not have more than 100 rooms, but no less than 10.

Unique theme and design

Whether it is privately owned or part of a large hotel chain, a boutique hotel must have its own distinctive personality and theme. These hotels are often built inside elegant historic buildings and present modern interiors in order to create a catchy contrast.

The furniture is modern and full of details, characterized by the use of bright and unconventional color palettes, vintage pieces, electric wallpapers and sophisticated fabrics. It is a very common practice to introduce elements that refer to the historical period of the construction. Every room is meticulously studied in order to create a cutting-edge and modern composition and environment. Precisely for this attention to the style of the interiors, they are often referred to with the name of design hotel.

Location

As we have already seen, from the United States boutique hotels have spread all over the world, especially in the major cities and jet-setting destinations: Paris, London and New York. However, they can be opened anywhere, even in the countryside or far away from any big cities, as long as the location is able to create that breathtaking feeling.

Personalized Services

Boutique hotels are quite small and thanks to this characteristic, it is possible to pay particular attention to the guests’ needs. The main goal of the staff is to make clients welcome throughout their stay and in order to achieve that they work the extra mile. Sometimes they even know each guest’s name.
These hotels offer personalized services, which are not offered in traditional hotels: cocktails and welcome-letter, gift-box in the room upon arrival, beauty sets made in partnership with the best brands, personalized menus, 24-hour concierge services, pillow menu. The spa, if present, has to offer cutting-edge treatments designed and developed around the needs of customers.

Great Culinary experience

Mosto of the time, they also feature a restaurant and/or a bar where guests can enjoy unique dishes and exclusive cocktails in an attractive setting.

What is the difference between a normal Hotel and a Boutique Hotel?

The difference between normal hotels and boutique hotels is simple. If we consider the large hotel chains, it is inevitable to realize that their properties always look alike no matter where they are. This is because the interior design, the furnishings and the services have been standardized to offer the same quality around the world.

Boutique hotels are quite different from each other. Since they are independently owned, each of them has its own personality and uniqueness. For example, it is not unusual for a boutique hotel to decorate every room in a different way. The common areas must also be furnished according to the recurring theme and developed throughout the structure. The boutique hotels also offer the opportunity to stay in a place where you can experience the destination at 100% and get in touch with it.

Why are Boutique Hotels so successful ?

Staying in a Boutique hotel has become a very big trend, because people are looking for unforgettable experiences when traveling. Travelers no longer look for a room where to sleep, but for a place that is capable of offering a dream stay and creating long lasting memories. For these reasons and thanks to their style and refinement they are very popular especially among young people and couples.

Managing a Boutique Hotel with Octorate

A successful boutique hotel, in order to maximise its revenues needs an eye-catching website and an All-in-One Hotel Management Software to manage all the reservations and do upsell and cross sell.

The website of a Hotel is its business card and therefore a good online presence is of fundamental importance. Thanks to Octosite, you can now create a modern and effective website in line with the style of your hotel.

As we have seen, Boutique hotels have small dimensions but they invest a lot in attention to detail and organizations. Using Octorate’s products you can guarantee a high level experience and be sure that everything runs smoothly. Furthermore, through our Channel Manager manage rates, availability and restrictions from one single calendar. (find out what a Channel Manager is and why you need one in 2022)

Book a free demo to talk to one of our experts and find out how our products can help you maximize your property’s revenue.

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