Boutique hotel
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Boutique hotels are small-capacity, design-driven hotels. Today, these hotels are often seen by as trendy and luxurious due to their locations and amenities, as well as intimate design and low room count, contrasting larger hotels at the time of their origin. They often have themes such as nature, environment, cuisine, history, community and cultural immersion, attentive service, and well-being.[1][2]
History
Boutique hotels first began appearing in the 1980s in major cities such as London, New York, and San Francisco. While there is debate about who started the idea of a boutique hotel, the most common answer is Morgans Hotel, founded in 1984 by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. However, this hotel was closely preceded by two other hotels that are often argued as having been the first to start the trend. These hotels are Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London (designed by Anouska Hempel) and the Bedford in Union Square, San Francisco, both founded in 1981, three years prior to Morgans Hotel.[3]
The term "boutique hotel" was coined by Steve Rubell, who compared Morgans Hotel to a boutique as opposed to a department store.[4]
In modern times, notable hotel chains have acknowledged the growth prospects within the luxury boutique segment and have taken steps to address this by establishing subsidiary brand identities. These subsidiary brand identities are strategically developed to tap into increasing interest in distinct and individualized hospitality experiences. Additionally, certain hotel chains have introduced the notion of "soft brands." This "soft" approach enables independent hotel proprietors to make use of the capabilities, brand prominence, and distribution chains of well-established hotel chains, all while upholding the distinctive essence, ethos, and architectural design of their respective establishments.[5] [6]
Description
Boutique hotels are typically furnished in a themed, stylish, and/or aspirational[7] manner with distinctive concepts. These concepts often reflect the local culture and neighborhoods in which the hotels reside to create a more authentic atmosphere. Typically, these hotels are designed to have a more intimate feel, as opposed to the clean, white design of many larger hotel chains.[8] The popularity of the boutique concept has prompted some multi-national hotel companies to try to capture a market share.[7]
Other members of the hospitality industry began following this "no-frill chic" trend, or keeping budget-friendly while still keeping design elements in mind, with more affordable or budget boutique hotels being created.[9] Boutique hotels are commonly found in the city centers of London, New York City, Miami, New Orleans and Los Angeles. They are also found in resort destinations with exotic amenities such as spas, yoga and painting classes.[10]
References
- ^ Ting, Deanna. "Complete Oral History of Boutique Hotels". skift.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
- ^ "Boutique Hotel, what does it mean". 8 August 2020. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ "The Rise of Boutique Hotels: A Brief History". MorganLi. 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- ^ Rosner, Cheryl. "What is a boutique hotel?". blog.stayful.com/. Stayful. Archived from the original on 2017-06-24. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ "History of Boutique Hotels". Retrieved 2017-03-08.
- ^ uhttps://str.com/resourcesglossary/soft-brand-hotels
- ^ a b "The Boutique Hotel: Fad or Phenomenon" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
- ^ "The Origin of Boutique Hotels". www.od-hotels.com. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- ^ "No-frills chic hits the hospitality industry". Archived from the original on 2010-06-24. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
- ^ "The Definition of Boutique Hotels – Written By: Lucienne Anhar – HVS International". Retrieved 2014-04-03.
