Boutique hotels are small-capacity hotels that provide more personalized service than typical hotels. They typically have fewer than a hundred rooms, and are considered more "trendy" and "intimate", often due to their location in urban areas. They may be themed, such as by having a focus on nature, environment, cuisine, history, community and cultural immersion, attentive service, or well-being.[1][2]
The term "boutique hotel" was coined by Steve Rubell, who compared Morgans Hotel to a boutique as opposed to a department store, to which chain hotels were compared.[4]
In recent times, boutique hotels have grown in popularity, corresponding with the general public's increased interest in individualized service. Many hotel chains have begun to focus on creating subsidiary hotels to establish smaller, boutique-style hotels,[5] or in acquiring previously independent boutique hotels.[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. Typically, these hotels are designed to have a more "intimate" feel than many larger hotel chains.[8]
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 and may be furnished with amenities such as spas, yoga, and painting classes.[9]
