What Makes A Boutique Hotels So Special?
As most things in the world grow larger and more crowded, some things go the opposite way and are adored for it! So it is with the concept of the boutique hotel, a small and intimate lodging built with unique decor and a deeply personal service ethos. This article tells you why Boutique Hotels are special.
The boutique hotel maintains a distinctive character that distinguishes it from all other hotels, especially those under brand names that strive to be basically the same no matter what city they are built in. When you check into a boutique hotel, you know you are being treated to something singular, with extra-personalized service and located in an interesting or fashionable locale.
What are the Things That Make a Boutique Hotel Special?
It’s the little things about boutique hotels that make them so special. On the surface, they operate like any other hotel; they use hotel inventory management software and have accountants and managers who keep things running behind the scenes. So, let’s take a closer look at what makes a boutique hotel stay such a wonderful experience!
While technically, the boutique is not considered to be an official hotel category, and no two are quite the same, that is part of what makes them so charming. There are some characteristics that we can attribute to boutique hotels as follows:
Intimate
Expect small grounds with somewhere between 10 to 100 rooms, with a palpable sense of intimacy where your desire for privacy is understood and is part and parcel with the experience.
Individuality
No two boutique hotels are quite the same, which is what sets them so far apart from chains and name brands. Each space has its own personality and is meant to be unique and full of its own charm, with no two rooms even being quite the same!
Theme
Most boutique hotels have a theme, often based upon a local tradition or attraction, but sometimes just a flight of fancy that pleases the designer’s sense of whimsy. We visited a boutique hotel on a beach famed for its 17th-century pirate history that subtly touched upon that milieu, featuring rich red carpets and velvet curtains, dark-stained woods with gold accents, and potted palm trees. This could easily have been overdone and made tawdry, but it was so seamless in its details that it worked marvels, invoking a sense of ‘pirate’ without shouting it.
Design
The outer architecture and interior design are always uncommon and upscale. The décor, attention to detail, and carefully planned aesthetics usually revolve around a central theme, and anything goes in that department!
Location
Although some of the more well-known boutique hotels happen to be located in trendy urban settings, any place that people love to spend time in that has a bohemian or artistic bent to it can be used to good effect.
Service
This must be top-notch, with the guest as the focal point of highly personalized service.
Cuisine
New takes on classic dishes or something entirely out of the box; the food is locally sourced and as unique and exciting as the hotel is!
So, wherever you are, be it Thailand or Transylvania, the boutique hotel experience is a must. Enjoy your stay; you will never forget it!
Tips to Run a Boutique Hotel Successfully
Opening a hotel is something people think about, and hosts who just have a few bedrooms also wonder whether they can turn the place into a boutique hotel. The concept of individualized hospitality is selling like hotcakes these days and is one of the best things in the hotel industry at the current moment.
But there are certain things that you have to keep in mind to make your hotel stand out and run successfully.
Put in the Extra Effort
Offering personalized service is never enough in this field. To beat the other hotels and become the best in the industry, you need to incorporate some of the traits mentioned below into the boutique hotel.
- Complementary breakfast
- Make it pet-friendly
- Full-sized bar and modern spa
- The fully-fledged distinctive guest room, along with an amazing upscale feel and look
- A stylish bar or lounge area
- Top-of-the-line entertainment options
- Arrange some family and group activities, like cooking classes, yoga classes, nature hikes, etc.
Be the Multitasker
If you are a good multitasker, it is definitely going to work in your favor. This is going to help you stay on top of the hotel industry. You have to be prompt with your work. One moment, you have to welcome some guests to the hotel, and the next moment, you have to be all in with the administrative work.
Have the Guest-first Approach
Make your guest your first priority. Think about how your guests are feeling about the hotel and what areas need improvement to make things better for them so that they can have an amazing stay.
Make sure that your first-contact staff are cordial, have positive body language, and are full of smiles. They should ensure that they do not seem like they are angling for tips. They should be doing it to provide the best hospitality.
Welcome Feedback
You will not be successful in the industry overnight. You have to continuously adapt and evolve depending on the client’s feedback. You should always welcome constructive criticism. If your guests are suggesting some point for the betterment of the hotel, then act on them as quickly as possible.
What Kind of Location Should You Look For?
Finding the perfect property that you can convert into a boutique hotel is not something easy. To begin with, scur the sites for a vacant property, which is already divided into various rooms. It would be better if you could find something that has a common room and a place where you can add a restaurant or a bar to the property.
This lets you slash the extra cost and change the design plans. You can look for these kinds of places to convert into boutique hotels.
- Railroad cabooses
- Abandoned buildings like old government buildings
- BnB’s and pre-existing hotels that can be renovated
- Victoria-style buildings
- A special spot in a prime location
- Big properties that are for sale
- An abandoned shipping container
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