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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 will usually also display a strong sense of aesthetic, and have a unique, un-homogenized character. They may be themed too, such as by having a focus on nature, environment, cuisine, history, community and cultural immersion, attentive service, or well-being.

History

Boutique hotels first began appearing in the 1980s in major cities such as London, New York, and San Francisco. There is debate about who started the boutique hotel concept. Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London, designed by Anouska Hempel, and the Bedford by Bill Kimptom in Union Square, San Francisco, both founded in 1981, may have started the trend.

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.

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, or in acquiring previously independent boutique hotels.

Description

Boutique hotels are typically furnished in a themed, stylish, and/or aspirational manner with distinctive concepts. These concepts often reflect the local culture of the neighborhoods in which the hotels are located. Typically, these hotels are designed to have a more "intimate" feel than many larger hotel chains.

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.

Notable boutique hotels

• Breac House
• The Inn at Honey Run

References

1. Ting, Deanna. "Complete Oral History of Boutique Hotels". skift.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
2. "Boutique Hotel, what does it mean". 8 August 2020. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
3. "Boutique Hotel Hub - The World's Best Boutique Hotels". Boutique Hotel Hub. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
4. Rosner, Cheryl. "What is a boutique hotel?". blog.stayful.com/. Stayful. Archived from the original on 2017-06-24. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
5. "History of Boutique Hotels". Retrieved 2017-03-08.
6. Weed, Julie (2019-10-21). "Independent Hotels Are Disappearing as Chains Grow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
7. "The Boutique Hotel: Fad or Phenomenon" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
8. "The Origin of Boutique Hotels". www.od-hotels.com. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
9. "The Definition of Boutique Hotels – Written By: Lucienne Anhar – HVS International". Retrieved 2014-04-03.

• Hotel types
• Boutique hotels