There’s no denying that hotels take quite some liberties with how they market themselves. There’s no global regulatory body that decides whether a hotel is a five-star property, or if it’s boutique. So I’d like to talk about that in a bit more detail in this post — what exactly is a boutique hotel, and…
Continue reading: What Is A Boutique Hotel? Does The Term Mean Nothing At This Point?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Means about as much as "bespoke" and "curated" and "sustainable" ... which is to say, less-than-nothing, pandering, greenwashing, buzzwords, etc.
IME. It means you will pay a "resort fee" even though you may be nowhere near a "resort." It means a cheapen experience because it's "boutique."
I would also describe “boutique “ hotels as a hotel designed for those who can’t afford a true luxury hotel.
As for me? I would never consider booking a “boutique” hotel. I can afford to stay at top tier luxury chains.
Must suck to be poor. lol
Everyone wants to be "premium," which starts with marketing. And frequently ends with marketing.
So, you mean to tell us… that Courtyard Marriott by the Wawa isn’t a “resort”? H’welp, butter my biscuits, now I’ve seen everything… h’hyuck.
No point in worrying about marketing terms unless you're professionally involved in sales within that industry (in which case let me wish you luck distinguishing between an 'upper midscale' hotel and a 'lower upscale' one).
The original meaning of 'boutique' is 'shop'. To me, a boutique hotel simply is an outlet selling accommodation services on an a la carte basis (i.e it's not an 'all inclusive'- although there's always the risk of someone somewhere trying to market a 'boutique all-inclusive resort').
And to think I almost went to get a drink at The Curator in LHR T3 yesterday while others were dutifully duty free shopping. But, patience patience, Cathay Pacific lounge FTW.
The online description of The Curator is, of course, as meaningless as the word boutique at this point:
The Curator aims to introduce you to discoveries and innovations, expanding your knowledge, tempting your sophisticated palate to try new tastes and sensations, or reminding you of great dishes that perhaps you’d forgotten.
The Curator Bar & Dining will offer guests a soon-to-be-world-famous selection of small-batch artisan cocktails, craft beers and ales, Champagne and a wine collection tailored to the trends of passengers travelling through the terminal. Food inspired by the changing seasons in Britain with classic bold ingredients-led dishes with a smattering of seasonal artisan flavours to keep our menu fresh and celebratory of great British produce.
I find it ironic that Lucky is both an elitist and someone who has incredibly poor taste.
Probably a dime-a-dozen “consultant” traveling on OPM. Enjoy getting replaced by AI.
That's a bit harsh!
I suspect it's more a case of having relatively limited life experience. Things like working in a large organisations, getting embroiled in family issues (e.g. divorce and custody, inheritance complications, navigating complex relationships with multiple siblings, in-laws etc), travelling/living in difficult environments (e.g. backpacking in Central America or extended stays at Christian monasteries or Buddhist temples), dealing with civil court cases etc won't necessarily seem transformative experiences, but they all help us get a better understanding of the world.
I have my own definition of "boutique hotel" and it mostly matches yours. I actually don't think that a "cool and/or unique design" or "upscale/luxury" matters to me. As long as the place delivers everything I look for on term son safety and cleanliness, an amazing unique location with a view is way more important to me. My definition of boutique has the following aspects:
- Size: yes it has to be small and not be a convention style hotel
- Ownership: I like hotels where I am exchanging emails with the owner or an employee than can make decisions without having to go really up the chain to asl permission for an upgrade or discount for example
- Location: that is more important to me than upscale or luxury
- No nickel and dime: usually boutique hotels won't nickel and dime guests on everything. Water bottle in the room is included, breakfast is included, no resort or other BS fees
I will give an example: my family has stayed several times at a very small "boutique" hotel in Sicily (or you can call it a B&B) that has nothing that reminds me luxury. However, the place is spotless clean, has everything one needs to feel comfortable, the owners make fresh breakfast every morning (they bake cakes, they squeeze orange juice, etc...) and you have one of the most amazing views in Sicily. The entire interaction is with the owners and they don't know what to do to make your experience absolutely memorable. Thus, to me that is the type of boutique hotel I look for.
"I would also describe “boutique “ hotels as a hotel designed for those who can’t afford a true luxury hotel."
Get back to us when you actually travel somewhere (walking down the stairs to your mom's basement doesn't count as "travel" btw).
I had that sort of experience in Guimaraes. Stayed in a charming little 2* hotel (they did have a few different room categories and ours had a miniscule terrace!) in the town centre. I asked them at check in where I could park. The receptionist told me there was no parking on site or the nearby streets (mostly pedestrianised anyway), but they had an arrangement with the local council for parking in a multi storey a couple of blocks away. I thought to myself 'this is going to be painful, they'll quote something like €30 and I'll have to end up parking half an hour away to avoid getting fleeced', asked about the cost and she said that the daily rate they'd negotiated for their guests was all of four Euros! Still don't see a reason to define it as boutique, or indeed non-boutique.
I am with you Lucky. I always say that my preferred hotel is "luxury boutique"..under 50 rooms, personalized service, nice design, decent sized rooms and amenities. I don't need a spa, but I do want breakfast included. I guess I don't feel a boutique has to be luxury by definition, I just want mine to be! I want it to be in a central walkable location, but that isn't part of the definition. I don't want a convention hotel with impersonal service. That said, sometimes I will stay at a bigger chain hotel (like the Ritz, WA or similar) to use my amex credit or points, but rarely for a long stay. It is annoying when I am researching hotels and I see so and so "boutique" hotel with 200 rooms.
If a hotel market themselves a “Boutique hotel”, or, worse, has the word “Boutique” in their name, that’s a no-go hotel for me. If they need to state it, they are missing at least one of the attributes mentioned.
It’s like calling oneself “cool”, “edgy”, or “handsome”. If you need to say it, you’re not it.
The term "boutique hotel "scares me. I interpret it as indicating an hotel that will go for original and inventive solutions at the cost of practical life.
If I have no alternatives, before making a reservation I usually call the hotel to enquire about the actual size of the bed, about the availability of a work corner, about the bathroom being separated from the sleeping area by a real, normal door and about other similar arrangements.
I do not see the term "boutique" as a plus. I value brands because they tell me what I should expect. I do not like surprises.
Oh! TRAVELWIKKY is so funny! He probably typed this comment on his lunch break from picking lettuce in the fields on his bosses computer.
"Boutique" in the hospitality industry is now as useless as the term "luxury" when applied to apartment complexes. Without any sort of quasi-political/governance body to clearly define terms, you can throw them around however you like. That's why I prefer star systems in Europe that are based on factual, demonstrable qualities of the hotel. That said, I just booked three nights at a Marriott Suites, which I'm sure they'd tell me is "boutique".
Just a fancy adjective so they can charge more. Plain and simple. Every adjective used in description of any product adds cost to product and increases revenue and profits.
@JohnH for the winning comment. If you have to say it out loud, then you clearly don't have it, you never had it, and probably never will. My idea of a boutique hotel is an establishment with limited number of rooms, stylish in either the traditional or contemporary sense, offering the services of true 5*luxury hotel, and unaffiliated with a major chain.
Lol luxury chains. There are no chains that are luxury.
Too bad you cant afford true independent luxury hotels/private islands
The OPM comment is probably spot on!
Stars are arbitrary and/or pay to play. There are plenty of small independent 3* hotels that are infinitely better than a 4*/5* chain hotels or resort factories.
As the other comment said, it is probably a factor of limited life experiences.
When one hasnt really experienced travel beyond chain hotels (especially in one's 20s), you cant really expect a well rounded point of view.
But thats not what this blog is about.
Also add: curated. bespoke. tailored. crafted. unique. Whenever I see these wanky words which the hotel marketing industry has wanked out of all original context I will usually avoid that hotel.
Don't we all know that a "boutique" hotel is the one that offers an ELEVATED experience nowadays...?
If I had a vodka shot every time hearing this word, I'd be raging alcoholic in a short time...
There's no shortage of jurisdictions where star ratings are based on clearly defined criteria- though that means they don't really assess whether the service is any good.
It's simple: boutique means no desk, lack of sufficient lighting and only one plug socket to charge your phone from.
I mean, the term itself was never very meaningful. I might suggest that the IHG Voco and Hotel Indigo are about the easiest examples of a chain mimicking the boutique aesthetic (I like both brands, FWIW). But I always thought boutique meant "we took this dilapidated, small, old hotel property and spruced it up with a little paint and some decent furniture." And I rather like that whole genre of hotels (the Graduate properties Hilton bought have a similar vibe to them).
It is so over used these days. In my experience usually such hotels have small rooms and bathrooms, a TV too large for the room, and too much marble use in the bathroom to make up the size. Generally the facilities and the service are not worth the price. I would tend to avoid unless there is no suitable other option.