How do you impress a traveler who seen it all and had it all. Being pampered every morning is his routine and does not make him happy anymore. You probably have to give a little bit extra and not the run of the mill kind of stuff. This was the necessity that gave birth to the now over used concept of “Boutique Hotel” in the early 1980s. Like many other innovative concepts this too was also conceived and implemented in the city of London.
The first boutique hotel in the world opened its doors to the guests in 1981: The Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London. This was the creation of celebrity designer Anouska Hempel.
Second was the Bedford Hotel in Union Square, San Francisco. This turned out to be the first in a series of 34 boutique hotels currently operated by Kimpton Group, one of the most eminent players in the boutique hotel world.
In 1984, Ian Schrager opened the Morgans Hotel in Murray Hill in New York City which was designed by French designer Andrée Putnam.
I shall attempt to describe Boutique hotels, the way I perceive it and in the process highlight what goes into the making of one of these. Today’s travelers, business and pleasure alike’, expect a little more than simple comfort and convenience. More and more of them prefer to be "surprised” as part of their hotel experience rather than finding the standard feature defined in the design and operating manuals of every luxury brands of hotel. One of the principle driving forces for this creation zeroes down to achieving Individuality. Bringing out the individuality of guests, that of the proprietor, that of the staff and that of the hotel atmosphere. All these are blended and built into the design of the hotel as well as reflected in the service and operation. To put it in another dimension, distinction, style, intimacy and warmth are the key words that feature in the brief that are sent out to the architects and the designers and printed in the manuals for operation. All these come as add on while exceeding the expectations of any comparable premium world class product.
Many Boutique hotels are based on specific themes. One of my earlier projects was an Equestrian themed Boutique hotel, where the guest experience would revolve around various aspects of horses and their human interface. Undoubtedly a place created to be a perfect hangout for the horse lovers. Many boutique hotels introduce different themes in each guestroom, each floor lobbies and corridors, thus making every single stay unique even for the repeat guests.
Innovative ideas go a long way in designing a Boutique hotel and providing the guest a unique experience. And the service is as much important as the design is. One such innovation that I would like to mention here is the honesty bar, where you pour your own drink and do your own billing too. It is not only about pampering him with what he needs but it is more about doing it interactively and getting him involved while providing a fulfilling experience he would like to relive again and again. They rely heavily on the Word of Mouth Advertising for their marketing.
Typically Boutique hotels have been unique properties operated by individuals or companies with a small collection. But watching them succeed has made the well established multi-national hotel companies jump in to have a bite of the market share making good use of this new phenomenon and establish their own brands in this niche segment.
Few strange hotel concepts:
Capsule Hotel, Japan
Cave Hotel, Turkey
Floating Hotel - Sweden
German Prison Hotel
Hotel made of Sand in England
Houses in Mexico
Icehotel, Canada
Jumbo Hostel, Sweden
Poseidon Undersea Resort, Fiji
Sewage Pipe Hotel, Austria
Tree House, India
