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Stylish, intimate and hip, boutique hotels attract travelers looking for personal service, historic and/or architecturally intriguing digs and something homier than typical cookie-cutter stays.
No Standards
There are no standards when it comes to what is a boutique hotel, but they generally have fewer rooms than large chain hotels, with 150 to 200 units being the average. Boutique hotels typically eschew ballrooms, business centers and multiple restaurants that attract conventioneers.
Totally '80s
While boutique hotels can be found in radically remodeled old structures, their history only extends back to 1981. That's when what are believed to be the first boutique hotels opened: the 51-unit Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London, and the 143-room Bedford in Union Square, San Francisco.
All Over Now
By the mid-1980s, boutique hotels sprang up all over. They can now be found in Miami, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, France, the United Kingdom and the capital of boutique hotels, New York City.
First Rate
You pay for the luxury, privacy and staff friendliness at boutique hotels. Room rates are staggering when compared to your favorite Holiday Inn.
Chain Gang
Boutique hotels have carved out a healthy niche in the hospitality industry, with boutique-only chains like W Hotels, Morgans Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotels Group operating properties in several cities. Giant hotel corporations have responded by opening their own versions of boutique hotels.
Source:
HotelRooms.com: Boutique Hotels
Resource:
Morgans Hotel Group
Hotel Indigo
W Hotels
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