While it may come as no surprise given their inherent cool, boutique hotels are quickly ascending the ranks in traveler preferences. With a focus on a more tailored, more curated approach, these small batch hotels are crafting an altogether more unique experience for their guests. Certainly, there are no shortage of uses for big box hotels, but here are some of the reasons why and the ways in which boutique hotels are having their moment.
They’re Often the Destination
For many, the attraction to boutique hotels isn’t necessarily about having a place to stay in the city so much as that they’re a destination in and of themselves. Equipped with a reputation for trendy cool, these boutique hotels have become ideal places to meet up with friends for drinks or a daytime short stay.
Specialized Services
Being a smaller scale hotel allows boutiques to give their guests a more tailored service experience, with unique offerings like signature classes and exclusive community partnerships for temporary membership services and amenities that are unsustainable for larger scale operations. Take the Gramercy Park Hotel for instance, famous not only for its namesake (where guests receive a key to the exclusive private-access park), but also for its Julian Schnabel design, glass covered roof garden, rotation collection of artwork from NYC artists like Basquiat and Keith Haring, and of course, its gorgeous modernist Rose Bar.
The Growth
The New York Times has taken notice of the growth in boutique hotel popularity, and took the opportunity to speak with Bjorn Hanson, the dean of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University, who said “almost a third of all hotels opening in Manhattan this year would be boutique hotels, and as much as 10 percent in other major urban markets. He estimated that they could account for 6 percent of all hotels in the United States, and as much as 10 percent in the largest urban markets, in 10 to 15 years.” The numbers seem to reflect the public’s growing appetite for a hip short stay that provides a memorable experience.
Prestige Points
Of course, there’s also the prestige factor of staying at the latest boutique hotspot in any given city. As they need only to cater to a select audience, boutique hotels have more freedom than their larger brethren to brand themselves with a hipper, edgier vibe, making them the ideal spot for trendsetters and scenesters to make an appearance. Hotels like Gild Hall in Manhattan curate an ultra-cool experience for their guests, with trendy Jim Walrod design accents in leather and bone and dining in house dining hotspots like the Felice Ristorante. As their reputations grow over time, boutique hotels become in institution in their area as places to see and be seen.
The Hideaway Factor
On the flipside, for those seeking a slightly more under the radar experience, some boutique hotels have built a reputation for privacy and serenity. For guests in need of a discrete place to meet for a brief rest, to hold an interview, or simply to get some work done in peace, there are a bevy of boutique hotels catering to those specific privacy intensive needs. With their small scale comes an ability to treat each guest with the utmost consideration, something that larger hotels often sacrifice to a certain extent.
They’re Something Unique
And finally of course, boutique hotels are simply something unique. They provide a signature small stay experience for day guests, and that’s proven invaluable, satisfying an expanding market of people looking for a more customized experience from their hotels. Some have historic roots, like the Morris House Hotel in Philadelphia, an established national landmark built in 1787, yet with only 81 rooms, delivers unparalleled luxury service in an intimate setting.
For guests seeking unique places to meet up with friends or looking to schedule an upcoming day stay, HotelsByDay has a number of spectacular boutique hotel options from which to choose in cities across the United States.
Curious how the process works? Learn more about HotelsByDay intra-day hotel stays here, email us at [email protected], or give us a call at +1.855.925.2530 today. Happy travels!
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Nathan Stevenson
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- The Curious Case of Boutique Hotels - February 10, 2015