Boutique hotels began to appear in the UK and the USA in the early 1980s. Small (between six and fifty rooms) and independent, they were an alternative to big chains in cities like London, New York, and San Francisco. More recently, some chains have capitalized on the success of this model by operating smaller properties they market as boutique hotels.

Many boutique hotels are very luxurious. One of the luxuries they offer is highly personalized service. For one thing, with their higher staff-to-guest ratios compared with chain hotels, staff can be expected to remember your name, where you’re from, and the purpose of your trip. In this more intimate “home from home” atmosphere, the traveler looking for something different, or even somewhat eccentric, will also enjoy highly personalized service.

The owners are usually your hosts in boutique hotels. Their goal is to be attentive to your needs and yet respectful of your privacy. They want you to feel at home, but exceptionally pampered. It is not always easy to achieve this in a hotel, and success depends on good design and use of space as well as the highest standards of service.

All hotels strive to make their guests feel at home, and this aim extends to the public spaces. Boutique hotels have an advantage over large properties in that their public spaces are small and intimate to being with. It is thus easier to achieve a cozy atmosphere. However, space restrictions call for greater creativity in order to achieve public areas that are functional as well as intimate.

Boutique hotels offer an informal, relaxed atmosphere. The public spaces of a boutique hotel should lend themselves that communal feel, yet they should also accommodate guests who want to take time alone to read or relax. Comfortable furniture will be important in both cases, but the lighting should meet these different needs.

The rooms in large hotel chains tend to be very much the same. They all have basics like a bed, a closet, bedside tables, and an en suite bath. One room is indistinguishable from all the rest. In a boutique hotel, there is more room for individuality, just like in your home. Whether it’s furnished with period antiques and fine linens and draperies or equipped with a flat screen TV and internet access, your room will be unique.