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Boutique hotels

A trend in travel accommodations is the “boutique” hotel, a small specialty hotel where style and distinction reign. These hotels cater to a particular interest for travelers, or they have unique design themes where décor contributes to a complete experience. While not inexpensive, they strive for top service and comfort at a price that reflects that quality.

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Contemporary hotel design
Joachim Fischer.
Berlin : DOM publishers, c 2008.
In English and German.
     
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Hip hotels. Atlas
Herbert Ypma.
New York : Thames & Hudson, 2005.
The creator of a whole new genre of style and travel books has selected a galaxy of destination hotels that make travel dreams become reality. Covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, and South America, this large-format guide features over 1,000 of Ypma's beautiful photographs that will inspire and delight travelers everywhere.
     
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Building type basics for hospitality facilities
Brian McDonough ... [et al.].
New York : Wiley, c2001.
Here's the essential information you need to initiate designs for luxury hotels, resort/theme hotels, convention hotels and conference centers, limited service hotels (motels), and casinos. Filled with project photographs, diagrams, floor plans, sections, and details. Combines in-depth coverage of the structural, mechanical, lighting, internal traffic, security, and accessibility issues that are unique to hospitality facilities with the nuts-and-bolts design guidelines that will start any project off on the right track and keep it there through completion. Order your copy today!
     

Themes dominate at boutique hotels. The Library Hotel in New York shows a passion for books and libraries. Each of the ten guestroom floors is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System. Rooms contain a collection of art and books relevant to one of those topics. Bibliophiles can relax in the Poetry Terrace or the  Writer’s Den.

Small hotels offer
great service

Size matters. Boutiques typically range from 20 to 150 rooms. The personal service that staff offer at a boutique is not possible in large hotels.

Guests are greeted by name. Their preferences are accommodated, even anticipated. Neither overbearing nor obsequious, hotel staff are present when needed yet they step into the background when appropriate.

Hotels that choose staff for their commitment to guest comfort find that single focus pays off. Guests have a strong memory of the individuals on the hotel staff and the personal relationship with them creates an extraordinary stay.

San Francisco’s Hotel Triton is a visual feast of color. In a decorating theme where Deco meets 60’s meets eclectic, this small hotel near the Chinatown district serves up hip comfort in a contemporary theme. Its eco-practices include a sophisticated waste recycling program, biodegradable cleaning products, recycled paper, and organic coffee.

Décor centered around films and film stars, castles, garden rooms, and period art are just a few of the themes that can be found in boutique hotels around the world. But trendy décor isn’t a substitute for the welcoming, intimate atmosphere found in boutique hotels. Their goal is to serve their guests so that the traveler’s stay is memorable.

Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff