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by Harry Nobles April 16, 2010 In a September 2001 article we discussed the question: “What is a Boutique Hotel?” In that article we mentioned the number of rooms as one factor that has an impact on the correct usage of “boutique”; we even speculated that 100 rooms might be the upper limit. Things certainly have changed in five years. There seems to be no upper limit at this time. We subscribe to ConstructionWire.com, and almost daily, I see hotels with plans calling for 200-300 and even more rooms, yet being called “boutique” by the developer. We have recently visited several very large hotels, some with 2,000 rooms or more, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the combination of genuine staff cordiality, personalized service, and attention to detail resulted in a level of guest service delivery that we thought impossible at a mega-hotel. In that atmosphere one could almost forget that there were three to four thousand other guests in house, presumably experiencing the same level of service at the same time; the operative word here is “almost”. That said I want to make it clear that “almost” achieving that goal is no small accomplishment; it doesn’t happen overnight, and it only comes through hard work and firm dedication. That feeling may be favorably compared to what I had previously experienced only in small owner-operated properties with a few dedicated employees. I have to admit I never thought it could be achieved in a 3,000-room hotel with more than 2,000 employees and several thousand guests; I was partly wrong; actually some properties came close to creating a sense of intimate personalized service delivery. So, what is the difference between a 15-room “boutique” inn with a small intimate dining room, and a 3,000-room “mega-boutique” complex with 2 spas, 25 shops, and 9 food outlets? It surely is not just the number of rooms and other physical facilities. I believe it involves other things like a truly dedicated and genuinely hospitable staff, and a strong sense of owner commitment. Now that I think on it, that is all that is needed at any hotel. I was initially concerned about what I saw as a potential problem of the public being confused by the use of “boutique”. I can see now that my concern was for naught. Guests who go to the 15-room inn usually have different expectations than those who go to the 3,000-room mega-resort. Actually many go to both depending on the purpose of the trip, and whether it is for business or leisure. Like so many other words, “boutique” may come to mean whatever the user wants it to mean, and that could be different from the hearer’s interpretation. The good news is that this could turn out to be a very minor problem or no problem at all. If guests receive the creature comforts and the personalized services they want, it will matter little whether this magical experience occurs in a 15-room inn or a 3,000-room resort. Those guests who demand the best, and are willing to pay for it will go where they find it and they will return. If we give our guests genuine hospitality in a professional and competent manner, they will reward us, and we can call our hotel whatever we want to. To paraphrase the Bard: “What’s in a name? That which we call a boutique hotel, By any other name would be as special”
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