BENCHMARKING
THE
“BOUTIQUES”
By Megan Brewer
There’s an old saying, “If everyone’s
special, then nobody is.”
This provocative quote illustrates
the importance of diversity and the
maintenance of value placed on a
person, place or thing. It immediately
came to mind after numerous run-ins
with brands and properties claiming to
be “boutique.” It seems everywhere
you look these days another “boutique
hotel” is opening. But what does it
mean? Where are the benchmarks,
or can anyone simply claim to be
“boutique?”
Today’s boutique hotel is currently
defined as follows:
“A small stylish hotel, typically
situated in a fashionable urban location
servicing a sophisticated or specialized
clientele.”
An excellent set of standards to begin
with, but still this definition feels broad.
How can we refine each characteristic
and really begin to preserve the term
“boutique.”
ILHA 31