Boutique Booboos
Shortcuts won’t work. When you try and fool guests, it will backfire. Merely renovating, painting or quickly instituting what you “think” might be a special touch does not make your property boutique.
White linens are in. Pillow choices are popular. Embroidering firm and soft to identify pillow types tastefully on the pillowcase is cool – unless all the pillows are the same!
Building a boutique property that embodies only your personal tastes. Even if you think you have the best taste, make sure to design with the targeted guests in mind.
Cold-brew coffee is buzzing up the coffee world. If you tell guests it is cold-brew make sure it’s not simply iced coffee. Eight Broads in the Kitchen share their recipe on how to make your own cold-brew: http://www.8broads.com/blog/2017/06/cold-brewed-coffee-more-buzz-for-your-buck.
When being “not boutique” is right
Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast, www.ChehalemRidge.com, does not brand themselves as a boutique B&B despite the fact that they are upscale and in the middle of wine country where the term boutique is widely used. Instead, Oregon Wine Country Bed & Breakfast is how the inn is branded because owner and innkeeper Kristin Fintel prefers to undersell so that people are not disappointed rather than oversell with a trendy title.
By definition Farm by the River Bed & Breakfast with Stables, www.farmbytheriver.com, may be boutique, however, when creating their marketing message it was decided that if they define the property as a boutique hotel the guests would be expecting a higher-end, formal atmosphere. The property is a historic farm inn with upscale rooms but a casual and natural. They don’t use the term boutique; rather they promote their horses, scenery and friendly atmosphere.
The bottom line
Embrace and promote your property’s unique personality, have a clear vision of what it is and stick to it. It’s why your guests choose you – boutique or not.
Mary White is the Founder and CEO of BnBFinder.com, a top rated bed and breakfast online directory. White is also the author of Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies. As an authoritative voice on B&B travel, White is a go-to source in the bed & breakfast industry for opinions and advice.
A noted expert on bed & breakfasts, she has been involved in promoting and marketing B&Bs on the Web for more than a decade. She has appeared in dozens of media outlets. Her site, BnBFinder.com, is hailed by professionals and consumers alike as one of the most informative B&B sites on the Web.
Follow her on Twitter at @Mary_White