CONVERGENCE MAY - JUNE 2016

Business
Boutique hotels are
BECOMING mainstream
However, as more and more boutique
hotels are built, it is becoming
mainstream. Last year, at the annual
Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association
Boutique Hotel Investment Conference
in New York City, boutique hoteliers
agreed on one thing in particular: That
unique feeling of a boutique hotel has to
be preserved moving forward or it strips
the boutique of its appeal that drove it
in the first place.
However, it was also agreed that this
could prove difficult, given rising costs
and an increase in guests to serve.
Do boutique hotels resonate or excite
you in any way? There's only one way to
find out and you know what to do.
Hang Nga guesthouse, popularly known as the “Crazy House”, is an unconventional
Gaudi-esque building designed and constructed by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga in
Da Lat, Vietnam
It is a boutique hotel if it:
• Is intimate in size: The key aspect of such an establishment is lesser rooms and a small establishment
• Offers ultra-personal service: Lesser customers means you get more attention time!
• Is located in the city: Such hotels often provide guests with a bull's eye view of the urban setting
• Is soaked in local flavours: It provides a homey feel but at the same time reminds you of where you are
• Is modern and quirky with a motif or theme: It conveys a contemporary vibe
• Is not your run-of-the-mill hotel: It should be an independent establishment
• Is sometimes the wing of a larger hotel or the boutique brand of a bigger hotel label: Carries the boutique
brand of a larger label
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