28 February 2008

Could this be the end of the boutique hotel?

A company which claims to have pioneered the boutique hotel in the North West of England almost a decade ago is to move away from the concept.

Eclectic Hotels, which runs three properties and is searching for a fourth, is stepping away from the term Ã¢â¬ËœboutiqueÃ¢â¬â¢ and is instead describing the hotels as Ã¢â¬ËœtownhousesÃ¢â¬â¢.

The 14-room Eleven Didsbury Park Hotel was the first Ã¢â¬ËœboutiqueÃ¢â¬â¢ hotel in the North West when it opened in 1999 and among the first in the UK. This was followed in 2002 with the 27-room Didsbury House Hotel with a spa.

The two hotels were running with an occupancy rate of 70% and a decision was made to alter the business strategy and drive occupancy rates with a sub-Ã&#pound;100 room rate, increasing occupancy to 92%.

Great John Street was opened in 2005 in Manchester, transforming a former Victorian school house with stylish lounges, an oyster bar, entertainment rooms and terraces.

The company is looking to open an Ã¢â¬Åâœultra-chicÃ¢â¬~ bed and breakfast in the region by the end of the year.

A feature of EclecticÃ¢â¬â¢s rooms is free-standing baths sitting right alongside the beds.

Owner Eamonn Laughlin, who runs the company with wife Sally, said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœOver the past year we have seen lots of people opening Ã¢â¬ËœboutiqueÃ¢â¬â¢ hotels, some of which are a lot better than others.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWe opened our first hotel in Didsbury in 1999 when people hadnÃ¢â¬â¢t really experienced what the term boutique meant.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœNow there are numerous Ã¢â¬ËœboutiqueÃ¢â¬â¢ hotels we wanted to move things forward and develop the Eclectic brand by describing our hotels as Ã¢â¬ËœtownhousesÃ¢â¬â¢.Ã¢â¬~

He added: Ã¢â¬ÅâœIf everything goes according to plan we will be opening our first Eclectic B&B towards the end of the year.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœFor now weÃ¢â¬â¢re focusing on Manchester and the North West but who knows what the future holds.Ã¢â¬~

by Phil Davies