Future of hotels: boutique
The future of hotels is here: Marriott International Inc. has joined nearly all top hotel companies in saying boutique or lifestyle brands are where visitors are expected to stay.
Marriott, the US’s largest hotelier by market value, plans to open its first Edition hotel in Waikiki Beach this October.
"We’re interested in getting into the market as fast as we can and with as many as we can," Marriott Chief Executive J.W. "Bill" Marriott said.
Nearly all top hotel companies are unveiling or expanding boutique concepts, according to Reuters. That includes Starwood, Hyatt and Intercontinental.
Undoubtedly, lifestyle hotels are the wave of the future, experts said.
“Boutique hotels can charge as much as 12 percent more than other hotels of similar quality, according to Lodging Advisors LLC, which surveyed the top 15 U.S. markets,” Reuters said.
"This heightened experience and individuality is something that I think is the future of the hotel business and other businesses," said hotelier Ian Schrager. "It’s really about how it feels."
Just what is the “boutique” hotel segment?
Experts add it is difficult to duplicate or even define it. Such hotels can range from around 100 rooms to 1,000 and from two-star to five.
"You can insult someone by saying their hotel is not a boutique and they think it is," said Robert Mandelbaum, director of research with Colliers PKF Hospitality Research.
Schrager, who opened the Morgans Hotel in 1984, is widely credited as the creator of the modern boutique hotel. But the launch of Starwood’s W in 1998 was the first attempt to create a brand around the concept.
"The kinds of (hotels) that I got started with about 25 years ago, there are hundreds of versions of them in virtually every city in the world," Schrager said. "Well, they could have been mine."
As of the first quarter of 2010, there were 390 lifestyle hotels run by lodging companies in the US, according to data company Lodging Econometrics. And 100 boutique hotels have opened or are set to open in 2010 and 2011.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025