Rest Magazine

The Executive Suite: Boutique Boom

Movers and shakers offer their prognosis for the future of boutique hotels.

By Gary H. Bedian. Interviews by Ray Wyman Jr.

There’s more to a pretty face, especially where boutique hotels are concerned. Dig deeper and you may find WIT, personality, humor and
sophistication – details that can turn idle curiosity into true love.

Many boutique hotels have that fashionable coolness that provokes us with scintillating architectural designs and imaginative displays of art. Inside, they pamper with amenities and individualized service that are hard to come by in a big box hotel.

On the business side, what started as an experiment in original design and luxurious comfort has blossomed into one giant global business opportunity. As of now, the boutique hotel segment accounts for about 1% of the total supply of hotel rooms in the United States (less than that worldwide).

In conversations with my colleagues, the smart money is on boutiques increasing market share by more than 500% over the next five to 10 years. Much of that growth is due to changing tastes – and perhaps a touch of “brand fatigue” – of well-informed and well-heeled “global nomads” who are pushing growth even now.

I thought it would be interesting to poll the movers-and-shakers who are at the helm of the boutique hotels trend – to see if all share this perception.

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