The Boutique Hotel concept:
Fact or Fiction?
by Julian Zarb
The hotel sector, indeed the whole concept of tourist accommodation, is changing today. The idea
of choosing accommodation through a tour operator or travel agent is slowly being replaced by a
traveller who prefers to act independently of any agency. This new phenomenon that is hitting the
tourism industry has brought about a number of alternatives to the traditional “board and lodging”
hotel. Among these are the Air BnB accommodation, the Albergho Diffuso and the Eco-village.
This change in accommodation has been described as follows:
“…Travellers nowadays expect more than simply comfort and convenience.
An increasing number of travellers prefer to be “surprised”… when planning trips; they
seek properties that are noticeably different in look and feel from branded hotels”.
(Anhar L. The Definition of Boutique Hotels, HVS International 13 December 2001)
But the questions which then arise are: What really defines a boutique hotel? Is there any real
classification for this genre of accommodation? Is a boutique hotel simply a marketing tool?
Is the boutique hotel fact or fiction?
HOSPITALITY MALTA
Issue 03
53