In a study carried out among experts who were asked to define the term “ Boutique Hotel ” the reply was very clear and definite . The study determined that boutique hotels are best characterized as small , stylish hotels that offer high levels of service . Lifestyle hotels are described as innovative and provide more of a personal experience than so-called “ branded ” hotels ( - Jones , Day and Quadri-Felitti , 2012 ) This concept matches Anhar ’ s description ( 2001 ) that boutique hotels offer an alternative experience to the traveller .
Hotels , over the last fifty years , have turned into a somewhat stereotypical edifice where the reliability and quality of the service and hospitality are considered through the branding image and where the expectancy normally matches the experience .
In some cases these large buildings resemble some massive tourism factory , especially in those destinations where mass tourism is the major market . The dominant factors for their success have been price , availability and economies of scale . Luxury comes at a premium in most cases . The hotel of the seventies and eighties became the symbol of all that was unsustainable about tourism – carrying capacity , environment and economic leakages . Calvia is possibly the first tourist
‘ Boutique ’: a marketing tool or a real experience ?
destination to actually take concrete action against this unsustainable situation and , so far , it seems to be working successfully because of the strong synergy between the local council , the local businesses and the local community .
Travellers were now looking for accommodation that resembled a “ home-from-home ” environment with service , where they were individuals and not simply a statistic ! In this case small was considered to be beautiful but the question which is now being posed by the traveller and the industry is – what are the key features that determine a boutique hotel from a five , four or three star establishment ?
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Issue 03
HOSPITALITY MALTA