white paper ELEVEN Immutable Laws of Boutique Hotels
T
he Boutique Hotel category has become an unfortunate victim of its own success. Mass marketing and misunderstanding has led to a watering down of the idea and the delivery of cookie-cutter “boutique-
experiences”. The confusion among owners and operators between great small hotels and boutique hotels is part of the problem…but understanding the difference is the key to improved success (whether you are a real boutique hotel or a great small hotel). The following eleven immutable rules are excerpts from the original White Paper available at https://issuu.com/lbernste/ docs/ten_immutable_laws_of_boutique_hote 1. Bathrooms— must have windows or openings (hole in the wall) into the bedroom so guests can share their most intimate moments with whomever else is in the room. Towels must be placed no less than four strides away from shower (no baths allowed, except in the bedroom)
416.967.3337 www.proteanstrategies.com © 2013
2.Staff with attitude— obviously it is important to hire staff not based on their technical skills or hospitality aptitude, but rather on how they look and their exaggerated
sense of self 3.Super trendy music— played, generally, too loud. And too late (see Law #11) 4. Post millennial value— room rates are based on what the traffic will bear, and generally absurd 5. Menu— a room service menu consisting of items that nobody would actually eat in their rooms, which simplifies the delivery of 24 hour room service. Bottle service at hugely inflated prices is mandatory