Case Study: Boutique Hotels

Case Study: Boutique Hotels
Read the Boutique Hotels case study on pages 100 – 101 of your textbook, and answer the three questions at the end.
The requirements below must be met for your paper to be accepted and graded:
Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5 pages) using Microsoft Word in APA style, see example below. Use font size 12 and 1” margins. Include cover page and reference page. At least 80% of your paper must be original content/writing. No more than 20% of your content/information may come from references. Use at least three references from outside the course material, one reference must be from EBSCOhost. Text book, lectures, and other materials in the course may be used, but are not counted toward the three reference requirement.
Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) in the paper and list on a reference page in APA style. References must come from sources such as, scholarly journals found in EBSCOhost, CNN, online newspapers such as, The Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc. Sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. are not acceptable for academic writing.
CASE STUDY Boutique Hotels C urrently, there is no one definition of a boutique hotel; however, most people think of a boutique hotel as a small, upscale hotel with a hip environ-ment where the customers feel connected to the staff. The beauty of the boutique segment is that it provides a wide range of opportunity for devel-opers. Unlike the name implies, boutique prop-erties no longer have to be small to fit into the category; they can have hundreds of rooms. What hotels do need to have to enter into the expanding segment is panache, some roster of unique features, services, or amenities that sets them apart and easily confirms that sense of exclusivity upon guests by association. — Stefani C.
O’Connor, Executive News Editor, Hotel Business, 10/06 1 Even though people seem to disagree on the defi-nition of boutique hotels, most commentators agree that they have four major defining characteristics. First, as a general rule, boutique hotels put more emphasis on design and architecture than traditional chain hotels. 2 Incorporating cutting-edge design and décor and featuring celebrity architects and designers’ work, boutique hotels look very distinctive inside and outside. These interior and exterior designs create the “personality” or “identity” of each hotel. 3 For exam-ple, each guest room in Library Hotel in New York City has a different theme, such as romance and mu-sic. The goal of these hotels is to create a unique, intimate, and stylish environment that makes every single stay different, even for repeat guests. Boutique hotels try to entertain their guests by creating a theat-rical atmosphere that attracts all the senses though the use of design, color, lighting, aroma, and music. 4 The second common feature is superior personal service. 5 Intimacy and familiarity between hotel staff 1 Richard Miller and Kelli Washington, Hotels and Reports 2007, (Georgia: Richard K. Miller & Associates, 2007). 2 Lucienne Anhar, “The Definition of Boutique Hotels,” HVS In-ternational, December 13, 2001, January 29, 2008; http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4010409.print. 3 Jones Lang Lasalle Report. 4 Anhar, “The Definition of Boutique Hotels.” 5 Paula Drayton and Kristy Rodwell, “Boutique Hotels: An Australian Perspective,” September 2001, January 29, 2008; http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/Andersen/2001_ BoutiquePerspective.html. and guests are emphasized; for example, a warm, caring attitude on the part of management and staff is encour-aged, and staff members acknowledge guests by name. 6 Also, boutique hotels are known to provide a higher quality and wider range of guest amenities; such hotel properties surpass the standard amenity set by provid-ing whimsical offerings such as stuffed goldfish, pillow menus, and complimentary candies and nuts. Technol-ogy is also widely used to enhance the cutting-edge design, fashionable image, and convenience. Every room has high-speed Internet access, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and other latest technological gadgets. 7 The third feature is the number of rooms. Most commentators agree that boutique hotels should not exceed 150 rooms to maintain the intimacy between the guests and the hotel staff, and the personalized attention by the staff. Recently, however, there seems to be no upper limit on the maximum number of rooms; for example, among properties operated by Ian Schrager, Paramount Hotel has 594 rooms, and Hudson Hotel has 821 rooms. 8 The last characteristic is the market that is at-tracted to boutique hotels. These hotels generally target customers who are in their early twenties to mid-fifties, in the mid- to upper-income brackets.
Also, these hotels’ corporate accounts include media, fashion, entertainment, and advertising companies that are attracted to the trendy design and lively atmosphere. 9 Although boutique hotels might vary in many aspects, they can be grouped into two types based on their location. 10 The first type is city destination hotels. These hotels are in urban edgy and chic neighborhoods in major cities like New York, London, San Francisco, and Miami.
More Details on How to Work on this Paper......
Need a Professional Writer to Work on this Paper?  Get this Paper Done ………