HISTORY OF BOUTIQUE HOTELS
The History of Boutique Hotels
Boutique hotels took the stage in the late 1970s. The intention of boutique hotels was to provide guests with a more unique and intimate stay.
Boutique hotels serve the purpose of having a more individualized, original, and service oriented experience for guests. They often reflect the culture of the city they were located in for a rich and educational stay.
Boutique hotels are becoming even more popular today since travelers are focusing on not only their physical needs, but also their psychological needs while traveling. Psychological needs emphasize the importance of staying in a space that feels intentional and not institutional - straying away from cookie-cutter designs and limited services.
Blakes Hotel Dining Area
Blakes Hotel - Hotel Room
Blakes Hotel, London
The first boutique hotel to be named is the Blakes Hotel in London. This hotel was designed by Anouska Hempel as a rebellion against the standardization of chain hotels.
The Blakes Hotel is famously known for combining theatrical romance with shabby bohemian romance. This style of design gives off the illusion to feel cheap and expensive at the same time, making all people feel welcome to stay.
The carefree exhuberence emulated by the Blakes Hotel makes this boutique hotel a place you go to party and have an exciting night out. People often describe it more as a clubhouse with bedrooms, making it sound more fun than just a typical hotel!
The Art Hotel - Denver, Colorado
The Art Hotel -Denver, Colorado - Hotel Room
The Art Hotel, Denver
The Art Hotel in Denver, Colorado is a great example of a more recently designed and popular boutique hotel.
The Art Hotel was completed in 2015 and is within a building that also includes retail space, offices, and the Denver Art Museum.
This boutique hotel offers guests a very unique and individualized experience because it is both a hotel and an art museum. Guests will be walking through art galleries as they walk through the hotel! Each floor of the hotel is dedicated to a different artist, meaning only one artists' work is featured on each floor. This gives visitors the option to customize each stay by booking a room on a different floor and experiencing different art each time!