|
The difference between being a tourist and a traveler always remains a fine line that doesn't take much to cross, but gives you new eyes to see the world. While a tourist only sees what they have come to see, a traveler is never shy to take chances with unknown things, new things, unfamiliar and extraordinary things. True travel trips never end; much like true love affairs, they stay with you no matter where you go-the flavor, the smell, the feel lives on in your heart. Tourists are mechanical, travelers are romantic. The same difference extrapolates to chain hotels and boutique hotels. Boutique hotels started emerging in major metropolitan cities in the 1980s, and thence can be called a comparatively new phenomenon. While chain hotels are very particular about providing the same signature comfort, ambiance and cuisine all around the world, hotels bring to you the opportunity to native experience in their decor, in their food and even hospitality. They give their guests a sense of flavorful exclusivity that no chain hotel ever can, and this is one of the reasons why so many travelers choose to stay at a hotel when traveling abroad. Some other reasons are... 1. Personalized Customer Service Boutique hotels focus primarily on their services. Although not as lavishly or as expensively decorated as chain hotels, they do provide personal service and undivided attention to each guest. Some hotels, owing to their small size and hence limited number of guests at a particular time, will even take the effort of remembering the names of their each guest! This personalized approach makes hotels just the right way to pamper you on a holiday. 2. Luxurious pampering Many hotels, however, will also invest extra effort and money into creating a luxury out of even the most mundane things that go almost unnoticed when you stay at a chain hotel. For example, you towels will be just the perfect temperature, your cab will be a BMW or you just might notice an antique piece or two in the hallway. Many hotels decorate each suite in a different theme so that even repeat customers can have a new experience each time. 3. Unified Approach Hotels have a singular approach towards providing just the right ambiance to their guests. Whether it is about the lighting, the music, the artwork integrated into the interiors, the cuisine, the services-all of these are strung together by one thought. Even in case of rooms with different themes you will see commonness in texture, style and arrangement. That is why when you are staying at a hotel, you will feel as if you have been transported to a different world. 4. Grand locations A hotel can either be located in a city destination or a resort destination-either way, its location is always a USP for the hotel. City boutique hotels are located right in the heart of a city, in the middle of all the hustle-bustle and activity, and come equipped with all the modern facilities like internet access, Wi-Fi, auto-controlled lighting and music systems to enhance the 'boutique' experience of their guests. Resort destination hotels are earlier more streamlined with the natural elements woven into the architecture and design, minus-of course-the technological facilities. 5. Unconventional style Since hotels are a recent trend, they are more likely to have been constructed somewhere in the past forty years which means that unlike the contemporary chain hotels, boutique hotels are more likely to offer you something quirky and unconventional whether it is in their built, or their services. The rising trend of hotels has even inspired high-couture designers decorate and launch their own hotels that carry the signature style of that particular designer in every aspect of the hotel. 6. Flexible services This can be viewed as an extension of 'personalized service' point since it also reinforces the high standard hospitality one receives in hotels. More emphasis is laid on customer convenience and satisfaction for which the staff is ready to go the extra mile. Many boutique hotels allow pets and have special facilities installed for the disables and would even make changes in their food or ambiance as per guest requests. They would even assist you with the train schedules, tips for traveling around the city and point out the best little treasure places you would never hope to find on your own. In the end, it is all about indulging yourself in the true colors of whichever city you are going to visit. George Bernard Shaw once wrote that he hated feeling at home when he is abroad. Travel is all about discovering new places, new people, and then bringing some of it with you back home. If what you really want to be is more than a tourist-a traveler, then you must give yourself up to the boutique hotel experience at least once.
Related Articles -
Hotel, hotels, hotel stay,
|
