Independent appeal: How affluent travellers are seeking out intimate experiences with boutique hotels

The contemporary traveller is evolving. Today, it’s not enough to simply travel to an exotic destination and stay in a grand dame hotel. For travel to be considered luxury, it must provide a transformative experience: an authentic and memorable stay that leaves us feeling that we have learned something new — whether about the destination, culture or ourselves.

While affluent holidaymakers once flocked to big-name properties, reassured by their uniform aesthetic and experience in whatever city — or even country — they might be in, in recent years there has been a growing desire among the elite for stays that are unique, not only to a city but also the specific neighbourhood in which they are staying.

This, in turn, has resulted in an increased demand for independent and boutique properties with exclusive access to hyper-customised, authentic experiences that prioritise wellbeing within a destination — in fact, according to Katie Johnson, VP of Hyatt‘s boutique offering, the Independent Collections, 76% of travellers want to spend more on travel that improves their wellbeing. And boutique hotels cater to those needs.These boutique hotels are luxurious, intimate and private, offering guests a more customised and bespoke experience, which is naturally more appealing to the travellers of today.

“Travellers journeying at the luxury end of the market value discretion and privacy above all else, and this has been reflected in them seeking intimate settings offering bespoke services that feel tailored to their own personal interests,” says Laurent Sola, chief operating officer at The Arts Club, London. “With such a wide variety of hospitality offerings available today, particularly in London, these travellers are prioritising hotels that offer personalised ‘money-can’t-buy’ stays.”

With smaller guest numbers, boutique hotels are naturally able to offer residents a more bespoke stay. The Arts Club’s hotel offers an extension of its private members club experience, defined by its discretion and near-prescient personal service.A significant appeal of these independent spaces is the fact there is no single defined experience: guests can explore a destination in an intimate way without a script or playbook. This is a trend that has surged since the pandemic, as duplicated cookie-cutter experiences now come up short.

For example, why would you want to stay in a big-name hotel in a crowded tourist city where everyone else will be having the exact same experience as you, when you could stay in a unique design hotel, a restored piece of history, or location with truly sustainable credentials?

And that is exactly the type of experience that B Corp-certified, 14th-century Umbrian boutique Rastrello has to offer.

“A boutique hotel like Rastrello has the opportunity to connect with our guests more intimately, and we can give more attention to details that matter to the luxury traveller,” says the hotel’s owner Christiane Wassmann. “It’s not just: ‘Here’s your room key; checkout is at 11.’ It’s more of a: ‘Welcome, can I take your bag, offer you a Prosecco, and help you with your dinner reservations?’ In a boutique hotel that is possible.”EXPANDED INTERESTS

It’s not just independent owners getting in on our hunger for such personalised experiences. Global luxury hotel group Hyatt has also capitalised on these trends and expanded into the boutique hotels business through its Independent Collection, while brands including Hilton, Marriott and more are also expanding into the boutique hotels space.

“Hotels that are curated with authenticity in mind enable travellers to experience a destination in unique ways,” says Katie Johnson, VP and global brand leader of Hyatt’s Independent Collection. “With Hyatt’s Independent Collection, each property has its own name, visual identity, design and guest experience. This allows for that authentic and intimate travel experience many are looking for in boutique hotels.

“Travellers want to engage with these brands because it allows them to really experience the location, destination, or neighbourhood in a personalised way,” she adds.Another important aspect of boutique hotels is their focus on sustainability and eco-conscious tourism. Affluent travellers are becoming more conscious of their environmental impact and are seeking authentic, sustainable experiences. The focus on their local surroundings and giving back to the planet is something that makes staying at a boutique hotel more appealing.

“The luxury traveller [tends] to be a sustainability-conscious consumer. When they see that a property is a B Corp, they are already assured that where they are staying has the same values that they do. They can leave feeling good about themselves,” says Christiane.

With boutique hotels offering sustainability, personalisation, transparency, technological integration and wellness at such an intimate scale, they are creating unique, memorable experiences that resonate with today’s discerning travellers. It is no wonder that their popularity keeps increasing every year, as more guests seek out private, one-of-a-kind experiences that larger chains cannot offer. While staying in a huge five-star hotel in a popular city has its own charm and appeal, many travellers of today are simply after experiences that leave them transformed and wanting to come back for more.

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