While most people think of themed hotels as a hotel with kinky rooms with equally kinky guests, some miss that there are completely wholesome and awe inspiring themed hotels that are completely different from the stereotype. These themed hotels are completely unique and awe inspiring that merely visiting it and taking a closer look is an experience by itself.
One of these amazing themed hotels is ICEHOTEL in Sweden. The ICEHOTEL is a relatively new hotel which is completely reconstructed every winter from approximately 10,000 tons of crystal-clear ice and 30,000 tons of snow. This hotel is the world’s largest ice hotel. It offers rooms that are comfortably at negative five degrees Celsius and guests get to sleep in thermal sleeping bags on top of reindeer pelts. ICEHOTEL also feature literally tons of ice sculptures and offers its guests to sculpt their own ice art.
Another unique themed hotel is the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa in Dubai. It is literally an oasis located in the middle of the desert. While adopting the design and style of classic Bedouin desert encampments the Al Maha incorporate virtually all the luxuries and comforts of modern living. It also comes with its own desert wild life where guests can see free ranging onyx and migratory birds. One of the best features of Al Maha is their state of the art spa that guarantees not only relaxation but also cleansing and rejuvenation for its guests.
The Ngong House in something every little child dreamed of – a real tree house. The Ngong House offers 6 tree houses with a capacity of 24 guests. Each house is at least 15 feet off the ground and offers a clear view of the African bush vista. All tree houses are completely safe and offer comfortable furnishings. The Ngong House also offer trips to the safari and provide excellent meals.
Themed hotels are very varied and each offers a unique experience that you cannot get elsewhere. While most themed hotels offer the same services and comforts like other hotels, all of them offer a different feel or thrill that cannot be matched by any other hotel
Boutique hotels are known to be small luxury hotels that cater to a select clientele. While this is mostly true, many boutique hotels are not very exclusive and cater to everyone interested. The Boutique hotel trend started in the US in the 80s and some of the best boutique hotels are found in the country.
The Maison 140 Beverly Hills in California is one of the best boutique hotels in the world. It was built in the 1930s featuring the unique ambiance of classic Parisian inns. It features 43 rooms all tastefully furnished in the Parisian style complete with four-poster-beds and vintage furniture.
Gramercy Park Hotel in New York is a popular boutique hotel since 1924. It has been considered to be a part of the New York scenery. It features 185 rooms and tasteful bohemian décor. It has access to Gramercy Park.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée is known to set the benchmark time and time again for urban boutique hotels. Located in New York City, it retained its classic classy features complete with its loyal and long standing staff. It is best known for its classic French furnishings and its dark exotic bar.
The Alex in New York City is also well known boutique hotel. While other boutique hotels sport the classic or vintage looks the Alex excels in its food choices provided by adjoining restaurants. It also has high end furniture and bathroom fixtures. While sporting the indispensible classy aura of boutique hotels it also provides state of the art entertainment in the form of flat screen TVs, DVD players and high speed internet access.
The Hay-Adams in Washington DC is well known for its former occupant’s former president John Adams and statesman John Hay. It is a popular place for celebrities and known to routinely cater to diplomats visiting the nation’s capital. It is furnished with comfortable furniture which accentuates the charm and elegance that permeate from the noble history of the house as well as its beauty. The Hay-Adams is also located near the National Mall and has a good view of the White House.
Boutique hotels offer quality service, high class amenities and lend its guests a portion of its charms. The personal service, novelty and noble heritage of these hotels can hardly be matched by their modern counterparts.
When choosing the perfect business hotel for your trip or your meeting a number of factors must be considered. Some of these factors would be your budget, what facilities would you be needing, what time will your even be, would you need to stay overnight or for a few days in the hotel and would you be having meals in the hotel. A good appraisal of these factors would help guide you in choosing a business hotel that would be perfect for your needs.
The primary factor in choosing a hotel is your budget. While there is a significant spread in terms of price when it comes to choosing hotels, always consider that as a general rule you are expecting to get the value for your money. Hotels that are in better districts and have access to commercial and financial districts are on the pricier side, but they generally come with nicer lobbies, rooms, and lounges. When choosing a business hotel it is imperative that you know if the hotel would properly serve the accommodations that you need. Would the conference room be able to seat the guests that you would be bringing? Does the hotel have a functional business center? Are the furnishings in the conference room decent looking and does it feel comfortable enough to stay in for hours at a time?
Most business hotels specialize in their function and conference rooms; choose one that would be suitable for your needs. Some meetings and conferences cannot be concluded in a day so you might need to stay in the hotel. Choose a hotel that offers rooms that would be suitable for your guests. Should the conference or meeting end early and give your attendees a chance to unwind, it is preferable to choose a hotel with gyms, pools or even a spa.
Finally is the food. Most hotels feature fine dining with reputable chefs and wonderful ambiance. Not all business meeting need to end in an expensive meal so try to look for a hotel that feature a decent snack bar where attendees can grab a light meal , some hotels are known for their bars and lounges.
Ultimately you’ll need to balance the quality of service and accommodation with the financial cost, however you’ll be able to strike this balance better if you know precisely what you need and what each hotel has to offer.
Most people would have general ideas whenever hotels are discussed. While most would focus on “star rating,” location or unique features few would be able to consider other types of hotels apart from the stereotype. Contrary to popular conception there are more to hotels than the tall luxurious buildings or the less expensive but completely functional types. There are a plethora of other kinds of hotels such as hostels, motels, apartment hotels and even boutique hotels.
One of the unique and less known types of commercial accommodation is boutique hotels. Boutique hotels offer a wide variety of services and accommodations. Basically boutique hotels offer an experience unlike any other above and beyond other hotel services such as dining or other features. A boutique hotel aims to let its guests to experiences a certain era or a particular kind of culture. This uniqueness made boutique hotels to be also known as “lifestyle hotels” since a particular kind of lifestyle is showcased.
Boutique hotels are often considered to be small luxury hotels. While by definition most boutique hotels are at par with the services of some luxury hotels – the same wouldn’t apply to other boutique hotels. Boutique hotels are vastly different from each other. While some hotel carry all the conveniences of a luxury hotel some boutique hotels focus on seclusion and total dedication to the chosen ambiance – meaning that in some cases there would be no phones, cable TV or internet access. This is especially true to boutique hotels overseas that are situated near historical or religious locations. While some lifestyle hotels derive their services and ambiance from their location like boutique hotels near historical sites some are based on the unique tastes of the owner and his clientele. Some boutique hotels cater only to a select clientele and thus tailored it services to the tastes of those clientele. Some boutique hotels maintain the ambience of an era past likes a hotel forgoing all modern looks and staying true to how the hotels looked like in the 70s. In this light, boutique hotels might seem to be eccentric compared to the usual hotel standards – but this uniqueness is exactly what people look for a boutique hotel and what makes them stand out above the rest.
Imagine checking into a hotel room that looks like an old fashioned ship’s cabin or a cave from the dawn of time. Sound appealing? Then why not stay at a theme hotel? These hotels offer adventurous guests the opportunity to enjoy a vacation in a room that is designed around a particular theme. In some cases, the entire hotel reflects a specific theme, such as the Liverpool hotel whose décor is designed to be a tribute to the Beatles.
While theme hotels can be found all over the world, you can usually find a lot of them congregated around casinos. Las Vegas, for example, is infamous for its myriad theme motels, which are an essential contribution to the over-the-top ambiance of the city. Tourists who visit Vegas for a weekend of gambling see staying in a hotel that is designed to look like an Egyptian pharaoh’s palace or pirate’s hideaway as an indispensible part of their stay.
Theme hotels are also a popular destination for honeymooners or other couples looking for a romantic getaway that is out of the ordinary. They can stay in rooms that offer complimentary champagne, plush beds and romantic indoor waterfalls. Or they can go for rooms with somewhat racier décor that feature stripper poles and heart-shaped vibrating beds.
Resort towns are also good places to find theme hotels. In contrast with Vegas, however, many of these hotels are family-friendly places that offer plenty of activities for the kids and the entire family. And their themes are far from the exotic ones offered by the casino hotels, but are more reflective of the natural settings in which the hotels are located. For example, the rooms might have a nautical theme or feature rustic furniture such as wicker furniture or hammocks.
But having a theme does not mean the rooms do not feature the whole range of luxury amenities that guests have come to expect. For example, the rooms may have WiFi Internet or cable TV, as well as hot tubs and Jacuzzis. So if you haven’t experienced staying in a theme hotel yet, why not take the plunge? Once you do, you may never want to go back to staying in an ordinary hotel room again.
While the term boutique hotel used to conjure up images of independently-owned hotels where the guests would be treated as if they were visiting royalty in the most luxurious settings, these days the big chains are increasingly muscling in on the concept. Many of the big chains are now offering boutique hotels brands featuring smaller hotels with the same unique experience as the traditional boutique hotel but combined with the service and stability associated with major chain hotels. While it may seem that these big chains are co-opting the concept to get a share of this increasingly popular market, these hotels seem to have gained a measure of acceptance among business travelers looking for less impersonal accommodations during their business trips. In fact, it is reported that some 18 boutique motels owned by big chains are slated to open in the US in 2010.
One of the pioneers in the big chain-owned boutique hotel market is New York-based Starwood Hotels, which established its first boutique hotel brand, W, in 1998. W became the world’s best known “boutique” brand and Starwood introduced two more brands, aloft in 2005 and Element in 2006. Aloft is a select-service chain that allows guests to save money by offering a limited range of service options while still offering luxurious and spacious rooms with amenities including wireless Internet as well as comfortable public spaces for hanging out. Element is an extended-stay chain that allows business travelers to book accommodations for extended periods, and feature rooms with amenities designed to make travelers feel at home, such as complete kitchens where they can prepare their own meals.
Other big chains that have boutique brands include Hyatt with Andaz, which currently has four hotels and is set to open a fifth at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, The Reserve of the Ritz-Carlton chain, which has opened a 54-room resort in Thailand and is planning to open five more in various locations around the world and the Autograph Collection of the Marriott, which will open seven motels in four states and is planning to launch its Edition brand with a Waikiki hotel. While you might argue that these upscale brands are not strictly boutique hotels, their popularity among business travelers and tourists indicate that they are probably here to stay.
If you’re a person who travels a lot and have tried staying in all types of hotels, chances are, you have fond memories of a boutique hotel experience like no other. Splendid boutique hotels that guests have raved about as `overnight sensations’ may be tucked somewhere in the busy commercial districts of Asia’s most modern cities or off-the-beaten paths somewhere in Europe or America. The term `boutique hotel’ actually originated in America. Though relatively smaller than a mainstream hotel, boutique hotels’ capacity may range from less than 10 guest rooms to a little over 200 suites. Individuals who have enjoyed staying in topnotch boutique hotels cite, among others, experiencing a sense of lavish self-indulgence that other hotels cannot seem to equal. Large hotels may also offer good customer service and nice facilities, but boutique hotels offer uniqueness and a disarming theme or style that may be hard to resist.
A boutique hotel, as a businesswoman who frequently travels all over the world said, offers an intimate feel. It’s a great way to get five-star hotel comforts with a boutique hotel concept. She recalls a glorious stay in one of the best boutique hotels in Asia – situated in Kuala Lumpur. The name of the boutique hotel suggests exotic & sensual pleasures, and true enough, touches of nature-inspired architectural design (including organic zen-like plants and elegant, natural furniture & accents in the room and spa facility) will greet the eye upon entering the hotel characterized by modern minimalist design. It’s like experiencing a slice of heaven in a cosmopolitan city, the frequent traveler said.
In a way, a stay in a boutique hotel may be likened to staying in an idyllic first-class resort. The best boutique hotels have actually brought the outdoors in. They serve as havens for relaxation that both businessmen & leisure travelers desire. Most of these hotels are brimming with the necessary accoutrements for living a comfortable and beautiful life. Aside from the amenities, a huge factor that contributes to the boutique hotel feel is the personalized service guests are offered. In some hotels belonging to this category, a butler will not only assist guests when they check in and get settled in their rooms but may also help unpack luggage bags when requested to do so.
A city hotel can easily be defined as a hotel found in a city. While this definition might seem practical and somewhat anti-climactic, a city hotel is so much more than just a hotel found in a city. A city hotel can be an experience a home away from home and even a place to see and visit. City hotels are your basic hotels that cater to travelers, tourists and businessmen. While they might not be as lavish as luxury hotels or feature as many conference rooms as business hotels – city hotels can be viewed as a practical place to stay during your stay in the city. While seemingly mundane, city hotels offer security, safety, comfortable rooms and worthwhile accommodations. City hotels are often situated near tourist spots or shopping districts making them convenient for tourists and travelers.
City hotels offer all the conveniences of other hotels such as clean rooms, daily room cleaning, 24 hour room service and air-conditioned rooms. City hotels provide a wide array of amenities and services but generally offer them for convenience rather than necessity. This is in contrast to hotels found in less urban areas where they try to provide all kinds of services and amenities from shopping to sports areas. Some hotels in the city are famous not only for their good service and wonderful accommodations but also for their unique or excellent restaurants or spas. Hotels usually have at least one fine dining restaurant featuring a prominent chef and his crew. Some hotels are known for their sumptuous but not exorbitantly priced buffets. While some are known for specific dishes you can order ala carte. Lounges and bars are also an integral part of city hotels. Guests and their friends can meet, get together or grab a drink from the lounge or the bar. The lounge is also a popular place for businessmen to meet. Hotel bars are also considered to be a hot spot for single and adventurous individuals.
While over all a city hotel might be an overarching term that encompass all the hotels found in a city, this might only be superficially true. City hotels are unique in the sense that they are not mere places to sleep but can offer city travelers unique services and experiences literally a few feet away from their room doors.
Boutique hotels are often cited as unique, unusual and even eccentric by some. However such descriptions might seem misleading especially if one who has no idea what a boutique hotel is. Boutique hotels are largely an American phenomenon in the 80s but it has steadily found niches all over the world. While some regard boutique hotels as small luxury hotels that might not be the case in all instances. Simply put, a boutique hotel is a specialty hotel which cater a unique ambiance or setting for its clientele. While many boutique hotels are indeed luxurious, equally many have forgone the luxuries of modern living to give its clientele an authentic experience based on the hotel’s theme or location. While not all boutique hotels are located in historic or religious vistas, those that are usually give the guests the option to experience the place authentically. Be it in the furniture, the room furnishings and even the food choices.
Boutique hotels have fewer rooms than other hotels. This is because the ambiance that the boutique hotel maintains becomes harder to project the more rooms there are. This allows them to maintain their highly personalized service and keeps the room quality and maintenance high. Boutique hotels carry most services other hotels have such as room service and multilingual employees. However other features such as gyms, spas and business centers might not be present in many boutique hotels primarily because they exist to be a sanctuary for rest and relaxation. This particular characteristic is a specialty of many boutique hotels making them a prime place for busy people to take a vacation into. Food choices in boutique hotels are varied. While some boutique hotels do integrate food as part of their hotel experience – featuring food that is complimentary to their ambiance, others provide regular meals that would be no different in other hotels. The price of staying in a boutique hotel would vary greatly depending on which boutique hotel one stayed at.
Some boutique hotels are as expensive as a stay in a luxury hotel while some would have the same price as a regular hotel or even cheaper. While generally the unique and personal services would have a greater price tag than most, they also provide a memorable experience that you cannot get elsewhere.
Boutique hotels are very individualistic and it is hard to draw a standard that will apply to all hotels of that kind. However, there are certain features that remain constant and would allow one to juxtapose the boutique hotel’s uniqueness with other hotels. One of the main factors would be the rooms. Boutique hotels generally have fewer rooms than other hotels. This is because boutique hotels focus on quality and the authenticity of its service. Boutique hotels are known to have as few as three rooms. This however does not mean that room quality is less.
Basically boutique hotel rooms are individually tailored and furnished to further the general ambiance of the hotel. This would mean that room quality is indeed better than most. However, this wouldn’t exactly translate to Jacuzzis and king sized beds in all rooms. Boutique hotels generally offer different kinds of rooms with different amenities. These amenities might be the same as your average hotel depending on the boutique hotel. Where most hotels try to outdo each other by providing more and more unique services such as state of the art gyms, first class spa and massage services and the finest dining opportunities, the same does not hold true to the boutique hotels. Boutique hotels capitalize on their niche, that unique thing that makes them special. Boutique hotels do not need other come-ons other than their special ambiance.
Certain boutique hotels are so well designed that upon stepping inside the hotel lobby it would seem that you have been transferred to a completely new place altogether. The allure of such escape, anonymity and the unique surroundings make boutique hotels appealing to many people. Food choices in boutique hotels are usually part of the general ambiance. Some incorporate the food choices of the era or of the particular lifestyle to the hotel experience. Some however sport the same high quality dining option care of highly trained chefs just like their luxury hotel counterparts.
Finally the price is one thing that keeps boutique hotels different from each other. While some indeed charge as much, if not more than luxury hotels, most other boutique hotels maintain pricing that would be competitive to other hotels. While the unique specialization of boutique hotels set them quite apart from regular city or business hotels, the unique ambiance they sport and the very personalized service makes them something to try.