Shangri-La Paris

High end Boutique or Luxury Hotel

Which is more luxurious?

How much do you care? Where I stay is a big part of the travel equation. I have 3 priorities. Location, luxury, and libations. Other than that, I’m a simple gal. If you travel a lot, you know the choices of where to lay your head are endless. This article is not to sway you in either direction. I only hope to open your eyes to look deeper at the differences and encourage you to try a new lodging choice while still keeping to the luxury you are accustomed to.

Boutique Pasea Hotel

Is there a difference?

Westin Resort Waikiki

It’s all in your perspective. Do you like attention? Do you want a butler? Do you want a custom letterhead or an embroidered pillow? I guarantee you are paying for those detailed items, but will you sleep any better with your hair resting on a CT (Champagne-Travels) embroidered pillow? The difference is how you look at it. These are items you can get at a hotel chain with name recognition. At a boutique hotel, the attention to detail items are different types of personal services offered. I love being called by my first name, not the formality of Ms. Callahan. I like having the lounge to myself and talking to the bartender from my table or one of only 4 bar stools. The quaint feeling a boutique hotel gives is a type a privacy you cannot have at a larger chain. I don’t always need, or want, attention.

Peninsula Paris

Macao Four Seasons

Do you love labels?

Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Peninsula. Some people will only stay at a big brand well-known chain. I get why, and I can’t wait till my next St. Regis stay. We know exactly what we are going to get when we walk in those grandiose doors. Expectations are almost always met, and the comfort of familiar surroundings brings a piece of mind. But at a boutique hotel, the surroundings feel more private and intimate, giving you a coziness factor that doesn’t come from the majestic pillars and monumental ballrooms you have at a large hotel.

It’s all in the package

Ritz Carlton Denver

I bet you like to eat. Me, too! Food, fun, and frills. I find the larger hotels offer more combined packages. I can get my breakfast, spa credit, and afternoon tea all included in a package deal. I am not a breakfast person, and some trips are for sightseeing or visiting temples, not a facial. These are all things to consider when deciding which hotel and package offer is the best purchase for this vacation.

Yes, we have your robe and slippers

I know you want to be pampered. Yep, me too. Please know that a boutique hotel offers these amenities and more. Do not think smaller hotel offers less in pampering. My recent trip to hong kong is a testament to this–I’ll be sharing more details from that trip in an upcoming post!

Do I have to get dressed?

I enjoy a walk for my coffee in the morning. At a boutique hotel, I can sneak out unnoticed without having to “paint up” my face for my morning stroll. In a larger hotel, I am too embarrassed to walk through the Four Seasons George V lobby not showered and all glammed up.

Do you respect your surroundings?

It’s not always about you. This is my public service announcement. People save for years to take that one week vacation to the Four Seasons Maui. They have dreamed of that cabana and rum-filled coconut for months. They shouldn’t have the distraction of you in a robe looking sloppy while talking loudly on your phone at the breakfast table while they are trying to read the paper and enjoy their morning coffee. Regardless of whether you’re staying at a big name or boutique hotel, be thoughtful, kind, and respectful to the people around you.

Give it a try

Boutique Mira Moon Hong Kong

Boutique Venice

Life’s short; mix it up a bit. I love to explore new things. I decide on boutique or big name luxury hotel all depending on what I’m looking to get out of my vacation. Even though they offer different perks, I know I can’t go wrong. Whatever your travel style, there’s a great hotel out there for you!