Hotel boom in boutique rooms

Big hotel chains may provide consistency and comfort, but not everyone is enamoured of their impersonal atmosphere. As a result, customers are seeking out boutique hotels in record numbers.Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) saw reservations revenue jump 25 per cent in 2006, and added 70 properties to its portfolio in 2007. It now lists more than 400 hotels in 65 countries. In North America, the Preferred Hotel Group has just created a new brand called Preferred Boutique to meet growing demand – and is expanding into Australasia.