A boutique hotel will often appeal to customers looking for unique experiences, picturesque accommodation, and a more personal touch, but your marketing strategies need to highlight what you have to offer. In this article, you will find some boutique hotel marketing tips that can help you increase bookings and boost revenue.

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What Is a Boutique Hotel?

You may have heard properties described as boutique hotels, and the name does conjure up a certain image, but defining boutique hotels is made difficult by the absence of mandatory features or traits. A boutique hotel can be described as a small, fashionable hotel aiming to deliver a sophisticated, personal experience for guests.

With that being said, while there are few hard and fast rules, boutique hotels will often be situated in urban areas. For a hotel to be described as a boutique hotel, it will usually have a unique selling point or qualities not typically seen with chain hotels or larger properties. It is a rapidly growing market – according to the Boutique Hotels Market Report by TechNavio, the Global Boutique Hotels Market size is estimated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.51% between 2023 and 2027.

Most boutique hotels will have a relatively small number of rooms, which can vary from as few as 10 to around the 100 mark, depending on the property. Although boutique hotels can be part of a chain, they are often independent hotels or hotels that belong to a chain that specifically focuses on boutique properties.

Video: What is a boutique hotel experience?

How Do Boutique Hotels Differ From Traditional Hotels?

Without a strict definition, it can be difficult to pinpoint precisely what separates a boutique hotel from a more traditional property. As a general rule, a boutique hotel will be fairly small yet fashionable. Most properties will have no more than 100 rooms, and these rooms will capitalize on the latest fashion and hotel trends.

Another difference relates to location, with traditional hotels choosing their location based on convenience and access to local amenities, services, and attractions. By contrast, boutique hotels are typically situated in urban areas, focusing on cities’ more aesthetically pleasing parts.

With a boutique hotel, there is typically an emphasis on personalization and complimentary services. Finally, boutique hotels will often have a novelty factor, a unique selling point, or characteristics that are not common throughout the hotel industry, and this makes them great for guests who want to take photos and enjoy unique experiences. In fact, according to the Boutique Hotel Mid-Year Report 2023 by The Highland Group, RevPAR increased for all US boutique hotel classes by a total of 7% compared to 2022.

Creating a Unique Value Proposition for Your Boutique Hotel

To run a boutique hotel successfully, those in hotel management roles must share a vision of what the hotel is trying to be and its unique value proposition (UVP). Essentially, this can be considered an overarching marketing strategy, which explains to customers what makes your boutique hotel distinctive and superior to competitors.

There are many possible options to explore here, depending on the nature of your business. Still, regardless, there needs to be a clear way to appeal to potential customers through boutique hotel marketing and branding.

Do you have a unique location? Is your hotel uniquely themed, or does it look different from other hotels? Do you have unique business practices, like a strong focus on sustainability? Do you make effective use of unique hotel technology?

On a more general level, boutique hotels can often provide a more personalized experience, with each guest receiving more individual attention from hotel staff than they may receive in a traditional hotel. Identify what makes your hotel stand out from rivals, and make this the focus of your marketing efforts.

The Role of Digital Marketing in a Boutique Hotel Marketing Strategy

Almost all hotels now depend heavily on digital marketing. Still, it can be especially important with boutique hotels because they often rely on unique qualities to capture the attention of potential customers, as well as word-of-mouth promotion. Both of these highlight the clear and obvious role that social media and viral marketing can provide.

However, beyond this, boutique hotels can focus marketing efforts on more specific customer demographics. This can be achieved by, for instance, running a content marketing strategy that discusses themes related to your hotel. On top of this, search engine optimization (SEO) can help a boutique hotel to rank high on search engine results pages for specific terms linked to the theme or unique qualities of the hotel.

Table: Examples of Digital Content Marketing for Boutique Hotels

Aspect of Content Marketing Description Application in Boutique Hotel Marketing
Storytelling Crafting compelling narratives that highlight the unique aspects of the boutique hotel experience. Creating blog posts, social media captions, and website content that tell the story of the boutique hotel, its history, location, and guest experiences.
Visual Content Utilizing captivating imagery and videos to showcase the ambiance and amenities. Sharing high-quality photos and videos of the boutique hotel’s interior, exterior, rooms, amenities, and local attractions on social media, website, and marketing materials.
User-Generated Content Encouraging guests to share their experiences and generate content through reviews, photos, and social media posts. Running photo contests, featuring guest testimonials and reviews on the website, and leveraging user-generated content to create authentic marketing campaigns that resonate with potential guests.

Top 5 Marketing Tips for Boutique Hotels to Increase Revenue

Marketing is essential for attracting customers to a boutique hotel, but your strategy needs to be carefully designed to accentuate your positives. Below, you can explore five tips to improve hotel marketing strategies and increase revenue.

1. Reward Customer Loyalty and Incentivize Referrals

A boutique hotel will usually have no more than 100 rooms, and it could have as few as 10 or 20 rooms, so it can pay off to focus your attention on high-value customers, lasting loyalty, word-of-mouth marketing, and referrals to capture unique market segments. Of course, you need to reward loyalty and referrals for this to be successful.

A hotel rewards program can help encourage repeat business and incentivize guests to refer friends to your hotel. Rewards may include discounts or free services. As the unique qualities of a boutique hotel mean that repeat business becomes more likely, focusing on these aspects can help drive up bookings.

2. Impress Customers With Your Website and Social Media

Boutique hotels are more likely to intrigue customers rather than fulfill a basic need, so boutique hotel customers may be less likely to book via an online travel agency and more likely to explore their own online presence. This means making your hotel website and social media channels a core boutique hotel marketing strategy focus.

Your website and social media should include high-quality photographs taken by professional photographers. Try to create a brand identity and ensure consistency across both platforms. Your website must look professional, unique, and striking, but it should also be functional, and mobile optimization is absolutely essential.

3. Create a Blog and Capitalize on Search Engine Results

A great way to capture the attention of potential customers and keep customers engaged with your brand is to create a blog. However, the benefits go beyond this, as blogs also have the power to boost your online visibility through search engine optimization (SEO). Ultimately, this will mean your hotel ranks higher on search engine results pages.

Your blog should cover unique, interesting, or useful topics and should be written with a clear understanding of your boutique hotel and its brand identity. Carry out keyword research, include these keywords in your content, and focus on the topics your customers and target audience are most likely to be interested in.

Boutique Hotel - Create a Blog and Capitalize on Search Engine Results

4. Host a Variety of Events or Functions At Your Boutique Hotel

Many boutique hotels’ unique locations, appearances, themes, and aesthetics make them perfect locations for events and business functions, so you should try to capitalize on this alternative market. Invest in your function rooms, and try to appeal to local businesses that could use those spaces to stage events, meetings, or seminars.

Beyond this business-centric approach, however, there is also enormous scope to host events for ordinary people. These could include weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, work Christmas parties, and more. Use your UVP and the specific qualities of your boutique hotel to appeal to people who want to enjoy unique and memorable experiences.

5. Partner With Local Businesses and Work with the Local Community

Although it is not always the case, most boutique hotels will be independent businesses in urban areas, able to attract local customers. This makes the local community focus of the boutique hotel an important consideration. It pays to try to partner with local businesses and work closely with the local community in general.

There are many possible examples here. For instance, you could create a mutually beneficial relationship with a local photographer and include their services within wedding packages. Alternatively, you could partner with a local restaurant and agree to recommend the other business to your customers.

At a community level, try to pay attention to local causes and provide support when possible. This generates goodwill, translating into customers booking rooms or recommending your hotel to friends and family.

Boutique Hotel Website Tips for More Bookings

When it comes to boutique hotel marketing strategies, your own website has a vital role to play. You can attract direct bookings through this website, which earns you more money. However, you will need to have a high-quality website design, use SEO techniques, add fresh content, and ensure your booking engine is user-friendly.

You can read more about these marketing tips and numerous other ways you can use your website to attract guests to your boutique hotel by reading “Tips To Gain More Bookings With Your Hotel Website”.

Boutique Hotel - Boutique Hotel Website Tips for More Bookings

Latest Hotel Marketing Trends

To maximize your marketing efforts and draw guests to your boutique hotel, you need to make sure you are capitalizing on the latest hotel marketing trends. These include utilizing hotel chatbots for customer service, using influencer marketing effectively, creating a video marketing strategy, and much more.

To learn about the various ways you can market your boutique hotel and to explore some of the most significant trends in this area, read the “Hotel Marketing; The Latest Trends in the Hotel Industry” article.

Creating a Hotel Promotional Video

Video content plays an increasingly important role within the hotel marketing mix, and boutique hotel marketing strategies can benefit greatly from a professional video that aims to promote the hotel’s unique qualities. However, a promotional video for your hotel needs to be made carefully to deliver the best results.

Read “Tips to Create The Perfect Promotional Hotel Video” for some expert insights into creating a promotional video for your boutique hotel and to view some specific examples of effective hotel video content.

Boutique Hotel Marketing FAQs

Boutique hotels generally achieve the most success when they focus on highlighting their unique characteristics, including the decor, experiences on offer, and the level of personalization provided. Boutique hotels are also often able to focus on more specific niches of the market than larger hotel brands, so social media can assist with this.

To brand a boutique hotel, you need to identify your target audience and your unique selling proposition, then create a compelling brand story that will appeal to your target market. A logo is essential, and a slogan is advantageous. Boutique hotels often benefit from developing a distinctive brand voice and using consistent visual designs.

Boutique hotels often succeed when they prioritize unique features or characteristics and focus on personalization. Tailor services to the specific needs of guests and promote facilities and hotel features that stand out. It is also critical to listen to customer feedback, identify trends, and correct course-corrections when necessary.

Customers are often drawn to boutique hotels because of their individual charm, convenient locations, and tailored services. Many guests choose boutique hotels when they want a unique and memorable experience.

The best way to enhance a boutique hotel’s reputation is to train staff to deliver great service, listen carefully to customer feedback and then refine service standards over time. It can be beneficial to respond to customer reviews and address issues quickly. Boutique hotels should actively encourage and even incentivize online reviews.

A boutique hotel will usually be a fashionable, smaller hotel, emphasizing unique qualities and a personal touch. With this in mind, your hotel marketing strategies must highlight precisely what your hotel has to offer, how it stands out from traditional hotels, and why it is better than other boutique hotels.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.