Once you've stayed in a boutique hotel, you'll understand what all the fuss is about. For the same money as you can spend on a city-centre chain hotel, you can stay in an individual place where the design is intrinsic to the experience and where the service ensures that your stay is comfortable and relaxed. If you choose a boutique hotel once, the chances are you'll book again for your next trip because:

You feel more relaxed ? a small, quality hotel is full of charm and the owners and designers work hard to create an intimate atmosphere that helps you to relax before you've even checked in. The reduced number of rooms means that you don't have to fight for tables in the dining room or a comfortable chair in the lounge, and staff are always on hand to help with any queries or requests you might have.

Quality counts ? chic hotels pay attention to detail and that means that everything is of the highest quality. From bed linen to breakfast ingredients, the quality of furniture, fittings, materials, fabrics and produce is all designed to give you a true taste or luxury at an affordable price.

It costs less than you think ? although some of the high-end boutique hotels are expensive, you can probably afford to stay in the majority of boutique hotels around the world. Whether it's for a city weekend, or two weeks by the beach, you'll be surprised at how affordable a good boutique hotel can be.

It's as individual as you are ? national and international chain hotels make up most of the overnight hospitality market, but there are people who like individuality and want to express it through the places they choose to stay. By staying at a boutique hotel, you are experiencing an individuality of style, design and service, and because each one's different, you never get the feeling of duplication that can happen in big hotels across the world.

They're where you want to be ? location is an important factor for a boutique hotel. Whether it's in the middle of the city, on a private stretch of beach or nestled in acres of tropical gardens, this type of hotel offers a hard-to-beat location advantage.