There are many characteristics that make up a good boutique hotel; number of rooms, good design and excellent service are among them. Two of the most important are often overlooked though, which is a shame, given the tremendous amount of research, time and energy that goes into providing them: quality and detail.

Quality

A boutique hotel should be solely concerned with quality in all areas of its operations. From the cleanliness of the rooms to the standard of the food, boutique guests expect more from these hotels than from "regular" hotels and owners have to make sure they exceed these expectations. A constant striving for the very best in everything is one of the things that define this type of accommodation. Examples of places where quality really matters include:

Fabrics ? curtains, bed linen, furniture coverings, bathrobes, towels and tablecloths must all be of exceptional quality. That's why many boutique hotels use Frette linens or exotic netting; guests notice the difference.

Furnishings ? whether they are genuine antique pieces or contemporary designer chic, good furniture stands out from the crowd.

Accessories ? from candles to lamps; vases to clocks, quality accessories can transform the plainest of rooms. Hoteliers spend a lot of time sourcing exactly the right pieces for their designs.

Food ? boutique hotels are often as well known for their cuisine as for their rooms. This means that they have to be using the freshest ingredients, preferably locally-grown, farmed or caught.

Detail

The way the cushions are hand-sewn, the dinner napkins folded, or the breakfast tray laid out in the morning; these are just three of the details that really make the difference between a regular and a boutique hotel. Owners of these small, exclusive hotels make sure that everything has been thought of, so that guests feel truly at home because their every need has already been considered. Even though these hotels are often more informal than larger hotels, don't let that informality fool you into thinking that they haven't got every "i" dotted and "t" crossed. An eye for detail and the expertise and creativity to put those details into practice is the mark of an excellent hotelier.