Little bits of luxury

Beijing's boutique hotels provide catered service on small scale. Ma Xue reports.

China's capital has seen a recent rise in the number of boutique hotels, which are seizing an increasing share of the market from larger competitors.

In 2012, growth in the boutique hotels sector in Beijing showed no sign of abating, and this trend is likely to continue into 2013.

The word "boutique" means "shop" in French. It is commonly used to refer to small shops that specialize in elite and fashionable items, such as clothing and jewelry. The term is a little murky since the hotel industry does not recognize a clear-cut definition of "boutique", but it is often associated with petite, unique and trendy.

The trend originated in cosmopolitan global cities like New York and London in the 1980s, and boutique hotels are a relatively recent phenomenon in Beijing. They began appearing in the capital in the late 2000s, and over the course of just a few years, domestic travelers gradually warmed to the idea of boutique hotels, which have always been popular with overseas tourists.

Boutique hotels usually incorporate the latest cutting-edge designs. The capital hosts a variety of boutique hotels that cater to the tastes of various travelers, including one that has a courtyard theme and another with a chocolate motif. Among the established boutique brands, some have earned global recognition, such as the Eclat Hotel Beijing, which is one of the three Beijing members of the exclusive organization Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

With more than 100 original sculptures and paintings from some of the world's greatest artists, like Salvador Dali and Pierre Matter, the recently opened Eclat Hotel Beijing itself could easily be mistaken as a piece of art. Instead of displaying these works of art in a specialized gallery, they are effortlessly placed in the guestrooms and public areas. Waking up with a million-dollar painting by your bedside certainly isn't a bad start to the day.

The owner of the Eclat Hotel Beijing is an art lover and is personally responsible for the hotel's avant-garde design and decoration, which includes lamps activated by a pistol-shaped remote control and a desk built from the wings of a downed aircraft. And how about a sexy pool side suite in crowded downtown Beijing? It almost sounds too good to be true. Needless to say, this isn't something one would come across in the everyday chain hotel.

To create a location-specific guest experience, boutique hotels are often found in hip places that give travelers peace and quiet while providing enough traffic. One example is the A-Hotel Beijing, which is actually located in the Workers' Stadium.

Another example is Grace Beijing, the only boutique hotel in the famously trendy 798 Art District, Beijing's answer to New York's SoHo. Grace Beijing focuses on the niche market in the former factory, which now houses gallery spaces. In the 798 Art District, many international and local artists, galleries, and bookshops are gathered, and it also serves as a magnet for the design and fashion industries.

Formerly known as the Yi House, Grace Beijing was featured in the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List as one of the World's Best 124 New or Converted Hotels and also one of the 40 Best Hotels Under $300. Serving Mediterranean-style cuisine with a blend of Asian-inspired dishes, many would recognize the hotel's Yi House restaurant from the Chinese blockbuster film If You Are the One (directed by Feng Xiaogang). Every element of Yi House has a distinctive aesthetic based on the hotel's unique location. It teems with modernity, yet still perfectly manages to have the same feel as the art district neighborhood.

A key reason behind its growth is that the sector remains resilient in the current financial climate. Re-branding to generate more revenue per available room from a smaller pool of guests has proven to be a secret weapon that allows these hotels to remain profitable despite the economic downturn.

Boutique hotels generally target customers in their early 20s to mid-50s who are also likely to be in the mid-to-upper income range. One of its major advantages is a low guest-to-staffer ratio, which emphasizes personalized service and is also why many boutique hotels require their staff to address each guest by name.

The boutique hotel concept is still relatively new to the Chinese market. Still, many hoteliers agree that this sector of the hospitality industry has expanded, becoming increasingly significant within the past five years in China, and it's certainly has a bright future.

Contact the writer at maxue@chinadaily.com.cn.