What to Know When Choosing a Boutique Hotel

If you've ever stayed in a smaller boutique hotel, you know just how charming and intimate they can be. Without any evidence of branding or the stuffy rules of the big chains, boutique properties are free to offer their own unique style and décor, along with the perks they feel best suit their guests.

Boutique hotels like Montpelier Plantation on the island of Nevis tend to have a much smaller footprint, meaning you’ll encounter fewer guests during your stay. This means you’re more likely to enjoy privacy, quiet and space to relax. Other benefits of staying a boutique hotel include:

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—Small boutique hotels are more likely to be family-owned and run. Many boutique hotels are even operated and managed by a family.

—Whether a boutique is considered a luxury property or not, many of these offer breakfast in your nightly rate.

—Small varieties like Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort in Grenada have so few guests their workers know all of the customers by name.

—Many are off the beaten path, tucked into their own beautiful enclaves of peace and away from the hustle and bustle of cities and tourist districts.

—Your stay won’t be generic. Since boutique hotels don’t have to follow a standard set of rules like many brands do, they are often decorated in their own style. Many times, each of their rooms and suites are even unique.

While boutique hotels can help craft your perfect getaway, there are notable downsides that come with choosing this option as well.

For starters, boutique hotels tend to come with fewer amenities than the big brands. This can mean smaller gyms, fewer restaurants and scarce on-site activities. Small boutique hotels may not have their own spa either, meaning they aren’t always ideal for couples or anyone planning a romantic trip.

Lastly, boutique hotels don’t typically have their own loyalty program, meaning you won’t rack up points or earn any special status for being a repeat customer at a specific property. Also, there aren’t any small boutique hotels that offer their own co-branded hotel credit card, either.

If you get the urge to book a small boutique hotel the next time you're planning a special trip, consider checking out Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This conglomerate only accepts boutique hotels with the highest standards and reviews.

And, Small Luxury Hotels offers a loyalty program that offers some of the perks of the bigger brands like Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. While you don’t rack up rewards points like you would with major hotel chains, their Invited loyalty program does let you earn perks like free breakfast, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout and member-exclusive rates.

You can also earn a voucher for a free night after you reach the program’s highest status, Indulged. Reaching this benchmark requires at least six stays or $6,000 USD spent on hotels in the program.