PHOTO: Delano Las Vegas lobby. (Photo by Ryan Rudnansky)
When Delano Las Vegas opened this month, it became the second "boutique" hotel in Vegas with more than 1,000 rooms.
To some, it seems a bit far-fetched to call a 1,100-room hotel a boutique property. But the owners and operators of Delano Las Vegas and the 1,495-suite Vdara Hotel & Spa aren't focusing on the number of rooms: They are promising the boutique experience.
It begs the question: Does size really matter?
Indeed, in Vegas, it's easier to think of Delano and Vdara as smaller properties, considering many properties surrounding them have thousands of rooms. Mandalay Bay, sitting next to Delano, has more than 3,300 rooms. Aria Resort & Casino, next to Vdara, has over 4,000 rooms.
But it's not all about size. Most travelers go to boutiques in the first place for a more intimate, relaxed breath of fresh air.
In that sense, Delano and Vdara could conceivably be called boutiques without much of a stretch. Their lobbies and lounge areas are relatively small, welcoming and calming compared to the rest of the bustling Las Vegas Strip.
PHOTO: Franklin lounge, Delano Las Vegas. (Courtesy Delano Las Vegas)
It's no wonder why business travelers, for example, have been showing up frequently at Vdara for years: It's a place to kick back and relax after scrambling around to appointments and meetings at Aria or surrounding large-scale resorts. The most important feature for a boutique may be its feel-not its size-these days.
PHOTO: Vdara standard suite. (Photo by Ryan Rudnansky)
That's not to say properties like the Cromwell or Caesars Palace's accompanying Nobu Hotel aren't more fitting examples in Vegas of the boutique, of course. Each of these properties has fewer than 200 rooms despite being in the heart of Vegas. The Cromwell is the only standalone boutique in Sin City, complete with all the bells and whistles of the traditional boutique, like personalized service, smaller rooms and a more intimate lobby area, and even a complimentary table for coffee and tea sitting in each hallway leading to the rooms.
PHOTO: The Cromwell. (Photo by Ryan Rudnansky)
But the sentiment surrounding how to define a boutique hotel does appear to be shifting at least a little bit, and that's not just because the owners and operators say so. Many guests who have stayed at Delano or Vdara would probably highlight the properties for their relaxed and boutique-like feel.
It's an ever-changing world. Vegas has been reminding travelers of this for decades.
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