“Try something new/stylish/unique or stick with the tried-and-tested?”
It’s a question that comes up a lot! Here’s our perspective broken down into a top 5 checklist:
1. Know Thy Brands!
This might seem obvious, but it’s also key to not making avoidable mistakes. If you’re a Four Seasons person through and through, the formula will work for you in most locations. But, if you’re travelling to a city like Tokyo, you’ll also want to understand the differences between Four Seasons, Peninsula, Park Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental, and Aman. You get the idea.
Certain cities have high-quality boutique hotels that allow you to get a little more creative, e.g. Paris, Rome, Milan, Marrakech. Working with trusted experts like Nota Bene gives you a 360-degree lens into the world of luxury hotels and which ones will suit you best.
2. Who’s Behind the Scenes?
This is particularly important when considering a boutique hotel. Who is the owner? What’s their background? Are there other examples of their work? The JK Place properties are a fine example. Founded in 2003 by Ori Kafri, his father, Jonathan Kafri, and Eduardo Safdie, the JK hotels are characterised by upscale locations and impeccable style—whether in Paris, Capri, Rome, or Milan.
Consistency builds trust, so when a brand wows us with high standards, we’re excited by its new projects. That’s not to say all hotels by the same group are created equal, but you’ll at least have an idea of what you’re getting!
3. Location, Location, Location
We’ve said this before, but really, we can’t emphasise it enough—one street makes all the difference! You can stay at The Dorchester in London and feel like you’re in a completely different city, if you’d chosen The Connaught. They might be a five-minute walk apart, but one is right beside a busy thoroughfare, while the other occupies a sought-after location on one of Mayfair’s smartest streets within close proximity of sophisticated restaurants, boutique shops, and contemporary art galleries. We know where we’d rather be (though admittedly, The Dorchester is a very well-appointed hotel, under an excellent GM, Luca Virgilio)!
4. Creative Landscape
You can tell a lot about a destination by what else is going on there. Zoom in on the contemporary art, fashion, culinary scenes, the other hotels, and whether a city is “happening”. Once the seed is sown, it’s never too long before you’ll find a hotbed of creativity emerge.
Take a city like Lima, where Hotel B brought new life to the artsy Barranco neighbourhood. Or Christian Louboutin’s Hotel Vermelho in Portugal’s coastal Alentejo, which signalled growth a mere stone’s throw from Comporta but far away enough to activate our radar.
On the other hand, in a city like Sydney, where planning permission is virtually impossible, there isn’t much reason to stray far from tried-and-tested Park Hyatt.
5. Your Needs
Last but by no means least, what are your own needs and preferences? Are you travelling with children? We’ll help you evaluate because, believe it or not, sometimes the intricacies aren’t clear to those travelling.
If you’re likely to want an unpacking service, a massage in your suite, a personal trainer or a private yoga session, a full-length pool, or two bathrooms, well, these things matter. No matter how stylish a boutique hotel is, it will likely have limitations, so knowing your own comfort zone is key. We profile all our clients extensively, asking all the right questions to ensure you make the right choices.
There isn’t one right answer when it comes to selecting a big-name brand or a boutique hotel. It all comes down to the location, the competitors, the quality of the hotel, and your expectations. We are leaders in contextualising, breaking down the details, and getting to know exactly how our clients like to travel, working tirelessly on their behalf at all times.
CONTACT US if you’re seeking high-level insight on a particular destination and need someone to take care of your hotel choices error-free.