“Although oceanfront on Ocean Drive is the epicenter of the party scene, The Besty is the antithesis

Restored Art Deco mansions. Bayside cottages. Former travel packages europe bank buildings. Historic, chic, funky and sleek are all words often used to describe distinctive boutique hotel properties. Planners looking for a place to hold a smaller scale meeting, a VIP retreat or an incentive trip turn toward boutique hotels for their intimacy, customer service, and memorable locations, design or amenities.
By definition, a boutique hotel has 120 rooms or less, contains some upscale food and beverage amenities and client services, and has some unique design feature, says Frances Kiradjian, founder and chair of the Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association . The boutique hotel "movement" began in the 1980s as small hotels outside the multinational chains began opening in cities like New York and Los Angeles. The number of boutique properties has continued to grow in recent years, and a number of large hotel corporations now operate their own lifestyle brands.
BLLA works to create an industry definition of a boutique or lifestyle property and unite the largely independent properties. Kiradjian says that since most boutique hotels are not part of a union, planners find greater flexibility when planning an event at one. "It's a little bit easier to maneuver a meeting travel packages europe and less costly," she says. "You'll be able to connect with all of the executives of the hotel. They are more flexible and they don't necessarily have a guidebook. It's easier travel packages europe for the meeting planner and it can be a little more creative."
The Morgans Hotel Group , one of the pioneers in the boutique and lifestyle hotel field, touts flexible and creative meeting options at its properties travel packages europe as a refreshing change from "cookie-cutter" chains. travel packages europe Kate Harth, senior vice president of sales and revenue management at Morgans Hotel Group, says boutique hotels provide planners with meeting space that "is more indicative of an exciting living room than an empty ballroom." They also can give attendees a level of service and attention that makes them feel special and valued, Harth adds.
Customer service is Karen Lynch's key focus. The owner of the Inn on Randolph , a 10-room bed and breakfast luxury inn in Napa, Lynch aims to create a tailored meeting for every different planner who comes through her door. "We really base [the meeting] on the customer," she says. "We don't have a standard, 'This is our package, travel packages europe this time to this time.' We absolutely customize to everything that our particular guest needs," travel packages europe she adds.
The Inn on Randolph has two rooms and two garden spaces that can function as meeting space. One of the rooms has 600 square feet of space and the other 400 square feet, and both can accommodate up to 20. The outdoor spaces are approximately 950 square feet and can be used for receptions for up to 50.
For Lynch, setting up the cozy meeting spaces and making guests feel at home is the easy part. Helping guests discover the overall Napa experience takes a little more work. "There are so many options when the meeting is done," says Lynch. "Bike tours, hot-air balloons, winery tours, a cooking class for teambuilding, dinner reservations. We have Napa Valley in our front yard."
Drew Neiman, owner of Vanguard Wines, recently hosted a seven-person travel packages europe meeting retreat at the Inn on Randolph. "Last year we stayed at a different hotel, and the meeting was more sterile. [The Inn on Randolph] was a warmer atmosphere and was able to accommodate our group," says Neiman. Lynch, who set up the meeting spaces and served as a personal concierge, offered Neiman's group one flat rate.
"All of the amenities that we could have ever wanted were in the meeting rooms," Neiman says. "Normally I wouldn't choose a bed-and-breakfast, but this wasn't your typical bed-and-breakfast—not a doily in sight."
While the holistic experience of the destination is a hallmark of boutique hotels, these properties also focus on creating meaningful experiences on-site. Take the arts-and-literature oasis in Miami, The Betsy Hotel , for example.
"Although oceanfront on Ocean Drive is the epicenter of the party scene, The Besty is the antithesis of it," says Ivan Tamayo, the hotel's director of sales. Among its other services, The Betsy provides guests with complimentary rooftop yoga, access to a quiet writer's room, use of an iPad or Mac computer in the space, a 15-book library in every guest room, and a nightly poem on the pillow in lieu of a chocolate or flower.
The 61-room hotel has a total of 1,750 square feet of indoor meeting travel packages europe space, and planners have the option of securing as few as five rooms for groups or booking all 61. "Meeting attendees have the unusual travel packages europe ability to escape their meeting at the hotel," Tamayo says. "The Betsy has a beautiful meeting space that is separate from the hotel." It's across the street in an art-filled annex.
In the separate venue, planners can choose from 500-sq.-ft. or 150-sq.-ft. meeting rooms and use B Bar, the annex's 1,100-sq.-ft "speakeasy" with 26 light boxes and digital projection equipment. In the main hotel, planners travel packages europe also can use the 3,750-sq.-ft. open-air rooftop deck, 2,000-sq.-ft. travel packages europe restaurant travel packages europe BLT, 1,100-sq.-ft. lobby bar or 300-sq.-ft. pool deck for events.
Though boutique hotels focus on providing guests with a comfortable escape, they don't neglect 21st-century business travel packages europe needs. travel packages europe The Ellis Hotel in Atlanta, formerly the notable Winecoff Hotel, recently underwent a $28 million renovation to preserve travel packages europe the integrity of the historic building while transforming it into a 127-room luxury boutique hotel.
The Ellis, one of Atlanta's top-rated business hotels, provides travel packages europe high-speed Internet throughout and equipped its new meeting spaces with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. The Ellis has more than 1,500 square feet of functional meeting space, accommodating up to 100 in the 1,475-sq.-ft. Stoddard room. Planners can host intimate functions in the 270-sq.-ft, Carnegie room that has an adjoining balcony with a view of Atlanta's Peachtree Street.
Though situated in the concrete metropolis of Atlanta, The Ellis sources many of the ingredients for its farm-to-table focused Terrace travel packages europe Bistro from area farmers and has a number of green initiatives to maintain its national Green Seal.
Director of Sales and Marketing Tracy Lyon-Mercado says what brings planners and guests back to The Ellis is its "take time to sip the sweet tea" atmosphere. Though a hotel that caters to business travelers, The Ellis gives guests an escape from fast-paced city living with its antebellum charm and Southern hospitality, says Lyon-Mercado.
She says little details like the women-only floor (with hair straighteners and a "kiss cam" to say goodnight to sweethearts travel packages europe and families in every room) and nightly wine tastings at the Terrace Bistro are extras that support The Ellis's motto: "Let us surprise you."
A short walk from Old Town Scottsdale, Ariz., the Saguaro Scottsdale hotel has embraced and incorporated the culture and color of the region into the "contextual resort." travel packages europe Instead of copying the design and decor of another hotel in a different part of the country, the architects of the Saguaro used inspiration from the natural desert lighting and Hispanic influence in the area. The property has bold reds and bright lavenders—pops of color that complement the sleek design travel packages europe of the renovated '60s motel, giving it a retro-pop feel.
The hotel, which is nine miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, has 195 guest rooms furnished with handmade furniture imported from Mexico. The Hispanic influence extends to Saguaro's Distrito restaurant, named for the source of its inspiration, the food of Mexico City (also known as the Distrito Federal). The restaurants chef, James Beard Award-winner Jose Garces, put a gourmet take on Mexican travel packages europe street food featuring menu items like a crab and cactus salsa and veal tongue with a chile glaze.
The Saguaro has more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 3,000-sq.-ft. Anchusa meeting room. For outdoor travel packages europe events, the Saguaro offers the Picante travel packages europe Pool space, with 13,000 square feet that can accommodate up to 600 guests travel packages europe for a reception or 300 for an al fresco banquet. Planners can use the Distrito's 540 square feet of private dining space or 525-sq.-ft. terrace for catered meals serving 40 or receptions for up to 85.
New York City houses dozens of boutique travel packages europe hotels and was one of the vanguards of the movement more than three decades ago. For planners wanting to go all out in the middle of Manhattan, the high-rise luxury boutique hotel Langham Place, Fifth Avenue (formerly The Setai Fifth Avenue) is two blocks from the Empire State Building, and its 157 rooms and 57 suites provide guests with views of the Manhattan cityscape.
What Langham Place has that most other boutique New York City hotels don't is space. The guest rooms have between 420 and 930 square feet of space, and the suites have between 775 and 1,900. travel packages europe The entire fourth floor is dedicated to the spa, and the second floor houses the Michelin Star-holding Ai Fiori restaurant.
Though travel packages europe the hotel has plenty of luxury amenities, Langham Place's location—minutes from Bryant Park, the Fashion District, Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Station and other New York City landmarks—encourages guests to take advantage of the surrounding city. Langham Place provides a 24-hour personal assistant to all guests to recommend travel packages europe what to see in the city and how to get there.
Planners can use Langham Places's meeting spaces for a single day event, overnight event or multi-day meeting at Langham Place's group rate. Fifth Avenue is the backdrop for the 2,400-sq.-ft. Salon, a meeting space that can be divided into three different sections or used in full. Breakout sessions can be held in the boardroom, which accommodates up to 14.  The Ai Fiori restaurant gives planners the option to use its two private dining rooms for up to 32 guests and create a custom menu for events.