20 hours ago
Let's get Personal
Inside, each of the nine suites features private plunge pools and fireplaces set into mud-plastered walls adorned with intricate mirror work that catches and multiplies the desert light. Though separated by geography and aesthetics, these boutique properties speak a shared language of authenticity. As luxury travel in India evolves, boutique hotels are gaining momentum because they offer what large chains often cannot—experiences that are deeply personal, rooted in local context, and thoughtfully curated. They are smaller, have fewer than 100 rooms, which have individuality as their calling card. Like the Old Lighthouse Bristow in Kochi which has been converted into a boutique hotel from a lighthouse. The Haveli Dharampura in Old Delhi, a 14-room Mughal-era building, two centuries old where kite flying is a welcome amusement for patrons: it even bagged a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Saraca Hotel Lucknow is an Art Deco building built in 1936 and echoes the 'tehzeeb' of Lucknow's kothis. The Sawantwad Palace, built by Khem Sawant III in the 18th century as his royal home in the Sindhudurg foothills; at this art hotel items of Ganjifa art and lacquerware made by skilled local artisans are collectibles; Ooty's British era King's Cliff, that was once the home of Lady Maybn and Lord Reginald overlooking the Blue Mountains with a fireplace in every room; the Sheikhpura Kothi in Haryana built in 1921 which has four poster beds with its own small ceiling fans; the six-suite La Villa 19th-century building serving French classics like leek fondue in Puducherry—the mother of boutique hotels culture in India.
Boutique hotels became popular sometime after the first phase of the pandemic. As the global travel market started opening up and people became more confident about travelling, they started prioritising experiences above comfort. The big hotel chains suddenly seemed impersonal, with a one-size-fitsall worldview. Travellers needed more and with the economy picking up, had the means to splurge on personalised experiences. The last two years have seen the boutique hotel trend skyrocket. Its market size was valued at USD 25.04 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1 per cent by 2030.
