Mark Birnbaum on Boutique Hotels

There been a lot of chatter lately in the hospitality industry surrounding the boutique hotel experience. Today, there are tons of boutique hotels with new ones opening seemingly on a daily basis. From the posh decor and unique interiors to the lack of signage on the outside to create a specific ambiance.

It's not something that's a new idea, according to this Wall Street Journal article: 

In 1984, the two nightclub impresarios who had run Studio 54 opened a new chapter in the lodging industry with Morgans.

The lodging industry was an anodyne place when Morgans opened. Other than the most high-end of offerings, operators seemed to pride themselves on being as far from hip as one could get.
The boutique hotel model changed this, typically offering luxury accommodations in locations more intimate than chain hotels, while carrying a nightclub feel. This model proved a galloping success, spreading around the world to about any city with some claim to cosmopolitanism. Customers were able to feel special, cared-for and cooler than those frumpy tourists and business drones at the hotel chains.

While these slick hotels have a certain charm compared to the likes the big chains, it's important to note how much work and time it takes to build up an experience. When Mark Birnbaum and EMM Group took to launching The Chandelier Room at W Hoboken Hotel & Residences, the looked to bring an innovative nightlife concept to Hoboken, New Jersey, adding to the hotel in a bit way.

Don't take these hotels for granted. Some of them are hidden gems here in New York City.

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