主題酒店也是近年來發展很快的一種酒店類型，人們常常將它與精品酒店混為一談。事實上，這是兩個完全不同的概念。主題酒店是以某一特定的主題來體現酒店的建築風格和裝飾藝術，體現特定的文化氛圍，讓顧客獲得富有個性的文化感受；同時，也將服務項目融入主題，以個性化的服務取代刻板化的服務，讓顧客獲得歡樂、知識和刺激。歷史、文化、城市、自然、神話、童話故事等都可以成為酒店藉以發揮的主題。

Theme hotels, being rapidly developed in recent years as well, are often mixed up with boutique hotels. In fact, they are two strikingly different concepts. With a certain kind of specific theme, theme hotels embody the hotels’ architectural style and the decoration art as well as the specific cultural atmosphere to help clients possess individualized cultural experience; in addition, they blend services into the theme, replacing  stereotyped services with personalized services to let clients gain joy, knowledge and stimulation. History, culture, cities, nature, myths, fairy tales, and etc. can all become themes that a hotel can bring into play.

主題酒店最顯著的特點就是其文化性，整個酒店的設計、運營、管理及服務都圍繞著這一文化性，使之系統化和主題化。例如印尼巴釐島的搖滾音樂主題酒店，它以搖滾音樂為主題，所有房間都提供互動式影音娛樂系統；酒店內還展出音樂文物、音樂家手稿、老唱片封面、歌唱家用過的服飾。

Cultural value is a theme hotel’s most distinctive feature, centering around it are the hotel’s design, operation, management as well as services to make it systematic and of theme. For instance, Rock'n'roll Theme Hotel at Bali Island of Indonesia takes rock music as its theme with all the guest rooms equipped with interactive MTV entertainment system; in addition, musical relics, musicians’ manuscripts, covers of old records, costumes used by singers are displayed inside the hotel.

相比較而言，精品酒店則更突出其新奇的特征，酒店無論設計、裝飾或服務都充滿著個性，給顧客以獨一無二的感受；所面向的顧客市場更為細分，市場形象清晰，住店客人都是能分辨細微文化差異的上流人士；並且在從酒店整體風格設計到為客人提供的每一項服務上都更註重細節的雕琢。

In contrast, boutique hotels outstand with their novel characteristics; whether the design, decoration, or services, they are full of individuality, offering guests a unique experience; their client market is more segmented with a distinctive market image, and the guests check in are all upper-class public figures who can distinguish subtle cultural differences from each other. Besides, boutique hotels pay more attention to carving details from the hotel’s entire style design to each item of services they offer.

例如，位於瑞士切萊里納的米薩尼酒店，以迄今為止獨一無二的積木方式向客人提供服務。客人可以按照自己的願望佈置房間，也可以按照自己的口味預定早餐。這裡以合理的價格提供住宿，客人還可根據自己的需要預定其他東西。老闆於爾格·梅特勒(34歲)開玩笑說：我們是提供“七星級驚喜的三星級酒店。” 在這裡，每個房間只有一張床、一把椅子和一個柜子，沒有諸如寫字臺或裝飾畫之類的“多餘”傢具和裝飾物，房間顯得簡陋。但酒店的倉庫里存放著大量的書籍、棋畫和樂器，免費供客人享用。如果客人喜歡，可以把鹿角或布穀鳥鐘掛到房間的牆上，晚上還可以讓人把火煙筒送到房間里；客人不喜歡使用棉織床上用品，可以更換絲織床上用品，並且可以自己選擇顏色。靈活的自助服務，使擁有32個房間的小旅館活力四射。

For instance, Misani Hotel which is situated at Celerina of Switzerland offers guests services with so far the unique modular system. Guests can arrange their rooms according to their own wishes as well as reserve their breakfast according to their own favor. With a reasonable price, the hotel offers lodging to guests who can also reserve other things according to their need. Mettler, the boss, jokes, “We’re a three-stared hotel supplying seven-starred surprises.” Here, every guestroom, looking simple and crude, has only one bed, one chair and a cabinet, without frills such as a writing table or decorative paintings. Yet, the hotel’s warehouse stores lots of books, board games and instruments for guests’ enjoyment free of charge. If guests prefer, they can hang on the walls an antler or a cuckoo alarm clock, and have a smoke pipe sent to the room in the evening. When guests dislike using cotton beddings, they can replace them with silk ones with the choice of colors. Due to its flexible self-service, this small hotel of only 32 rooms is glittering with vigor.

精品酒店已成為現代酒店的一種時尚潮流, 是中國酒店業今後發展趨勢之一, 其存在和發展有著必然的生存空間和發展條件。

Boutique hotels, having become a trend of fashion for modern hotels, are one of the development trends for China’s future hospitality industry with inevitable space of existence and conditions for development.

　　(1) 體驗經濟背景下的消費升級 Consumption upgrading under the background of the experience economy

當代美國經濟學家約瑟夫·派恩與詹姆斯·吉爾摩在美國《哈佛商業評論》上指出,體驗經濟時代已經來臨, 表現在人們消費觀念的更新,消費的社會心理屬性日漸明顯,消費者越來越重視消費過程中商品能給自己帶來的附加利益。精品酒店正是在這樣的經濟背景下逐步由傳統的酒店形式演變發展起來。精品酒店除了具備傳統酒店所具有的舒適、清潔、明亮、周到等基本元素以外,精品酒店還註入了全新的體驗型元素,通過酒店內部環境營造,給賓客造成視覺、聽覺、味覺和嗅覺上的全身體驗;通過提供註入情感個性的產品和服務,使賓客在接受服務的過程中感受到自我身份的確認和肯定,享受到精神滿足的愉悅過程。隨著人們消費觀念的逐步更新,每一個精品酒店都會讓賓客感到“正中下懷”, 從而使精品酒店在中國流行起來。

 B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, two contemporary economists, point out in USA’s Harvard Business Review that, the era of the experience economy has set in, represented by the updating of the consumption concepts, the gradual obviousness of the nature of consumption’s social psychology and the increasing importance of the added values brought about to consumers during consumption. It is just under such an economic background that boutique hotels have gradually evolved and developed from the traditional form of hotels. In addition to the basic elements of comfort, neatness, brightness and attentiveness that a traditional hotel possesses, a boutique hotel is also injected with brand new elements of experience, which, created through the interior environment, offer guests a whole body’s experience in vision, audition, sense of taste and smell. By injecting products and services with emotion and personality, a boutique hotel makes guests recognize and confirm their own identities during reception of services, and enjoy the process of spiritual satisfaction. Along with the gradual updating of people’s consumption concepts, each of boutique hotels will make guests feel fit in exactly with their wishes. This will help the flourish of boutique hotels in China.

　　(2) 行業發展環境中的競爭態勢 Competition during development of the industry

激烈的競爭環境往往是激發新生事物最有效的催化劑。自中國入世以來, 各大國際飯店集團全面進入中國市場, 世界排行前10家的飯店管理集團均已進入市場, 同時高星級酒店市場的競爭正逐步走向低端市場,價格、質量、服務和品牌成為主要的競爭元素。隨著競爭的加劇,酒店行業開始按地區、等級、經營形態、業務特點及所有權等多個維度的行業市場細分,精品酒店的出現正好填補了經濟性酒店和高星級酒店之間的一個市場空白,以優於經濟性酒店的酒店產品和服務設施,低於高星級酒店價位抓住了一個特殊的客戶群體,滿足了他們崇尚高品位、凸現自我個性、消費水平中高檔的消費需求。

Fierce competition is often the most effective catalyst for stimulating newborn things. Since China’s entrance into WTO, the various big international hotels groups have made a comprehensive entrance into China. Presently, the first ten hotels management groups of the world have entered into the market. Meanwhile, competition among the high-starred hotels has been now gradually heading for the low-end market, with price, quality, service and brand becoming the major competitive elements. Along with the intensifying competition, the hotel industry starts to have the market segmentation according to the several dimensions of regions, classes, business patterns, business features and the ownership. The emergence of boutique hotels just in time has filled a market gap between economic hotels and high-starred hotels. With their products and services better than economic hotels and the price lower than the high-starred hotels, boutique hotels have grasped a special customer group and have satisfied these customers’ consumption demand for upholding high taste, showing their self individuality with a mid-and-high consumption level.

當前各大國際酒店集團也看好精品酒店市場,並且以二級品牌進軍這一市場,開發連鎖產品。但是單體精品酒店特立獨行的品質總能吸引一個較為穩定的顧客群體,以及較高的收益率使其擁有一個獨自的市場發展空間和競爭優勢。

Presently, the various big international hotels groups are also optimistic about the market of boutique hotels, and enter the market with their second-class brands and develop the chain products. Yet, the quality of independence of a single boutique hotel can always attract a rather stable customer group with a rather high yield which helps it own an independent market development space and competitive advantage.

　　(3) 經營管理過程中的自主創新 Independent innovation in the process of business management

精品酒店在經營管理過程中的不斷創新也是其能夠存在發展的一個重要條件。精品酒店在整個經營管理過程中都體現出創新的元素:首先在酒店投資建設方面,精品酒店不同於傳統酒店對酒店地段區位的重視,而是將更多的資金投入到酒店裝修設計方面,例如Kimpton是信奉低價買進、高價裝修的精品酒店之一; 其次,在經營管理方面,精品酒店採取外包策略,將主要酒店資源和精力放在其特色產品的經營上。例如仕達屋集團的第一家W飯店品牌的經營模式是: 餐廳由drewnieprent經營, 而威士忌酒吧是由randogerber運作,自己則專著於客房經營; 第三, 精品酒店通過產品服務贏得賓客的較高的滿意度,貴族管家式的酒店服務為每位入住的客人營造家庭般的舒適和溫暖,在關註賓客感受的同時, 以賓客喜歡的方式提供服務,並總能製造出意想不到的驚喜。

Another important condition for boutique hotels’ development is their constant innovation during the process of business management, in which, elements of innovation are embodied. First is in the aspect of boutique hotels’ investment and construction: different from traditional hotels which emphasize locations, boutique hotels instead spend more money on design and fitment. For instance, Kimpton is one of the boutique hotels believing in buying in low price and fitting in high price. Secondly, in the aspect of business management, boutique hotels adopt the strategy of outsourcing, allocating their main resources and energy in the operation of their featured products. For instance, the business model of Starwood’s first W hotel is: its restaurants are run by Drew Nieporent, the whisky bar is run by Rande Ggerber, itself then concentrates on the guest rooms. Thirdly, boutique hotel win guests’ pretty high satisfaction through their products and services; the butler-service creates family-like comfort and warmth for every checked-in guest, and, at the same time of concerning guests’ feelings, offer services in the way that the guest prefers, and can always bring out surprises.

精品酒店的產生源自穩定成熟的經濟基礎和長期積澱的文化底蘊,是一種反標準化的產品,代表的是一種與主流酒店的標準化和雷同化相對應的個性化產品。時下精品酒店已經成為中國酒店業時尚的風向標,各地紛紛投資建設精品酒店,特別是在一些經濟發展水平較高地區,一些大型飯店管理集團也紛紛進駐這個市場,精品酒店已成為我國飯店業發展的新趨勢。

Originated from stable and matured economy and long term deposited culture, boutique hotels are products of counter-standardization, representing the individualized products opposite to mainstream hotels’ standardization and similarity. At present, boutique hotels have become the wind vane of the vogue of China’s hotel industry. Projects of investment in boutique hotels are under construction one after another around the country. Especially in the developed areas, some large hotel management groups enter the market in succession. Boutique hotels have become a new trend in China’s hotel industry development.

　　(1) 廣闊的盈利空間贏得投資者的青睞Roomy profit space wins investors’ favor  

精品酒店無論是建築規模還是經營規模,相對於傳統酒店來說都要小得多,它們通常是在傳統酒店或老式建築的基礎上聘請專業的設計師進行再創意設計,營造出一種別具一格的酒店環境,併為賓客提供個性化的酒店產品和服務,因此精品酒店建設的初始投資並不大,同時精品酒店憑藉其精緻化的品味和個性化的風格來吸引賓客,在酒店選址方面沒有特別的要求,其營銷重點主要集中在特定顧客群體的忠誠度提升方面,因此更多的賓客是慕名而來,相對於傳統酒店節省了一筆不小的營銷費用。因此,較穩定的顧客群體,較少的資本投入,加之高端消費市場為精品酒店的經營管理創造了一個較廣闊的盈利空間,吸引著更多的投資者進入精品酒店市場。

Comparing with traditional hotels, boutique hotels are much smaller whether in the construction scale or the business scope. They are usually the products out of the creative design by professional designers on the basis of traditional hotels or old-fashioned architectures, offering a unique hotel environment with individualized hospitality products and services. Therefore, the initial investment for the construction of a boutique hotel is not much. Besides, relying on its exquisite taste and personalized style to attract guests, there is no special requirement for a boutique hotel in the selection of the site. The emphasis of its marketing is mainly concentrated in upgrading of the loyalty of some special customer groups. For this reason, most of the guests are attracted by its reputation. Thus a large sum of money for marketing expenses is saved comparing to the traditional hotels. Therefore, the rather stable customer groups, less investment and the high-end consumption market enable owners of boutique hotels have a rather roomy profit space, attracting more investors enter the boutique hotel market.

　　(2) 特色化的酒店服務滿足顧客個性需求 Meet guests’ personalized demand with featured hotel services

儘管人們對於精品的評價尺度不盡相同,但是精品酒店還是能夠成為某一群賓客心目中的精品,關鍵在於,精品酒店能夠滿足某一消費群體的個性需求。通過酒店環境營造,為賓客提供一個比家更理想好去處,通過提供超越標準服務的更個人主義的服務,抓住賓客的心理需求。同時,精品酒店經營規模較小,入住賓客具有相對穩定性,回頭率高,因此精品酒店總能為賓客創造出乎意料的驚喜,例如Kimpton酒店的服務意念總是千奇百怪,他們會在客人入住時給客人提供一條金魚來飼養,這一點是很多傳統大型酒店難以辦到的。

 Although scales of evaluating boutique hotels are different from people to people, boutique hotels are still quality goods for a certain group of people for their capacity of meeting that group of people’s individualized demand by offering guests a better place than home through creation of the hotel environment, and grasping guests’ psychological demand through supplying above-standard services which are more personalized services. In addition, as boutique hotels are smaller in size, the guests are comparatively stable with a high rate of returning, therefore, boutique hotels can always create surprises for guests. For instance, Kimpton Hotel always has some bizarre service ideas; at Kimpton Hotel, a guest will be offered a golden fish to raise once when he/she checks in. this is impossible for most of the traditional large-scale hotels.

　　(3) 高品味的設計裝修成為現代時尚風景 Design and fitment of good taste become vogue

精品酒店通常將更多的資金投入在酒店設計裝修,它們的設計基本出自名師之手,體現著最時尚的設計和美感,無論是酒店外觀設計,還是大堂里配飾的藝術品,以及客房傢具擺設,甚至一個小小的門鈴都以設計的文化、個性、風格為主。例如Kimpton酒店,其設計風格的主題為“航海”, 酒店的大堂鋪著木地板,大堂內的休閑沙發像一隻只仿造的蒸汽船; 香港首家精品酒店JIA由法國設計大師Philippe Starck設計,不以華麗氣派經營,取而代之的是各種設計感極強、舒適的傢具、燈飾。精品酒店不僅能融入現代都市的時尚色彩,成為都市的特色地標,還能點綴在風景如畫的自然山水之中, 成為一道亮麗的風景。（完）

Boutique hotels usually invest more in design and fitment. Basically, designs of these hotels are out of master designers, embodying the most fashionable design and beauty. Whether a hotel’s appearance, the works of art arranged in the lobby, the furniture and decoration inside guest rooms, or even a small door bell, they are all designed with consideration of culture, individuality and style. The design theme of Kimpton Hotel in San Francisco is navigation. Its lobby is fitted with wood floors, and the leisure sofa in the lobby looks like an imitated steamboat. JIA, the first boutique hotel in Hong Kong designed by the French master designer Philippe Starck, replaces gorgeous style with various kinds of furniture and light-fixtures that are comfortable and extremely strong in the decorative sense. Boutique hotels can not only blend themselves in modern cities’ fashion, becoming a city’s peculiar landmark, but are also dotted amid picturesque natural scenery. (End)