Since the beginning of the 21st century, the hotel industry has become increasingly over-supplied with big monopolies of hotel brands. Nevertheless, travellers nowadays expect more than simply comfort and convenience. An increasing number of travellers prefer to be "surprised" — positively, needless to say.
When planning trips, they seek properties that are noticeably different in look and feel from branded hotels. Boutique hotels are believed to have been invented in the early 1980s. Two of the first boutique hotels in the world opened their doors to the public in 1981: The Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, London and the Bedford in Union Square, San Francisco.
True to the concept of boutique hotels, you will enjoy fine food and an intimate atmosphere in our specially selected luxury boutique hotels. These usually are smaller independent properties including city hotels and retreats.
India has a wealth of boutique properties that provide stylish holiday accommodation and richest experience. Built by passionate individuals, art and antique aficionados, and lovers of authentic food, the subcontinent has several stylish boutique properties that are opulent and extremely comfortable with large rooms including four poster beds and which often have a terrace, a verandah or a plunge pool to make it special. Showcasing an array of cultures, architecture and a unique sense of hospitality, contemplative travel begins here.
Set in some of the best locations either offering breath-taking views, overlooking a lake or by a beach or even surrounded by hills these properties are the best that the subcontinent has to offer. Imagine staying in East India at a small colonial tea plantation overlooking the banks of the River Rungeet or on a promontory in the glorious northern Kumaon Hills, or in Rajasthan, at a unique luxury tent hideaway overlooking the lake or a stay in a 350-year-old fort near Jaipur surrounded by farmland, lakes, gorges, plateaus and hillocks, or in South India, at an intimate 18th century coffee estate in the gentle rolling Palani Hills of central Tamil Nadu.
You will enjoy fine food and an intimate atmosphere. Some of these dreamy hotels have been devotedly restored and they now ooze charm and warmth. The rooms are often scattered around the premises and face onto the gardens or overlooking courtyards. All vary in shape and size and are supremely decorated.
Offering spa facilities, they create the romance of a luxury boutique hotel while having the amenities and vibrant attractions of a resort. These luxury retreats are set amidst lush gardens and are a showcase for relaxation with tropical-inspired design touches, grand architecture, a sun-drenched atrium, wide shady corridors, and flower lined patios for a memorable stay. These are truly special places and make a perfect recipe for a memorable holiday.
A hotel in our collection not only has to have an unmatched ambience and hit the right style notes, it has to tick our ‘certain something’ box: the welcome should be warm, without fuss or formality; rooms should be seductive and supplied with thoughtful extras; drinks must be perfectly mixed and dinners delicious; and, crucially, the stay must be memorable for all the right reasons.
){kind=icon}
By Marcela Kunova - 20th April 2017
Nicola Shepherd, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, organises unusual trips for HNW and UHNW clients ranging from birthday parties at an Indian Maharajah's palace to reliving Sir Vivian Fuchs's 1950s expedition to the South Pole. Citywealth caught ...
Premium service from one of the world's most knowledgeable travel companies
24/7 contact number
Your holiday is fully protected by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
Flight-Inclusive Bonding: We are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority and hold ATOL Number 7159
Flight-Exclusive bonding: Your holiday is further protected by our membership of ABTOT Membership Number 5197
