The trend for boutique hotels started in New York and London in the mid-’80s but was slow to catch on in Asia. Former lawyer Loh Lik Peng says he was called “crazy” when he started Singapore’s first boutique hotel, Hotel 1929, back in 2003. “No one thought small hotels could make money,” says Loh, who also opened Singapore’s ultrahip New Majestic Hotel last year. “Now people are realizing that if you’re doing the right thing, it will work.”
Boutique hotels typically attract an Internet-savvy, younger crowd of working professionals. They have little need or desire for the posh features a five-star hotel typically offers, like a large business center or sumptuous dining. What matters most to them is location—being in the coolest neighborhood—and the little touches, from gourmet chocolate on the side table to organic juice in the fridge. Sweet indeed.
