Are you ready for your annual vacation? What’s it gonna be this time, The Hilton or The Comfort Inn, or possibly a splash on The Ramada? All great at doing they’re thing. But there is something else. A boutique hotel.

What’s a boutique hotel? Think about the relaxed atmosphere at home, combined with artisiticly themed furnishings and decor. Mix that in with customer service to die for. Truck loads of must have conveniences; satellite tv, internet access and luxurious spa treatments, make for an appetizing retreat.

Most boutique hotels are begun through older homes that will either be torn down or turned into museums. For this reason, many of the rooms are not modernized. Owners will need to retrofit the rooms to give guests access to high speed Internet, phone lines, cable service and even private bathrooms especially if they are to compete with those big name hotel giants. Some hotels may even offer room service.

If you want to stay in a place that is unique, you’ll need to do some searching using the Internet. You may not realize it but many of the antique homes that are fixed up in New Orleans are actually boutique hotels. There are several of them to choose from and many use the 19th century as their theme. These older homes in New Orleans can be used for something more than museums when accented right.

As stated already, boutique hotels have a theme they portray. Yet, how do owners come up with a theme that will catch a person’s eye? One of the best ways is to utilize the cultural surrounding of the hotel. The Anasazi Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico uses its southwest region culture to accent its home. There are many items from the Native American culture hanging about in the hotel including handmade throw rugs and pottery too.

In the French Quarter of New Orleans, many owners of the boutique hotels use the 19th century to design their rooms, lobbies and hallways. The Hotel Union Square of San Francisco designs its rooms in a Prohibition era design. The rooms and hallways have a black granite and cream travertine tile. The Whitehall Hotel in Chicago uses a 1920s theme to grab the attention of its guests.

That isn’t to say all boutiques base their theme on the local area. The Inn of Five Graces in Sante Fe bases it’s theme on the soutwest culture and mixes it with Asian culture. There are plenty of boutiues outside of the US, in cities as far away as Moscow and Singapore.

If you find a boutique hotel you are interested in staying in, you should realize that a short notice reservation is likely not going to work. Most boutique hotels have a limited amount of rooms. They average out around 25 to 50 rooms. There are some boutique hotels which have over 100 rooms and others that have only three or four rooms to stay in. These small number of rooms allow employees to get to know their guests. Be sure to put your reservation in as soon as you know when you will be leaving on your vacation/business trip.

While mainstream hotels offer plenty of extras, boutique hotels provide more. Even though most buildings are old, they are retrofitted for modern conveniences such as high speed Internet access, spas, swimming pools and even a fitness center. Boutique hotels, larger ones especially, will offer guests a bar and restaurant inside to enjoy.

Do you want something more on your vacation? Then don’t worry about the money try a boutique hotel and see what you are missing.