A comparative analysis of visitor preference between “boutique” hotels and five-star luxury hotels in Malta

Abstract

This long essay delves into the preferred type of accommodation amongst visitors, between “Boutique” hotels and five-star luxury hotels in Malta. Throughout the study, the researcher has looked into the difference in the services which are offered both by the “Boutique” hotels and by the 5-star luxury hotels, first at an regional context and then brought down in the national context. The researcher has reviewed applicable literature and then carried out the fieldwork through a number of interviews, with the General Managers or the Marketing Directors of “Boutique” hotels and five-star hotels, and a number of questionnaires with the tourists who have been accommodated in the “Boutique” hotel sector. Therefore, a qualitative analysis has been carried out in order to better understand the differences between “Boutique” hotels and five-star hotels. Furthermore, the researcher wanted to understand better whether the visitors in Malta are aware of the differences in services between the two types of accommodation and whether “Boutique” hotels are being used as a marketing tool only or the services that are offered, are those of an actual “Boutique” hotel. Through the findings which were gained from the fieldwork, one of the conclusions by the researcher, implies that “Boutique” hotels do not only manage to attract audiences of a mature age, but also tourists of a more younger age, primarily those between 25 and 34 years of age.