Opening a boutique hotel is something many of us dream about when on holiday. You sit there feasting on a freshly cooked breakfast, staring out at the rolling views just beyond the window, sun on your face and thinking of what a beautiful life it would be to work somewhere like this. Happy guests float around in a vacation-induced air of contentment and you wonder how you can have this lifestyle. If you’ve always wanted to open up a boutique hotel, it’s not as hard as you might think, but you want to make sure you do it properly. These are just a few top tips that can help you ensure it opens up with success.

Ensure you’re geared up for the business side of things

While you might think the most important factor for opening a hotel is nailing the design (and that is super important) it’s vital you know the business side of things. It can be a good idea to look into a soft skills online MBA which can teach you interpersonal skills and characteristics that can help you run your business. This would include working on networking, problem-solving, time management and communication - all vital tools for opening a hotel. The more qualified and knowledgeable you are, the better position you will be in going forward to make it successful.

Consider the design

The design of the hotel is, of course, an extremely important part of making it work. You want it to be a place that your guests walk into and feel instantly relaxed and at home. Think about the theme you want your boutique hotel to be. Do you want it to have a nautical feel to it if you’re near the beach? Do you want it to be low lit and romantic? Do you want it to be contemporary? These are all considerations to be made. You’ll want to invest in aspects like high quality bedding, good lighting and little touches that make your hotel really stand out to those that stay there. Are you going to include a restaurant and bar? What will these be like?

Think about how you will market your hotel

Marketing is vital for getting word out there about your hotel. You’ll need a good website that is easy for people to book and you should consider advertising your property on other 3rd party websites like booking.com to help spread awareness. Ensure you have a good social media presence with top-quality photos that sell your hotel to people that see it and also help others discover what a beautiful establishment that you are running.

These are just a few things that can help you with opening a boutique hotel and making it a success. Businesses and hotels aren’t something that will necessarily do well straight away, but by putting in the work and building a solid foundation, you set yourself up for the best possible outcome. What are some top tips you have for opening a boutique hotel? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.