THE Middle East offers an endless choice of commercial hotel chains but little else. It is practically devoid of boutique hotels, a genial concept which offers a welcome alternative to the ever increasing business and lifestyle travelers.
A relatively new concept in the hotel industry, boutique hotels first appeared in the early 80s in San Francisco. “Boutique” a synonym for taste, luxury, and style offers a new way to look at hospitality: A friendly welcome and personalized service tailored to the client just like an haute-couture dress.
A boutique hotel offers its customers an emotional experience because it has a sheer distinctive atmosphere. People, who stay in a boutique hotel that has an artistic, creative and sophisticated air to it, feel just a little closer to that themselves when they leave. They feel connected and this explains why boutique hotel customers have become so loyal to the concept.
The typical boutique hotel is small, less than 100 guest rooms, housed in a prestigious building or situated in a beautiful location and furnished with a unique taste and style. This niche industry has proved so lucrative that it has even started to offer specific themes ranging from literature and culture to fashion. Giorgio Armani and Bulgari have both designed and styled boutique hotels, which reflect the fashion taste of their guests and appeal to their shopping needs. These particular boutique hotels are in great locations amidst a city’s finest retailers. On the other hand, an avid reader would enjoy his stay at the unique literature/library hotel in New York, which has a poetry garden and rooms filled with the books of your choice.
Staying in a boutique hotel is infinitely less boring than staying in a too often impersonal and bland hotel chain. It gives the jaded and weary tourist an authentic taste for the place he is visiting.
The Arab world is slowly catching up. Egypt is giving attention to the boutique market. Talisman, the first boutique hotel in Egypt is located in the heart of Cairo, on Talat Harb Street. This area of Cairo is renowned for its beautiful 19th and early 20th century architecture. These old buildings are as beautiful as those found in Paris. Talisman’s location is attracting many Europeans who seem to be more aware of the treasures found in downtown Cairo than Arab tourists.
“The concept of the boutique hotel is still new in Egypt and amongst Arab tourists. All our European customers who are aware of the philosophy behind the boutique concept love this cozy hotel nestled in a renovated building in the heart of the city. They find here the real Cairo and we do our utmost to satisfy all their needs. Upon their arrival we give them a welcome drink and we also serve a complementary afternoon tea with typical local soft drinks such as hibiscus tea, tamarind juice or mint flavored lemonade with Egyptian pastries. We have an inviting library filled with books, which is also very popular with our guests. They can unwind after a busy day and enjoy a relaxing time. We are there for our guest on a 24-hour basis and we don’t charge anything for local calls. We don’t consider Talisman a hotel but a house and we want our guests to feel at home during their stay with us. One of our customers told us that she spent with us an unforgettable stay in an unforgettable location, in an unforgettable city with an unforgettable hospitality. That is exactly what we want all our customers to feel when they leave,” explains Salwa Rodolphe, manager of the Talisman Hotel.
True to the original concept of the boutique hotel, Talisman has just 25 rooms and the décor and atmosphere exudes an authentic Arabic flavor. Mashrabeyyas are mounted on every window and original paintings depicting typical scenes from Egypt hang on the walls. Antiques decorate the wooden shelves. The color scheme ranges from bright reds, yellows, purple to vivid blues and earthy browns. Suites are fitted with Jacuzzi and are available for a mere $150.
Salah Al-Ayouty the owner of Talisman is currently extending the hotel. A new floor will soon been added with a coffee shop and long term residents can rent a flat. He is convinced that the boutique hotel concept will grow in the Arab world. All the big chain hotels in Egypt offer rooms, which are so impersonal that any lifestyle could fit in.
“An overnight stay in a boutique hotel becomes an overnight experience. Talisman gives a visitor to Cairo the chance to experience a real taste of Old Cairo,” says Salah Al-Ayouty.
In this era of Globalization, discerning tourists are longing for hotels, restaurants, shops and streets that convey the unique taste of the place they are visiting. One can only hope that more people will create boutique hotels in the Arab world. It is a lucrative market and one can only wonder why it has taken so much time for boutique hotels to open in the Middle East.
For more information on Talisman e-mail [email protected]