Competitive advantage in boutique hoteles. The case of Querétaro, México

Abstract

Boutique hotels have been a trend in the tourism industry since the 80. These in Mexico tend to be establishments with few rooms (mipymes) and with excellent services. They are organisations that face fierce competition, so identifying what makes them different can create added value. A content analysis of interviews conducted with managers and frontline employees in boutique hotels in Querétaro was carried out to identify, from the perspective of the informants, what the competitive advantage of the boutique segment is. It was found that human, technological and organisational resources, as well as the aesthetic experience, personalised attention and the possibility of the guest taking home a tangible object that reminds him of his stay in the hotel, are factors associated with the competitive advantage of this type of organisation.