Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/553115
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST 2015 16 News Seeking out the unique: the BEING a bit of an oddball has never quite been a sought-after experience. Indeed, many often at- tempt to fit into a certain type, but in our world of overly commercial- ised and sometimes even manufac- tured experiences, the trend of go- ing against the grain is becoming increasingly popular. This is true both for people and for the places they travel to. Although the term 'boutique ho- tels' may be not too familiar, their concept is essentially that of offer- ing a unique and different experi- ence, and they present a growing trend around the world, with trav- ellers looking for more of a cultur- al, unique and personalised service as opposed to the more generalised experiences that chain hotels tend to offer. Given that tourism is one of the most important cogs in this coun- try's economy, we asked the Malta Tourism Authority how this trend translates in Malta. The MTA said that although the term 'boutique hotels' was not legally recognised as an accommodation typology, proposals for tourism accommo- dation projects received by the au- thority over the past two years had indicated a strong shift towards a smaller but more lavish accom- modation and the rehabilitation of existing old buildings. "The restoration and revalorisa- tion of cultural heritage buildings into luxury tourism accommoda- tion allows for the development of a new niche in reflection of the growing demand throughout Eu- rope," MTA said, adding that the emphasis was on smaller premises, and showcasing the traditions, cul- ture and architecture of the imme- diate environs and beyond. Figures provided by the MTA al- so show that the number of licence applications from small accommo- dations is increasing considerably, with the authority receiving 22 applications during the first seven months of 2015, and 34 applica- tions received between 2010 and 2014. Furthermore, according to the MTA's Market Profile Survey, visits to guesthouses and smaller accommodation establishments have risen from about 1% in 2009 to 2.1% in 2014. But in measuring the success of such ventures, numbers could be somewhat deceiving, especially given that boutique hotels are by their very nature, small. The ex- perience of existing hotels paints a very pretty picture of the boutique hotel industry in Malta. Owners and managers of the Trabuxu Living in Valletta, Krista and Kris Fenech Soler said that the experience has overall been a very positive one, with guest numbers increasing significantly since it first opened in August 2014. The pensione (as the accommodation is known), is located in a restored and modernised 350-year-old pal- azzo with three floors encircling an internal courtyard, and it is located in the cultural heart of the historic capital. Hosting a maximum of 32 guests per night, the pensione, nine rooms in all comprising two superior and two deluxe rooms, four suites (two with kitchenette) and one apart- ment (with full kitchen and sepa- rate street entrance). The owners list the opportunity to have direct contact with guests and seeing them enjoy their stay both at TBL and when they re- turn from their daily visits around Malta, as some of the highlights that the establishment has offered them. "Finding the right staff has been crucial (as with any other service- oriented business in Malta), es- pecially in a small boutique pen- sione," they added. "It's very important that TBL's staff is knowledgeable of not only the pensione but also of Malta in general, in terms of what to see and do and where to go, especially in and around Valletta." The Fenech Solers added that aside from its "incredibly profes- sional and service oriented staff," the management was also con- cerned with providing guests with genuine and reliable third-party services such as tour guides, taxi services and other activities. In an increasingly gentrified world, boutique hotels offer something intimate, quirky and personal to the jaded traveller, as MARTINA BORG discovered when she spoke to local hoteliers working within this tourism niche The Hotel Juliani