Boutique Hotel ?

This week, I was trying to find a place to stay in Barcelona in April. When I was looking for some hotels I found some hotels that call themselves Boutique hotels. Since that I had never heard this expression before, I decide to do a research to find out the differences between a hotel and a boutique hotel. The expression Boutique hotel started in the 80 in cities like London, New York and San Francisco, but it is more popular in Europe than in the USA. Normally a Boutique hotel have themed furnishes, more style and different behave of management. A Boutique hotel most of the times are own by unique properties operated by small companies or by one owner. In the other hand, the traditional hotels have standardized furnishes, big staffs and a big number of rooms. They usually are own by big groups around the world. In the end, a Boutique hotel wants to offer to its guests an intimate environment by provision of services and personalized service. They make sure that the guest feels special.