Managers’ perceptions of the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings as boutique hotels: insights from Iran

Due to the paucity of empirical research in the field of boutique hotels, sometimes also known as heritage hotels, this study investigates the impressions of boutique hotel operators regarding the adaptive reuse of historical and old buildings into tourist accommodations. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 boutique hotel operators in Yazd, Iran, in 2019. The results showed that, unlike the investigations of previous studies, the business of boutique hotels is not economical in Iran. The results also show the deficiencies in knowledge and experience of operators and limited ties to the local community despite the recommendations of previous research. The paper also suggests that though the concept of boutique hotels has emerged since the 1980s, uncertainties remain about what defines a boutique hotel and what industry practitioners understand about them owing to the lack of standardized criteria.