The new locations are international business capitals and summervacation destinations, according to Martin Buehler, Boutiques CEO.They take the company's portfolio of member properties to 62 in 20countries. A Boutique spokesman tells GlobeSt.com the company'sproperties range from hotels with as few as 10 rooms to "a few inthe 190-room range. The average number of rooms in propertieswithin the total portfolio is 60."

The South Africa properties are: Ka Ingo, Riviera on Vaal,Banhoek Vineyard, Zorgvliet Suites and Le Pommier. The otheradditions are: Le Ferme d'Augustine in St. Tropez; Hotel Bocas DelToro in Panama; Boutique Palace Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan; AngkorHoward Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia; Tai Ming Hotel in Phnom Penh,Cambodia; Boutique Hotel Sathorn in Bangkok, Thailand, and Bel AirPanwan in Phuket, Thailand. "The new properties add a total of 605rooms, taking the portfolio's total to 4,100," the spokesmansays.

According to Buehler, his company was founded to exercise "acollective effort" to bring authentic boutique hotels to theforefront for travelers." It also allows member boutique hotels "tocompete against the overwhelming industry consolidation withoutlosing the individual flair of their property." He also says thereis a "boutique movement" that has caused national chains to investheavily in the boutique segment of the market, creating a"distortion and dilution" of the boutique experience.