The aim of this thesis is to find out what kind of boutique hotels are interesting to Generation Z. This information is then connected to how it shows in the boutique hotels’ branding. Previously published research explained that boutique hotels are still a rather new concept. They have many different themes and concepts they follow such as focus on wellness, sustainability, and local collaborations. The research on the traveller behaviour of Generation Z shows that they are the current trend setters when it comes to travelling and they themselves prefer locations and experiences that offer sustainability, focus on culture and locality, and have exciting activities.

The chosen research method for the study is quantitative research and the data was collected from 18-25-year-olds with a survey in March 2024. The number of respondents was 100. The results indicated that Generation Z finds boutique hotels mostly interesting and would be interested to stay at boutique hotels. The results also showed that from the usual concepts of boutique hotels Generation Z finds the most interesting wellness, unique and personalised experiences, and collaborations with the local cultures. From the point of view of technology, the results indicated that contactless check-in and check-out are appreciated more than other hightech appliances. Social media was found out to be an important factor when choosing a boutique hotel.

In summary, boutique hotels should bring out more on their branding their collaborations with the local cultures and display their benefits to the local more visibly. They should also brand their wellness facilities toward Generation Z if they are not already because they are clearly interested in them. More boutique hotels should also brand themselves as providing unique experiences with activities and culinary experiences since those concepts could capture the interest of young travellers. When trying to get Generation Z customers boutique hotels should market in social media and focus on building a brand that consumers want to post on their social media accounts since based on the results that is highly important to Generation Z.