The Malmaison and Hotel du Vin chains are the antithesis of the corporate hotel brands that have colonised Britain's towns and cities over the past 40 years.

Where the likes of Marriott and Hilton have made a virtue of uniformity, their boutique rivals have fostered individuality.

Both chains still follow the precepts laid down by their founders.

Malmaison, which was founded in 1994 by Ken McCulloch, the Glaswegian entrepreneur, briefly became part of the Radisson empire but was rescued by Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) just as its personality was in danger of being destroyed by Radisson's corporate culture.

Hotel du Vin, which was founded the same year as Malmaison, was the brainchild of Robin Hutson, an hotelier, and Gerard Basset, a sommelier. Although the duo sold out to MWB in 2004, the wine theme survives to this day in the form of award-winning wine lists and bedrooms sponsored by some of the world's biggest winemakers.

Both chains revel in creating quirky and interesting but comfortable hotels at an affordable price compared with corporate rivals.

They are almost always in unusual buildings: the Hotel du Vin in Birmingham is located in a former eye hospital, while the Malmaison in Oxford sits in a former prison.

The proof of the success of boutique operations such as Malmaison and Hotel du Vin can be seen in the rush by big corporates to launch their own concepts.

Starwood now runs the W and aloft brands in addition to its Sheraton and Westin chains, while Marriott is working alongside Ian Schrager, the so-called king of hip, to develop a new style-led concept called Edition.

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