NEW YORK -- Boutique, a brand launched by Preferred Hotel Group six months ago with 15 properties, now counts 51 and aims to have 100 by mid-2006, said Lindsey Ueberroth, managing director.

The hunt is on to beef up the roster because Preferred wants the Boutique brand to be represented around the globe. About half of its properties are in the U.S. and Canada. Overseas, most locations are in Europe, and Preferred has designs on expanding in Asia, South America and Africa.

The brand's Boutique name raises questions about the wisdom of claiming a name so widely used in a generic sense. "We strategically chose to use the name. We want to define the boutique experience," Ueberroth said.

Sarah Clark, Boutique's director of marketing and strategic development, said, "We realized the word is used [frequently], so we figured we should capitalize on vocabulary already embraced. "It's not just a word but a name with meaning in the luxury market," Clark added. "We have rigorous quality-assurance standards."

Ueberroth's definition of "boutique," while encompassing small size and a high level of service, zeroes in on hotel personality. "Our hotels are an experience. Guests could stay in them and never leave, and they would still experience the culture [of the destination]," she said.

The collection is not meant to be limited to small hotels and inns. Some are lodges. One is an island -- Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. The Boutique executives did not shut out the possibility that small ships could come under the banner at some time, too. As for
land-based properties, size is capped at 150 units. There is no minimum requirement.

Under the Boutique umbrella, affiliates are categorized as Adventure, Classic, Design or Resort, and all are bookable under a common GDS code. Ueberroth inspects many of the prospective Boutique affiliates, having recently done so in parts of Asia and Africa. She's no stranger to such work.

Ueberroth said that when she was a child, family vacations did not include the typical sightseeing tours or trips to museums. "We visited hotels," she said. Her father is John Ueberroth, whose travel career spans 30 years. He bought Preferred Hotel Group, which also includes the Sterling, Summit and Preferred brands, in 2004 and is chairman and CEO of the company.