It’s not the reason she brings a meeting once a year to Kimpton’s FireSky Hotel & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz., but Victoria Johnson has to admit, it’s great to find Bosco wagging his tail and greeting guests in the lobby every year when her group...

A rooftop pool that morphs into a dance floor at night. A lounge that hides behind an open-sesame bookshelf. A lobby that’s more like a living room. Boutique hotels have always employed design to create unique experiences for guests. Now, more of...