LAS VEGAS » For years Las Vegas took the bigger-is-better route, building expansive glassy megaresorts with 4,000 rooms apiece and seemingly endless check-in counters.

But with just 188 rooms, the newest hotel-casino on the Strip takes a different tack. Managers of The Cromwell hope to impress guests not with an imposing tower, but with unexpected details such as in-room hair straighteners and backgammon boards and free, self-serve coffee stations in the elevator lobby of each floor.

"The problem is, Vegas likes to do things on a grand scale," said Karie Hall, general manager of the boutique hotel, which opened to the public Wednesday. "It’s far more likely (Cromwell staff) will be able to recognize the guest and customize their experience."

The stand-alone Cromwell, along with the one-year-old Nobu Hotel and a smattering of other small hotels-within-hotels and off-Strip properties in Las Vegas, reflect a customer base that’s increasingly interested in distinctive interior design and foodie culture. Gone are the days when hotel restaurants were afterthoughts and loss leaders, and when all customers wanted out of their room was a place to crash after a gambling binge.

"They don’t want to just stay in a property. They want to experience a property," said Frances Kirad­jian, founder and chairwoman of the Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association. "These properties are like a destination unto themselves."

Boutiques in Las Vegas aim to address some of the inconveniences of large resorts, forgoing vast lobbies full of suitcase-toting tourists and helping patrons skirt long lines for taxis. At Hotel 32, a 50-room hotel-within-a-hotel that occupies the top floor of the Monte Carlo, customers are whisked to a private lobby where they sip cocktails while a personal suite assistant checks them in.