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Should We Consider a Rewrite of the Luxury Forum Description?

Should We Consider a Rewrite of the Luxury Forum Description?

Old Nov 9, 2011, 9:54 am
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Should We Consider a Rewrite of the Luxury Forum Description?

I feel badly for people who stumble on this forum in error and are unsure if their hotel is "luxury". I am also myself sometimes confused whether info on a particular boutique hotel even belongs here.

Should we ask the mods to rewrite the luxury hotel forum description to something more specific? It currently refers to luxury chains such as FS and RC. Chains certainly seems too limiting as there are some fabulous privately owned properties and luxury boutique hotels. There could also be a consideration for Aman, Peninsula, MO, etc. And Virtuoso.....

I'm curious what the other regulars think.

Last edited by Ericka; Nov 9, 2011 at 3:07 pm
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 10:24 am
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Discussion regarding luxury hotel chains such as the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 11:07 am
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I think the description definitely should include Amanresorts.

Along with Four Seasons, I would like to see Peninsula and/or Mandarin Oriental in the description, as these hotel groups are true paradigms for luxury hospitality.

I would possibly suggest the removal of Ritz-Carlton. While there are some very good properties, quite a few others are decidedly not high end.

I agree that the word chains is too limiting.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 2:15 pm
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I agree that the description should be rewritten to include also - at least - Amanresorts, but I am not sure that this will really be of help to the ones that asks questions without knowing which hotels we discuss here. That is more a matter of how we choose to answer them. Regulars here tend to search for, stay in and discuss only the best 2-3 very top hotels in each destination, but I do not feel that it would be correct to limit ourselves to only those. An interest for luxury hotels most often start a bit below the very best ones and then grow slowly, dependent on experiences, priorities and financial situation. A forum like this would have been extremely helpful for me also before I was able to stay in the real luxury hotels. I would have loved to find someone that could tell me that my choices might not be the very best ones, but that they would be the best in the "great hotel, but not top of the class-group", if you know what I mean, and I feel that many of us can offer useful experiences also for such hotels and compare them to the top ones. I would feel that it was a pity if we would lose feedback on great boutique hotels just because there would be a better FS close to it, for example.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 3:14 pm
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I can't even see where this description appears on the Luxury Hotels Forum Threads page. I'm not sure how newbies are supposed to see it?

Perhaps there should be a sticky at the top saying "This forum is for discussion on Four Seasons, Aman etc"
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 4:09 pm
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Discussion regarding luxury hotels such as Four Seasons, Aman, Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton and truly exceptional boutique hotels ????

By the way Musken, I think I agree with your assessment.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 4:24 pm
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Originally Posted by ajca
I can't even see where this description appears on the Luxury Hotels Forum Threads page. I'm not sure how newbies are supposed to see it?
here > http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php
Originally Posted by Ericka
Chains certainly seems too limiting
Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo
luxury hospitality
Originally Posted by Musken
compare them to the top ones...great boutique hotels
Originally Posted by Ericka
luxury hotels...truly exceptional boutique hotels
while this is an interesting question, im not sure if this is something to be discussed with obscure2k/luxury, TalkBoard, Sandiego1K, etc.

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Nov 9, 2011 at 5:54 pm
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 6:13 pm
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Originally Posted by Ericka
Discussion regarding luxury hotels such as Four Seasons, Aman, Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton and truly exceptional boutique hotels ????

By the way Musken, I think I agree with your assessment.
^

I'm with both of you too
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 9:07 am
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Originally Posted by Musken
I agree that the description should be rewritten to include also - at least - Amanresorts, but I am not sure that this will really be of help to the ones that asks questions without knowing which hotels we discuss here. That is more a matter of how we choose to answer them. Regulars here tend to search for, stay in and discuss only the best 2-3 very top hotels in each destination, but I do not feel that it would be correct to limit ourselves to only those. An interest for luxury hotels most often start a bit below the very best ones and then grow slowly, dependent on experiences, priorities and financial situation. A forum like this would have been extremely helpful for me also before I was able to stay in the real luxury hotels. I would have loved to find someone that could tell me that my choices might not be the very best ones, but that they would be the best in the "great hotel, but not top of the class-group", if you know what I mean, and I feel that many of us can offer useful experiences also for such hotels and compare them to the top ones. I would feel that it was a pity if we would lose feedback on great boutique hotels just because there would be a better FS close to it, for example.
I suspect I fall into the catagory of sometimes asking about a hotel that is decent, but perhaps not the best of the best. Mainly because there really isn't anywhere else to ask those knowledgable about hotels for feedback. If the hotel is not part of a chain loyalty scheme (like Intercontinentals etc), isn't budget, there isn't really anywhere other than here to put it, other than in the destination section (and there just isn't the traffic in some of those subforums). I've found posters really helpful when asking about specific hotels in various cities, they may say 'the MO is better' or 'consider these hotels as well' but they have given good feedback about the ones I ask about, leading me to book, or to explore other suggested options further. Especially as my mother far prefers non chain hotels, and will take a lower thread count, do without a dedicated butler etc. if it means she stays in a beautiful historic building, with unusual rooms, interesting decor, staff willing to make her morning cups of tea exactly how she likes rather than an in room nespresso machine, etc. For her, that is her idea of luxurious far more than all white modern furniture rooms. Each to their own.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 9:15 am
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
while this is an interesting question, im not sure if this is something to be discussed with obscure2k/luxury, TalkBoard, Sandiego1K, etc.
I am the one who will implement it, and am following this discussion with interest. I'm very much in favor of forum descriptions that guide members better as to where to post. I will certainly support a rewrite of this forum's description (with commitment by Obscure2K and luxury).

Given that, should there be anything in the description that says that the major chain hotels all have their own forums?
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 10:23 am
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I agree a change needs to be made.

I stay in loads of 5 star hotels...but remember what may be luxury standard in one country is different again in another.
Can't we make it 5 star properties?
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 10:47 am
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Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
Given that, should there be anything in the description that says that the major chain hotels all have their own forums?
My gut says no, that it should be fairly obvious. But then I noticed the other hotels are somewhat hidden under the Hotel Programs category. Tough call. I hate to have the description get too long. Then people just won't bother reading it. LOL.

And there are actually cases where a major chain hotel can belong here when it comes to comparisons in a specific city.....St. Regis and Park Hyatt as examples.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 10:55 am
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Originally Posted by Jinxy
Can't we make it 5 star properties?
I would argue that people throw around 5 Star so much that it is now meaningless....different countries and different websites all have varied interpretations. Me? I'm a purist. 5 Star is owned by Mobil the way that Champagne is produced in Champagne.

It was actually a discussion on this forum about whether something was 5 Star or not that brought this topic up.

I think the more specific we could be in the description, the better.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 11:35 am
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I am committed to implementing the desires of the forum. Perhaps we can work on a few options and then set up a poll to see what forum members think?
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 12:00 pm
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Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
I am the one who will implement it...with commitment by Obscure2K and luxury
thanks for clarifying.

Originally Posted by Ericka
My gut says no
agree.

Originally Posted by Ericka
5 Star...is now meaningless
agreement >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11345980-post13.html

also >
Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
Bjorn Hanson, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers hotel analyst told USA Today that more hotels won this year than usual because both AAA and Forbes are letting their inspectors be more flexible.
Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
too many 5 star >
France (not many "Palace" though)
Qualmark (NZ) (only 10 "Exclusive" though)
European Hotelstars Union
AA (UK) (at least on its way if not there already)
AAA (US - diamond not star)
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