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high-end hotels usually disappointing?

high-end hotels usually disappointing?

Old May 3, 2016, 11:09 am
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Originally Posted by BuildingMyBento
That's probably why my favorite part about any hotel is the possibility of a vast breakfast spread...
You. I like you. This is how I feel too - I couldn't care less about many of the service elements that characterize a high end hotel. Turn down... for what? Just like the immortal poet Lil' Jon, I too question the utility of frivolous touches that emphasize unnecessarily visible service...

...but I absolutely judge a hotel by the quality of its breakfast, and my expectations are high for the best properties.

In Scandinavia, it's judged by how many types of herring are present (personal record, five). In China, the best buffets allow me to assemble two completely separate meals - nothing like protecting your dim sum from baked bean juice with a well-placed hash brown triangle. And in tropical areas, it's all about the variety of available fruits.

Looking back at many of my favorite stays - Sky City Marriott in Hong Kong, The Shelbourne in Dublin, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii - I realize the common thread binding them all together is a comprehensive, well-executed breakfast.

You know what they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...
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Old May 3, 2016, 11:21 am
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Originally Posted by Amelorn
I miss Australian-NZ hotels: you can get the pool, location, nice room, etc, but the national DIY ethos really discouraged a set-up with a legion of staff looking to you for their next pay-out/beer money.
I don't disagree with this, although I'd qualify it as an Australian phenomenon. Some of my best stays have been in the Meriton Serviced Apartments chain - very nicely appointed and furnished apartments, managed like a hotel, but without all the hotel extras I never use.

For what it's worth, the US does have properties that offer this sort of experience - Residence Inn actually hits the mark pretty well for me. Although it often comes with a lower quality of room furnishings, it still clears the minimum bar. Location is usually the main drawback, but more are starting to get built in city centers rather than in anonymous suburbs (often with slightly higher quality rooms to match).

My experience in NZ is that the average bar is much, much lower than Australia - for whatever reason, outside of Auckland, the Kiwis seem to love their "motor inns". They're clean and perfectly serviceable, but the quality level is a definite step below the average bar of what I've been able to find in equivalent locations in Australia and the management is often less than professional. Perhaps this is influenced by the types of visitors they receive, though - lots of gap year travelers and folks doing the Great Kiwi Road Trip, rather than a steady flow of business travelers?
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Old May 3, 2016, 1:02 pm
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Palal
Because sterile environments are boring?
Didn't answer the question. Why do you consider a nice hotel to be sterile and boring?
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Old May 3, 2016, 1:43 pm
  #64  
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I think a lot of nice chain hotels are sterile and boring.

But there are some great hotels out there that aren't...
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Old May 3, 2016, 2:03 pm
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Originally Posted by BenA
This is how I feel too - I couldn't care less about many of the service elements that characterize a high end hotel. Turn down... for what? Just like the immortal poet Lil' Jon, I too question the utility of frivolous touches that emphasize unnecessarily visible service...
Similar thing here. I avoid high end hotels because I simply don't value most of the costly extras they bundle into the price-- or charge extra for. I'm not interested in a fancy day spa or paying $100 for a one-hour treatment. I don't want to shop for fancy handbags or shoes in the hotel lobby. In fact the mere presence of fancy stores in the hotel is to me a minus because they're usually put in the way of my path between the front door and my room.

I'm usually most comfortable with a solid, 3.5-star hotel. One that does all the basics right. Occasionally I'll look for 1 or 2 specific extras, like a great breakfast spread or a really inviting pool area, if I expect to have time to enjoy such things on a given trip.
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Old May 3, 2016, 2:06 pm
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Originally Posted by Tchiowa
Didn't answer the question. Why do you consider a nice hotel to be sterile and boring?
I also consider chain hotels sterile and boring.
I stay at chains where I m looking for boring, a quick overnight, etc.

Lets face it, generalising, a 'nice' chain hotel is most likely going to attract a very predictable clientele. Businesspeople, old people, and/or stuffy snobs.

Which is great if you're looking for boring.
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Old May 3, 2016, 2:31 pm
  #67  
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Originally Posted by darthbimmer
In fact the mere presence of fancy stores in the hotel is to me a minus because they're usually put in the way of my path between the front door and my room.
I've always wondered who shops in those stores... Rarely see anyone in them. I mean, if I ever have a huge jones for a $79.99 polo shirt with the hotel's logo on it, I guess I know where to go...
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Old May 3, 2016, 10:32 pm
  #68  
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Originally Posted by BenA

In Scandinavia, it's judged by how many types of herring are present (personal record, five). In China, the best buffets allow me to assemble two completely separate meals - nothing like protecting your dim sum from baked bean juice with a well-placed hash brown triangle. And in tropical areas, it's all about the variety of available fruits.
Baked bean juice...the future is here!
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Old May 4, 2016, 12:28 am
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Originally Posted by darthbimmer
Similar thing here. I avoid high end hotels because I simply don't value most of the costly extras they bundle into the price-- or charge extra for. I'm not interested in a fancy day spa or paying $100 for a one-hour treatment. I don't want to shop for fancy handbags or shoes in the hotel lobby. In fact the mere presence of fancy stores in the hotel is to me a minus because they're usually put in the way of my path between the front door and my room.

I'm usually most comfortable with a solid, 3.5-star hotel. One that does all the basics right. Occasionally I'll look for 1 or 2 specific extras, like a great breakfast spread or a really inviting pool area, if I expect to have time to enjoy such things on a given trip.
My ideal hotel would offer large (500 sq ft), clean rooms with sofa and high-quality bedding. It would offer twice-daily maid service (daily cleaning + turn-down service) and a bathroom with a nice big shower and a full assortment of plush bath towels. A large breakfast spread would be included in the rate.

On the other hand, there would be no useless gym, expensive spa, space-hogging pool, high-priced bar, or unnecessary conference rooms. The bathroom would not waste space on a bathtub. The lobby would be tiny, with all available space being devoted to the guest rooms. There would be no shops selling anything, not even a minibar in the guest rooms.

Luxury hotels have to excel at everything, even those things that I don't value. So if I want to truly enjoy my stay (as opposed to just having a place to sleep), I have to take the good (large, comfortable guest rooms and bathrooms) with the bad (fancy lobby, gym, pool, spa, bar).
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Old May 4, 2016, 3:13 am
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High-end doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be to your taste.

There are hotels whose check-in procedure is a half-hour of fawning, please sit here, oh, we'll get you a drink and some hot towels, how lovely of you to choose us, look at our wonderful restaurants, I'll show you to your room and give you a 15-minute tour of how to use televisions and light switches etc, etc. Others will have someone approach with a tablet as you enter, check you in in 10 seconds, and hand you a key, making it clear they're available for any further questions if need be.

Some will assume you're there on business and charge huge markups on extras. Others will think you've paid enough, and include soft drinks, internet, etc as part of the deal.

Some will provide restaurants of good quality but generic international dishes that make you feel at home. Others will give some decent local flavour to make you feel you're away.

Some will have concierges who can get you in anywhere, but will always direct you to rather overpriced options that they get a kickback from. Some will have concierges who listen and have great local knowledge, but fewer contacts.

Some will have exclusive restaurants, bars and leisure facilities that you really need to dress up for. Others will have less impressive but low-key facilities that make you feel relaxed.

Some will have an incredible range of room service options from drinks and snacks to meals, delivered quickly. Others will have more in-room facilities.

Of course, none of these are entirely either/or, but I've certainly encountered both extremes. I strongly dislike fawning service, over-the-top bars and restaurants, taking unnecessary time to do things, etc. I love service that anticipates what I want, has a genuine personal touch, and keeps the formalities to a minimum. But others differ.

FWIW, my favourite hotel is one in India. I felt like they got to know me (my behaviour as a guest was a little unusual for the hotel, admittedly), and on each return, I was visually recognised as soon as I arrived. I got genuine advice on anything I asked, a genuine warmth, and a top-notch Mysore-style masala dosa for breakfast.
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Old May 4, 2016, 5:23 am
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Originally Posted by Tchiowa
Didn't answer the question. Why do you consider a nice hotel to be sterile and boring?
It's consistent, there are no surprises (good or bad). If I'd be travelling for work, I would probably want consistency. For leisure travel, I'm more adventurous
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Old May 4, 2016, 7:44 am
  #72  
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safari - style properties are not focused on sitting in 'hotel' room
there are other properties with strong excursion offerings as well
some 'concierges' can provide great access / information

tipping? very limited when considering entire world
some hotels in US say no tipping or include it in rates

stut, there are top properties that deliver what you want
'style' has nothing to do with price etc, as your post concluded

Originally Posted by BenA
My experience in NZ is that the average bar is much, much lower than Australia
interesting considering NZ has more top properties than AU
perhaps just that AU is too focused on regular/average
(so they even do a better job on that than NZ does)

Originally Posted by TOMFORD
Aman
thousands of dollars a night
not much more than something like the Four Seasons, MO, IC, etc
two completely inaccurate statements / stereotypes / etc
no different than any other stereotypes about "high end"

Originally Posted by pinniped
I think a lot of nice chain hotels are sterile and boring. But there are some great hotels out there that aren't...
glad people 'only' know about chain hotels, keeps rates / occupancy lower at other properties
speaking of, true high end properties often lose money / are not about making money
zero comparison to hotels that are designed to have as high of a profit margin as possible

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 4, 2016 at 8:20 am
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Old May 4, 2016, 8:17 am
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Originally Posted by Tchiowa
As it happens, SFGate just published a survey of the best and worst hotel chains.

http://www.sfgate.com/life/travel/ar...el-7384827.php

JWM ranks as #1.
When did Fairfield become a Upper Midscale?

I guess i've just been staying in bad fairfields.
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Old May 4, 2016, 8:19 am
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Originally Posted by TomBrady
When did Fairfield become a Upper Midscale?

I guess i've just been staying in bad fairfields.
industry jargon vs consumer descriptions

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 4, 2016 at 9:04 am
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Old May 4, 2016, 9:00 am
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I've stayed in a few high-end (ish) hotels when they've been available at reasonable rates and I've always disliked it. The cost of incidental services, like the breakfast and restaurant, are unnecessarily expensive, meaning I won't want to use them, meaning they in essence don't exist. And, maybe it's just my personality type, but I like to walk through a hotel lobby without three people asking if I need help and someone to call the elevator for me.

You also get terrible stares from staff when you request an Uber at a hotel which routinely has supercars casually parked in the drop-off zone.
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