Great thread! So business travel is very different to vacation travel.
When on business my costs are constrained by allowable expenses and perdiems. Of course this allows some latitude as long as it is justifiable. As bought up a few times I always use a car service from O'Hare to home (actually really not much more than a cab) while on the other hand, if my destination airport is well served I will tend to take mass transit.
Within allowable range I will try to stay at major full service properties, preferably with a lounge as breakfast is so very convenient and it is nice to have a place to unwind in the evenings..
Vacation travel:
With a 10 yo daughter the use of the lounge takes on a whole new meaning as a place to relax with my wife as the 10yo goes off to sleep in the room.. So yes, a good hotel with a lounge and a pool is something I am willing to pay for out of my own pocket!
If we are spending a week some where one of those days us usually reserved for a "popular activity" (eg Versailles in Paris, London Tower etc...), another splurge is that when we do this I will very happily pay a premium to (1) Enhance the experience with group yours etc.. and (2) avoid hideous queues (see earlier posts about time being a commodity!)