I just had an unpleasant experience that made me wonder about something.

I took a trip with a woman. I booked a 3.5 star hotel on Hotwire that turned out to be an Embassy Suites. She repeatedly kept putting down the Embassy Suites, implying she was making such a sacrifice to stay there. She described herself as a "hotel snob" and said she would have much preferred to stay at the Ritz Carlton. (By coincidence, it was the same Ritz Carlton that I stayed at for my one an only stay at a RC, which was when I got married in 1992.)

Let me give my entirely personal perspective. Now, my profile describes me as "getting too old and cranky to sit in coach if I can help it." I am starting to get a little claustrophobic in coach. If I had to go overseas, I'd probably stay home if I couldn't fly at least premium economy. Domestically, I have a lot of FF miles. I'm flying to Vegas next week, on my last fumes of elite status earned almost two years ago, in coach but at least exit row. I'm not a snob, just coach is too damn cramped.

But when it comes to hotels - OK, here's my perspective. I'm a reasonably frugal traveler, so I rarely order room service. I don't like a crappy bed with crappy sheets and a shower that looks like it's from a locker room and towels you can see through. I like a bed, a bathroom, a sofa that are at least comparable to what I have at home.

But I don't need more than that. The woman I was with said she had stayed at that Ritz Carlton 4 times, and the staff call her by name. I didn't get the impression it was 4 week-long stays in the past 6 months. Maybe that's part of what they sell there, the sizzle. Yes I've read the stories about guests who want a jar of M&M's, all blue. Or a particular present for their dog. Maybe if you have to get into the hottest restaurant or hottest club, it's nice to have a concierge with pull. If you stumble in at 3AM and just have to have a big plate of greasy fries with lots of ketchup, I'll bet the Ritz can whip it up in 15 minutes.

I've stayed a few times in what people would call luxury hotels. My wedding, when I had lots more on my mind than the hotel room. A few conventions at pretty pricey resorts like The Breakers. I stayed once on points at the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris. Nice, nice to get water and ice twice a day, but other than that and the nice breakfast buffet (for 43 euros, but we wangled it free 4 of the 6 days we were there), not much nicer to me than Embassy Suites.

So, without in any way dismissing people's perspectives, I'd be curious to know what people find in a 5-star (or 6-star, for that matter) hotel they don't find in an Embassy Suites. Or, say, a Hilton or Marriott, because the food & beverage service at Embassy Suites can be a little limited I guess. I'm sure there are people out there who run right from their middle seat in coach to the Four Seasons. I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts.