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).