When you have a truly superior cup, there's little that compares. The only thing I can think of is that tastes do vary. And for many people the idea of a good cup is that stuff they get from a certain coffee chain whose name I will not even credit by mentioning.

On many occasions I've enjoyed splendiferous coffee in Italy but the best Espresso I ever had was at a coffee house on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village named "Maurizio" after its owner. Long gone now, alas, but I probably had a hundred Espressos there. Never had a top-notch cup in a hotel, come to think of it, but have had many good ones. Salut!