Luxury Trappings of No Interest
Jan 25, 2018, 6:19 pm
#61
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
Jan 25, 2018, 7:43 pm
#62
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
i am probably weird here, but my luxury trappings of interest: guests-only, few rooms, large scale. and that is pretty much it. would be extremely expensive & difficult in cities, but i am much more interested in outside of cities. no signing is also fantastic vs dealing with each bill, as an example of service vs hard product.
hassles (not luxury) to get relatively/practically negligible credits via agent is of no interest to me.
jonjparr, did you ask duty manager if they re-used toiletries between guests? unfortunate when i recall an old story from Lanesborough GM/etc talking about how they replaced a guest's article of clothing (without needing to inform them) after a laundry mishap. think some here said amazing service during rosewood's golden era.
one of the minibar items ive seen displayed was a half bottle of louis xiii
most things are 'displayed' and 'chargeable' by default, except toiletries
wonder re cleanliness of espresso machines
LMO having amenity refrigerator is impressive
wonder if charge was mistake, regardless of what staff said
some of the issues raised above involve procedural difficulties and lack of flexibility (because of them)
hassles (not luxury) to get relatively/practically negligible credits via agent is of no interest to me.
jonjparr, did you ask duty manager if they re-used toiletries between guests? unfortunate when i recall an old story from Lanesborough GM/etc talking about how they replaced a guest's article of clothing (without needing to inform them) after a laundry mishap. think some here said amazing service during rosewood's golden era.
most things are 'displayed' and 'chargeable' by default, except toiletries
LMO having amenity refrigerator is impressive
some of the issues raised above involve procedural difficulties and lack of flexibility (because of them)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jan 25, 2018 at 8:15 pm
Jan 25, 2018, 9:12 pm
#63
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,223
On the mark, bhrubin. Until my two sojourns at Las Ventanas al Paraiso last year, I could not imagine using the unpacking/packing service. I now hold it dear.
Absolutely. Any St Regis butler can do this. I know of several from different properties who’ve told me of guests asking them to do exactly as you prefer. All St Regis butlers provide packing and unpacking services, so what you propose is just half of the packing!
Most butlers in other hotels likely could do this, as well, probably for a fee or for an appropriate tip of normally they do not provide packing or unpacking services already. I’d guess that our butler at the Imperial Vienna gladly would have done this had I asked. I’d also guess that the villa butlers at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Cabo also easily would be able to do this. Wouldn’t you agree, @KatW?
Most butlers in other hotels likely could do this, as well, probably for a fee or for an appropriate tip of normally they do not provide packing or unpacking services already. I’d guess that our butler at the Imperial Vienna gladly would have done this had I asked. I’d also guess that the villa butlers at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Cabo also easily would be able to do this. Wouldn’t you agree, @KatW?
Jan 25, 2018, 11:24 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
No interest: pillow menus, soap menus, scent menus, tech loaners, preloaded iPods, "dumb" iPads, online periodical access, bath butlers, fruit, ice, refillable glass water bottles, cotton balls, fake magazines
Interest: sunglass cleaning wipes and other little thoughtful amenities, non-food turndown gifts, an app that I can put on my device to order room service / communicate with the hotel, fireplace butlers, adapters, a router just for my room, real magazines, a property map
Interest: sunglass cleaning wipes and other little thoughtful amenities, non-food turndown gifts, an app that I can put on my device to order room service / communicate with the hotel, fireplace butlers, adapters, a router just for my room, real magazines, a property map
Jan 25, 2018, 11:59 pm
#65
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SNA
Posts: 410
The pillow menu seems silly, but since I sleep on a buckwheat pillow at home, it is a real luxury to be able to have that when I’m traveling as well. It makes a huge difference to me. Unfortunately, I can count the properties I’ve visited that offer such pillows on one hand.
(And no, while it does make a difference, it’s not a big enough difference to bother with lugging my ridiculously heavy pillow from home)
(And no, while it does make a difference, it’s not a big enough difference to bother with lugging my ridiculously heavy pillow from home)
Jan 26, 2018, 3:18 am
#67
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
Regrettably I didn’t ask that question Kage but I think the insinuation was that because there was a pump on top to dispense the shampoo etc that I should have known I wasn’t supposed to take it. The hotel would likely not admit it but they are clearly recycling toiletries between guests. They’re just refilled like a Premier Inn 😮
Jan 26, 2018, 4:36 am
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
Regrettably I didn’t ask that question Kage but I think the insinuation was that because there was a pump on top to dispense the shampoo etc that I should have known I wasn’t supposed to take it. The hotel would likely not admit it but they are clearly recycling toiletries between guests. They’re just refilled like a Premier Inn 😮
Jan 26, 2018, 5:51 am
#69
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
Precisely and that was my argument entirely. It is not uncommon for a luxury hotel to provide full size amenities at all and I’ve never, ever been charged for taking them to enjoy at home apart from of course The Lanesborough. Having said all this I’m planning a return trip at the moment. I need a refill. 😂
Jan 26, 2018, 6:16 am
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
Precisely and that was my argument entirely. It is not uncommon for a luxury hotel to provide full size amenities at all and I’ve never, ever been charged for taking them to enjoy at home apart from of course The Lanesborough. Having said all this I’m planning a return trip at the moment. I need a refill. 😂
I wonder if they have the audacity to automatically charge them to your bill? 😂😂
Jan 26, 2018, 6:34 am
#71
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: BNA
Programs: Virtuoso, FSPP, RC STARS, Rosewood Elite, Bellini, SPG LP, Dorchester Diamond, PenClub
Posts: 357
Jan 26, 2018, 6:53 am
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
Jan 26, 2018, 9:46 am
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
possibly related re luxury and trappings and interests : some here do many different types of properties/accommodations. some only do cities, or only outside cities. some stick with big box luxury chain hotels rather than more independent type properties that may be missing some of the usual things on various checklists. (even when many things / trappings on checklist are of no interest.)
after staying in some properties that bear little to no resemblance to hotels, let alone big box chain hotels, my interests and concept of luxury trappings changed dramatically. the extremely rare good butler arrangement (somewhat noted upthread) and amanresorts at its best are the only two examples that immediately come to my mind in terms of (most) frequently being mentioned here as causing similar re-evaluation of luxury trappings. although with property preferences, african wildlife safaris may also often lead to shifting future travel budget to more of them rather than more of the usual.
many replies here specified city (box) hotels, for example for room escort. a number of things apply mostly if not exclusively in such properties, which almost certainly represent majority of luxury properties.
after staying in some properties that bear little to no resemblance to hotels, let alone big box chain hotels, my interests and concept of luxury trappings changed dramatically. the extremely rare good butler arrangement (somewhat noted upthread) and amanresorts at its best are the only two examples that immediately come to my mind in terms of (most) frequently being mentioned here as causing similar re-evaluation of luxury trappings. although with property preferences, african wildlife safaris may also often lead to shifting future travel budget to more of them rather than more of the usual.
many replies here specified city (box) hotels, for example for room escort. a number of things apply mostly if not exclusively in such properties, which almost certainly represent majority of luxury properties.
Jan 26, 2018, 3:20 pm
#74
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Taiwan
Programs: UA, CX, BR
Posts: 718
This. Most of the rest are in the category of silly & as the many messages show, de gustibus non disputandum est (but could I be friends with somebody who liked the little border cloths they put at the end of beds?).
Jan 26, 2018, 11:43 pm
#75
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 404
And mostly, butler's. Maybe we have not had a great one yet but in general I have found them to be useless and cloying. The kids have enjoyed it but I prefer to just put up the DND and be left alone for the duration.