Lodging choice for a trip can greatly impact the experience as well as the budget. So, what are the considerations when deciding whether to stay at a fancy hotel?
Pros of fancy hotels:
- Location
- Service
- Comfort/amenities
Cons:
- May be too insulating and one doesn’t immerse in the locale
- Cost (and not just the cost of the room)
Expensive hotels tend to be at desirable locations, which is the main thing I look for when choosing my lodgings. Note that great location can mean a couple of things: 1. central to the main sight and have multitude of dining options nearby; or 2. a resort on the outskirts where it is uncrowded and nicely manicured. Since my vacations are not relaxation focused, I like to be central.
Fancy hotels may or may not give a sense of place. Some of the international hotel chains can be very cookie cutter which can be comforting for guests. However, look around the room or lobby and one may not be able to figure out which continent one is in.
Of course, fancy hotels are more expensive but it may be even more expensive than one expects. Extra service charges, higher food prices and parking costs can be outrageous. A colleague once returned his rental car every evening and took a new car in the morning to escape the insane Manhattan hotel parking fees. Another example, and a pet peeve, is that hotel laundry charges are usually complete rip offs. $4 USD to wash a pair of socks?!? I could buy a decent new pair for that amount (but then I would need to carry around more stuff). These high costs are often the case even in areas where labour cost is low. Cheaper hotels sometimes offer laundry on a per-kilogram basis, which tends to be reasonable. If all else fails, I usually bring quick-dry clothes and wash in the sink as necessary.
On the other hand, service is expected to be top notch at a fancy hotel. I was staying at a Ritz Carlton Hotel in China when I got food poisoning. There are few things worse than being sick alone in a foreign land. The concierge arranged to get me medicine and when the cleaning person took one look at my pale face, she made me a bowl of steamy soup noodles at the staff kitchen. I will never forget her kindness.
I have also stayed at high-end hotels where the staff strives to remember all the guests’ names. Some people may like that but I find it mildly unsettling if someone I don’t remember meeting greets me by name in the hallway!
Other than the room, the hotel could have an awesome view, lobby, pool, spa or restaurant. In many instances, you don’t have to a guest to experience those treats.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, I drove down a volcano early one morning and found a nice Hilton resort on the beach. Still tired and suffering from a lingering altitude sickness (that’s whole other story), I relaxed on a hammock with a view of the ocean. As it was ~6am, there was no one around or I’d be happy to buy a drink to help justify my presence.
The Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, California has wonderful views. The winding path between the building and the beach is a public path (mandated by law, I believe) so non-guests can enjoy the those same expansive views. Those cheapskates value-minded visitors can also chose to blow their many pennies saved on the hotel’s delicious – but quite expensive – brunch buffet complete with caviar.
Recommendation: Save some money by staying at a more simple hotel in a good location and visit the fancy hotels if so inclined.
