2 posts tagged “luxury hotels”

You paid a lot for a few nights stay at a luxury hotel, make sure you get your money’s worth by making sure everything is working the way they should be.

There are tons of things you need to ask before making that reservation at a luxury hotel. The major ones include the rates and the amenities. But there are itsy-bitsy details we tend to overlook but are crucial to a safe and relaxing stay at the hotel.

When making a reservation at a luxury hotel, we also must ask if the following exists:

1.  Functioning and sturdy fire exits – I know every hotel has one, but are they reliable to use?  Ask the concierge if  the steel stairways are functioning well and can be easily accessed when an undesirable situation such as a fire occurs.

Fire exits

2.  Working fire sprinkler systems – operative word, functioning.  Granted, you see them along the hallway but in reality they have glitches, so check them out first.

Fire sprinkler

3.  Safeplace accredited – SafePlace accreditation is given to hotels who have passed the safety procedures fitted for high risk situations.

Safeplace accreditation

4.  Reliable smoke detectors -  Again, make sure they actually detect smoke.  You can verify this with the concierge beforehand so you don’t have to test the detectors by yourself for you might just cause an undesirable scene.

Smoke detectors

5.  Working pass-keys – make sure that the cards or keys for accessing your room are functioning.  You don’t want to get lockout in your own hotel room.

Hotel key cards

6.  Check the other appliances in the room -  click and check the lamps, the bulbs, the shower and the phone.  Better report them on an early time than being caught unguarded.

Room apppliances

These are actually small and minor details but most of the time we tend to take them for granted and assume that they are working.  Not undermining the hotels here, but checking won’t hurt anyone.

There are times when booking for a room to sleep on besides our own can deprive us of a well-deserved slumber.

More often than not, we experience anything but joy in booking reservations at luxury hotels.  The lines are busy, or if not, hold time feels like eternity, choppy phone lines, and the most nerve-wracking part is when after waiting in vain, everything’s full. Trust me, been there, done that.

Booking nightmare
I remember when a long time friend asked me to be a bridesmaid for her wedding.  The Jewish ceremony was held at the beach front of a luxury hotel somewhere in Miami.  During that time, I was beaten with deadlines and was only able to call three days before the actual wedding for a room reservation.  I spent two hours on the phone for that long distance call from Chicago to Miami only to end up taking a 3 a.m. flight to be able to arrive at the hotel and get all dolled up at for the  8 a.m. wedding because the rooms were full.

These must-forgettable moments do not easily fade away and make us frustrated and just stay home and make up our own mini - luxury hotel experience.

But this should not be the case.  We have the choice to make booking at luxury hotels better.  Luxury hotels exist to make us feel like we deserve the best things in life.  My previous not-so pleasant run-ins with the reservations officer gave me the light bulb moment and made me realize these stress-free tricks to book at luxury hotels.

1.    Google your dream luxury hotel.
Going online can definitely take away the stress of waiting for an actual person to answer your call.

2.    Bid for the spot.
This may sound foreign to the ears, but luxury hotel biddings do actually exist and you can actually get a booking and stay at the luxury hotel that you won.  Bidding for a booking at a luxury hotel is just as fun and exhilarating as bidding in ebay or Christie’s .  

3.    Contact a travel agent.
You can find reliable travel agents or through the yellow pages or online.  They can do the works but you’ve got to have a hand in picking as well. It’s you who’s going to stay at the hotel after all.

4.    Visit travel forums
Take note, real people participate in these forums.  Plus, you’ll get first-hand and real-life experiences in staying at luxury hotels.  

5.    Book in advance.
The term, first come, first serve maybe an old-school advice in booking but definitely still proven effective.  This saves you from being slapped with the “full house” scenario.

Don’t settle
After all the hassle-free efforts, don’t ever settle for anything less than you know you deserve.  These ways do not only take away the physical strain but will also allow you to save a considerable amount of money as well.  In this case, getting the plush accommodations at luxury hotels means making up a few tricks under our sleeves.