Wednesday, 18 May 2011

What Makes a Luxury Hotel Luxury?

By Mark Daniel Mayne 

During the economic boom of the late nineties and early noughties the number of companies building luxury hotels built rose significantly. This was down to the fact that many people had more disposable income and could enjoy the luxuries of exotic holidays and fancy hotel rooms. During this time questions arose about what makes a hotel luxurious?
Is a hotel simply luxurious because it has a five star rating or is it down to the level of service provided? At the time many were unsure and debates ensued about the true criteria of a luxury hotel. This lead to travel journalists coming up with a list of basic criterion, however it should be said that every hotel needs to be judged on an individual basis.
Location
A hotels location and the views that it offers are often central to influencing a persons booking decision. The best hotels are frequently located at the heart of the world's biggest cities and found in close proximity to one another. For example in Paris all the best luxury hotels can be found on the Right Bank. This is because this is where the best views of the city can be found.
Location is pivotal to luxury hotels because they not only have to offer great views but also be in a location that is accessible to all the cities best attractions. These demands can often only be met by the worlds most luxury hotels. Of course you cannot base a hotels status on location. If you consider hotels that site on beech resorts the availability of land is often expanse and easy for many hotels to use.
Level of Service
Service in luxury hotels must of course exceed that of all others. Hotels must be able to go above and beyond to meet its customer's expectations. In some documented cases six and seven star hotels will fly food and other items from half way around the world just to meet customer expectations. Staff members should also be trained to a very high standard and be able to arrange things at the drop of a hat.
Facilities
Luxury hotels should not only have a vast range of facilities but also the very best facilities. Customers of such hotels expect quality and want to be able to do everything in the comfort of the hotels grounds.
Facilities that are not found anywhere else will often help improve a hotels status. People expect a swimming pool, bars, hot tubs, and spa's but what else does the hotel offer. A luxury hotel blends cutting edge technology with style. They have something for everyone.
Attention Detail
This is the area in which luxury hotels excel. Hotels of this type use arts work, architecture and decorations sourced from some of the finest regions in the world. You only have to look at hotels such as the Burj Al Arab or the Vincent  to see this. Gold leaf decorations and marble flooring are almost standard in these types of hotel. No expense is spared in this area and in many cases a luxury should be defined by this. Luxury hotels offer the kind of attention to detail that can't be replicated anywhere else. This is because many of its customers will want to return for just that reason.
In essence these types of hotels are individual. They set themselves apart from the masses by the money they spend and how they operate. They make it difficult for others to replicate them and give people reasons to come back again and again. The star rating is a good guideline however it has a very rigid guidelines and criteria which simply don't reflect the true extent of some luxury hotels.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2132617

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