What the Best Hotels Have In Common

According to the Forbes Travel Guide (formerly the Mobil Travel Guide), the best hotels (luxury hotels) are four (4) and five (5) star hotels – despite the hype regarding six and seven star hotels. It’s true, while each hotel strives to be unique there are some things the best hotels have in common:

They all carry the term upscale out of this stratosphere. They are all quite expensive. They are all spectacularly lavish in their own right and feature furnishings and artwork that rival some museums and private collections.

• The word that could best describe the overall environment of the best hotels is luxurious. Each facet of the stay – room/suite, spa, and restaurant(s) provides an elegant and pampered experience. Lush linens and bedding, thick carpets, fresh flowers, state of the art electronics, telephones in bathrooms and music in showers, flowing drinks and menus designed to make taste buds beg for mercy at every meal, are the expected norm.
• The service is beyond impeccable. In the best hotels there is no question - the guest is always right, and he/she is provided the best service from reservation through departure. No desire is too trivial to be deemed unimportant, nor too complicated not to be executed with seeming ease and graciousness.
• From arrival through departure the experience is flawless. The staff knows their jobs and executes them to perfection. Needs are anticipated, surroundings are secure, private and inviting and only the best is ever placed on display. Whims and desires are typically only a request away, and everything is held in the utmost of confidence.

Due to the Forbes travel guide, the homework has already been done. You can rest assured that all five star hotels share the same personalized service, attention to detail and exemplary accommodations. They will go above and beyond to ensure that your stay is a euphoric experience, and you return again and again.

Instead of asking what the best hotels have in common, perhaps you should ask what amenities, personalized services, special spa treatments, entertainment features, and unusual decor and furnishings these five star wonders have that will set them apart, and make your stay a completely unique adventure.