Upscale Fancy Shmancy Hotels :-p

[medpedspouse]

Just wondering what your thoughts are regarding places like the Ritz, Four Seasons and the like.

They are definitely upscale with a price to match. I also do not mind tipping everyone and their dog or duck master. What bothers me is that they charge for every.thing. Internet is $14-19 a day. Water $8!! Why is it that cheap hotels give this for free? I dont get it - just charge me an extra $25-30 for the room and give me free wifi already. Being nickled and dimed is a downer. At every conference where I have to stay at the hotel, I always make a trek to the corner store for water. I never have to do that at Fairfield or Hampton type of joints AND I even get free coffee and breakfast.

Does anyone know why the upscale hotel business model is this way? Maybe if I was a person that is loaded and money not an issue, I would not notice that wifi is not free...is that it?

[JDAZ11]

That pisses me off too! The breakfasts are the worst. $30 for room service coffee. Like $65-90 if you are dumb enough to actually order room service breakfast.


I always bring food, and almond milk (even internationally) for breakfast. I call and ask for a fridge ahead of time if I don't think stuff will fit in the mini fridge.

My mom thinks it's absurd that I have no problem paying for a four seasons or st regis etc, but I pack my own food. Ha!

Some of the water is usually free - we just refill water bottles at the gym or spa. (Oh which is also a great place to grab fruit if you're traveling internationally). Ok I have problems 😳

[JDAZ11]

The wifi thing SUCKS too. And now I've been noticing that they offer two rates - one slow, one fast. So lame.

[bokelley]

The wifi thing SUCKS too. And now I've been noticing that they offer two rates - one slow, one fast. So lame.

That does seem to be a newish thing. That just happened to me in Boston. I was not happy.

[diggitydot]

If available, seek out hotels attached to casinos. Room rates are better (they make their money on the casino floor, not the rooms) and they tend to have GREAT customer service because they want you to stick around and get into the casino.

[SoonerTexan]

Once I got upgraded to a 4 star on Priceline from my preferred 3 star and was pissed. Embassy Suites and Hyatt Place all the way

[medpedspouse]

If available, seek out hotels attached to casinos. Room rates are better (they make their money on the casino floor, not the rooms) and they tend to have GREAT customer service because they want you to stick around and get into the casino.

If I get to choose, I am ok. It is when conferences/workshops are in these "upscale" hotels that is annoying.

[spaz]

Wouldn't know..haven't ever stayed at an upscale one... Doesn't make any sense to me!

[Deebs]

The type of hotel you're describing caters to business travelers. The hope is that people not paying for the room (but staying there) won't care. We love Marriott because DH travels there often enough that, if there is an extra fee, it's nearly always waived.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

It pisses DH off royally. We always do 3.5 star hotels because the jump to 4 means $$$$ for crap!

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

As a biz traveler, I don't mind, I'm not paying for it anyway. We don't stay there when it's not paid for. Although, a lot of times there are corporate rates so it actually ends up cheaper for clients than if we paid full freight at a 3 star.

[JDAZ11]

I actually don't find that most people staying at the four seasons or fairmonts (I've never stayed at a ritz Carlton) are business travelers. I do, however, agree that at the st regis people are either traveling for business or using their spg points. I guess we usually tend to choose st regis when we are traveling for work since we get spg points, so maybe we only stay at the other ones when we are on a resort vacation.

We still get annoyed with the internet charges when traveling for work. The coffee thing really bothers us too (work always pays for them, but we're usually nervous they won't and feel it would just be easier to increase the room price, give us free internet and a nespresso.).

On a related note, the tipping thing is out of control at some of the hotels, and at others people have refused our tips - usually at the four seasons. But I got hurt while staying at a st regis and was so f'ing pissed that I had to tip every time I needed ice (which was at least once an hour). It is just impossible to travel with that many small bills.

On resorts we usually tip pretty big the first day, and people are pretty great about taking care of us for the rest of the week.

But I really applicate hotels that charge a "resort fee" and then prohibit tipping. It's far more relaxing.

[medpedspouse]

I get reimbursed but I do not have an unlimited travel budget so the more I spend at place A the less I will have later.

When traveling on vacay we prefer B&Bs and Boutique hotels. You get the attention, linens, service, etc. of an upscale hotel without the nickle and diming.

Yes, tipping is ridiculous. At least our bellhop got us ice before he left our room.

[JDAZ11]

Upscale Fancy Shmancy Hotels :-p

DH's travel budget is also limited, but thankfully he hardly gets to go to conferences since he's the "new" guy. I don't travel at all for work anymore, but when I did, there was never any budget. It was a very strange setup where the company our client did deals with paid all the fees - including travel, meals when working late, cars home etc. No one ever cared, it was nice ☺️

[medpedspouse]

It pisses DH off royally. We always do 3.5 star hotels because the jump to 4 means $$$$ for crap!

This is sooo true! I went with DH to San Francisco for a conference and then added a few days afterwards in healdsburg. The SF upscale hotel (intercontinental) nickled and dimed us plus the room was very basic.

The only vacancy I could find in Healdsburg was at the best western. Wow! We had our own balcony/outside eating area, giant tub separate from the shower (I am a shower person but this was impressive), a docking place to attach our phone and stream pandora or our music, free breakfast, parking and wifi. Oh-and the room was giant.