What I have learned about hotels after traveling to over 70 countries

When I think of travel, the first thing that often comes to mind is the excitement of landing in a new city. However, I believe, it is the hotels, more than the airlines, that define our travel experience. This is because, unlike the brief time spent in transit, we spend a significant portion of our trips in hotels. Therefore, the essence of hospitality, the comfort, and the quality of service we receive in hotels, significantly impacts our overall travel experience.

Hospitality goes beyond just providing a bed to sleep in. It is about creating an environment where guests feel welcome, valued, and cared for. When someone visits my home, I strive to anticipate their needs and ensure they have everything they need for a comfortable visit. I believe that this principle should be at the heart of every hotel. If I strive to provide an exceptional experience for a guest in my home simply because they are my guest, then this level of care should be expected of a hotel, especially since they are being paid to do so.

The more the rate being charged, the greater the expectation of a flawless hospitality experience. Budget hotels adopt a no-frills approach. They provide the basics – a room, a bed, and some essential amenities.

Luxury hotels, on the other hand, advertise an experience of opulence and indulgence. When a hotel positions itself as a luxury destination, it must deliver on that promise. From impeccable service to high-end amenities, every aspect of the guest experience should reflect what the hotel has publicly stated. For example, if I am selling luxury widgets and charging 5x the price of a normal widget, and I tell the public on my website its because they come in the finest red material, I cannot deliver a green material. That would be misleading at the least, and no one would tolerate that. I believe the same should hold for a hotel which is presenting it itself as a luxury destination. Even the smallest deviation is not excusable.

Based on the above, here are a few things I have learned about hotels after travelling to over 70 countries, and staying in a wide range of price points and brands.

There is a threshold on luxury

While there is a clear difference between a $99/night hotel, a $200/night hotel, a $500/night hotel and so on, in my experience, beyond $1,000 a night, the marginal benefit diminishes. The additional cost does not always translate into a significantly better experience. I believe the magic number sit somewhere in the $500-$800 range. Beyond that, there is not much a hotel can do for you that would justify the additional expense. There are some hotels base in unique settings and other factors involved, but in general, beyond $1,000/night, the expectation is so high that the hotel usually disappoints.

Loyalty Programs: Falling Short

Loyalty programs like Bonvoy are designed to reward frequent travelers. However, these programs often fall short of delivering the benefits they advertise. For instance, to reach Ambassador status with Bonvoy, one must spend 100 nights a year in a Bonvoy property (that’s almost one third of your life in a year) and $23,000. This is a significant commitment. Despite this, I have found that the perks and benefits promised are not always delivered, leading to disappointment.

I used to only book and search Bonvoy properties first, when booking a trip, in order to constantly hit the highest tier possible. However, when I started to feel like the loyalty was not appreciated, I started looking into other hotels. I am glad I did because I started to discover other hotels that I love, that I would not have if I had only stayed with Bonvoy. For example, I recently stayed at the Setai in Miami, and had a flawless experience.

So what is wrong with Bonvoy? For one, the hotels will vary widely in terms of recognizing the stated benefits. Also, the ambassador they assign you cannot really do much for you. For example, if you ask for early check in, they will, 99% of the time, email the hotel and give you a standard boilerplate response. You or your assistant could of done the same thing. Here is a screenshot from the Bonvoy website; the three benefits seen below are advertised largely at the start of the page (with more benefits below these 3):

On the surface, what they are offering looks amazing. In practice, the benefits, other than the 75% bonus, are rarely provided. There is usually a disclaimer that it is depending on availability. Now, I am in business too, and I understand logistics of offering something like “Your24” is difficult. However, I believe that it should not be highlighted like this if it cannot be delivered on. Going back to my widget example: lets say red widgets are highly valuable and I advertise on my site that if you buy 100 green ones, and spend $23,000 doing so, I will allow you to buy a red one. Then, I place a disclaimer that I will only do this subject to availability of the red ones. If you delivered on your end, buying 100 green ones, and spend $23,000 with me doing so, and then I keep telling you that no red ones are available, would this be acceptable? I don’t need a red one every time, but at least once out of every few times I ask, there should be a red one available!

I am going to end this post by giving two examples of recent experiences I had with two different luxury hotels. Starting with one that I believed delivered, and one which I think fell short.

Exemplary Hospitality: The Setai Miami

An example of flawless hospitality can be found at The Setai Miami (Rate paid: $878/night). This hotel sets the bar high with its attention to detail, personalized service, and luxurious amenities (for example, upon checking in, we were pleasantly surprised to find branded caps in two colors, and two sets of each as well as flip flops in the room). Every guest is made to feel special, and the hotel consistently delivers on its promise of luxury and comfort.

I can’t really think of anything negative about the hotel. The customer service and attention to detail was impressive. Even their text messaging system was fantastic. Many hotels have this and you are left to wonder if anyone is actually monitoring the system because of the long response times or unfulfilled requests. At the Setai, they actively reach out to make sure things are going well, and requests are responded to promptly.

If I look at the website for the Setai, regarding service, they say:

“A gem among hotels in Miami, feel inspired by a place where undivided attention is tailored to your unique sensibilities. A place where time-honored philosophies endure and are strongly felt throughout masterful dining, leisure and spa experiences, exceptionally appointed accommodations and immersive spaces.” Further, they promote “service with distinction”. In this case, they delivered 100%. 

Overpromising and Underdelivering: Sandy Lane, Barbados

Conversely, some hotels overpromise and underdeliver. I am now going to review my experience at Sandy Lane in Barbados (Rate: $1,695 – double the Setai).

On their website, they claim “Sandy Lane is widely acclaimed as the most iconic luxury resort in the world” and “Genuine and engaged, the team at Sandy Lane is the embodiment of warm Barbadian hospitality, crafting magical and authentic moments during every stay”. Lets look at how they performed; was it double the experience of the Setai (because it is double the price)?

Rooms

This is where I believe the hotel delivered. The rooms exude “old world” luxury. The tech is great with everything controlled on touch screens. The room was actually nicer than the pictures on their site. The only downside of the room is that the temperature cannot be adjusted below 21 degrees C. Here is a tour of our room:

Location

The location was another area the hotel delivered. The beach, and grounds were gorgeous. This was the view of the sunset from our room, and from the beach:

Food and Beverage

This area was a mixed bag. Lets look at each experience in more detail.

L’Acajou (this one dinner was included in our room rate) – this is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant and it did not disappoint. We had an amazing table overlooking the water from the balcony, near the piano player who was equally amazing. Service was friendly and efficient. The cocktails are a bit on the sweet side but the food was good.

https://videopress.com/v/pHZu68wa?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

The meal started with an amuse:

I then had the king crab which was delicious and well presented.

For my main I had the fish.

Palate cleanser:

…and the souffle to finish…

I would eat here again and recommend.

Room Service – This was another aspect of the F&B that was excellent. Service was fast and good. Food was delicious. We had this upon arrival and had our first meal at the hotel on our balcony. It was a great experience.

We ordered a chicken curry which was totally delicious and local chicken soup which was also good. More on the chunky side so more like a stew than soup, but still good. It was also nice that non-alcoholic drinks from the mini-bar were included.

Bajan Blue – this is the hotel’s more casual restaurant and also where breakfast is served every morning. The service here was not good, and not consistent with a luxury hotel. Breakfast service felt more like what you would get at a large chain hotel. For dinner, it was ok.

Foodwise, breakfast was nothing special and the items offered never changed. Usually, hotel breakfast buffets with rotate at least ONE item daily or offer some local choices. For dinner, a member of their staff had arranged a local dinner for us as we really wanted to try some of the island’s dishes that we were not able to at outside restaurants by the end of the trip.

The only good thing about this restaurant is the setting. This was my view at breakfast.

For the local dinner, we started out with a fried fish that was pretty good.

However, the national dish of cou cou, flying fish, and sides fell short. I think the fish could of used more seasoning and the sauce felt like a canned tomato sauce. The flavors could of definitely been more developed.

The Country Club (one lunch included with rate) – The Country Club lunch we had was excellent. From the service to the setting to the food (however, my wife did not find her food to be good; she had the fish tacos and they were too massive to eat with the hand and the ingredients were inconsistent with a taco), it was a good dining experience.

I started with king crab:

Then snapper…

…and ice cream for dessert…

Afternoon tea (included with rate) – I would rate this experience poor for the food and service, but good for the setting.

In terms of service, it was extremely slow, and by the end of the experience, our server had forgotten about us. Many things had to be requested for more than once, and sometimes they never came at all. For example, there was an overabundance of sweet vs savory items. At every tea time I have been to, you can request more of certain items. I requested more savory items and was informed there would be a charge, which I don’t mind paying for. However, after confirming that I would pay, the items never came! I found it strange that I made the request, the server came back to confirm, and then just never delivered. Same with some other things we had requested.

Also, the food and tea itself was not that great. I would recommend skipping this (unless its included in the room already).

The Beach Bar – This was the worst of all the venues. We sat for a long time without service or anyone acknowledging us, despite everyone else around us getting service. I finally went up to the bar to get menus and was told someone would come to take our order. No one did, so we went back to the bar to place our order. After watching countless others get their food, and drinks, we followed up again and then spoke to management. After that, everything went smoother, but this is not what should happen at the “most iconic luxury hotel” in the world. The hotel comp’ed a couple items but that is not what I am looking for. I don’t mind paying for service, but the provider needs to deliver. To their credit, the food and setting were good. We had the fish and chips, and a gorgeous sunset.

The beach – Service at the beach was also poor. The attendants were slow, and sometimes never came around at all. Even when they saw guests setting up chairs themselves, they would not come over to help. This is not what you want on a vacation centered around the beach. However, the beach itself is gorgeous.

Monkey Bar – the Monkey bar was a mixed experience but good overall. They have nightly entertainment which was fantastic. Service was good for the most part. However, I found it strange that you could not order bar food and eat there, and they did not serve bar snacks.

The Spa

The spa was also a mixed experience. The hard product is fantastic. The gym is well equipped and massive. The spa facilities are amazing with a cold plunge pool, sauna, steam room, and various other amenities available. We had two massages included in our rate. The first was a couple’s massage in a suite. After the massage, we got to enjoy the outdoor jacuzzi.

Where the spa falls short is service. First, no one greets you when you walk by the spa desk. Next, the staff do not escort you ANYWHERE! I have never seen a spa like this. After you check in, they will ask if you know the way! We had to find our way to the changing rooms ourselves. After changing, we had no idea where to wait for our therapists. We had to find the waiting room by asking many different people. After the treatments, we had no idea where to go to get towels, change into bathing suits to enjoy the sauna etc etc etc. Its the worst service I have ever seen at a spa. The massages were ok. One was terrible and the other was average.

Excursions

Included in our rate was a 1 hour snorkel tour. This was fantastic and our guide was amazing.

First, he took us to see turtles and other cool sea life. Then he took us to an amazing shipwreck and there were tons of fish.

Overall, I think this hotel falls short because of their own expectation that they set for guests. When you are telling people that you are the most iconic luxury hotel in the world, and charging $1600+ a night, you have to deliver a flawless experience. I found the staff extremely inconsistent in service level. Some would be amazing, others not so. This is a failure of management training. For example, staff at the front would never greet you as you walk by. This is a smaller hotel where they advertise personalized service. If this is the case, a simple “hello” or “good morning” is in order. Another example is the valet service. They ask you to call down for your car, but every time we did, the car was never there when we came down. Not even once. The valet did not even know about the request. That means that the front desk took the info, but never passed it on. I also found that many of the staff were not genuinely interested in being there. They sort of just checked boxes instead of delivering genuine hospitality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hotels are indeed the definition of hospitality. They have a profound impact on our travel experiences, far more than any other aspect of a trip. Why does all this matter? It matters because if a hotel said “pay this, we provide a clean bed”, then that would be the end of the story. However, if they are holding themselves out as providing “luxury, ambassador service, 24 hour check in etc etc etc”, and charging for it, then we need to hold them accountable for what they are promising.