Hotel rooms… what do you really get for your money?
The Thos. Moser Suite
Harraseeket Inn, Freeport, Maine, USA
Firstly, not even one whole day!
Some hotels won’t let you check in until 4pm and check out is generally at 10am. That’s only 18 hours. Others are more generous and you’ll be able to check in at 2pm and leave at 12pm, but that’s still only 22 hours.
What happens to those extra 2-4 hours you’ve paid for? They don’t exist.
However, if you are savvy, you can sometimes get more than 24 hours. Recently, I arrived at a (very glamorous) hotel in New York City at 9am, intending to leave my bags and come back to check-in that afternoon, but they let me into my room there and then. I was also granted an extended 2pm checkout for the next day.
That’s a whopping 29 hours at no extra charge. Naturally, this is not the norm, but you never know if you never ask.
Secondly, you generally get four walls, a bed and (maybe) a bathroom.
Stay in budget accommodation in NYC and you might not even get the bathroom, which is what happened to me the next day! A definite and brutal come down. However, if you are lucky enough to get a suite, you’ll could also get a small wet bar with fridge and/or microwave and a sofa; ie. all the comforts of home.
Thirdly, the more expensive the hotel the less you get.
Budget-moderate (1-3 star*) accommodation generally comes with more included than a luxury hotel. You can reasonably expect free on-site self-parking, free WIFI, free breakfast and access to a coin-operated guest laundry. The breakfast may be anything from a packaged muffin and a Styrofoam cup of instant coffee to a sit-down, hot buffet breakfast.
However, you’d be lucky to get WIFI included, let alone anything else, with an executive-luxury (4-5 star) hotel.
This has never made sense to me. How can a budget hotel offer all of the above for between $60-120/night? When a four or five star charging upwards of $300/night will charge you extra for absolutely everything (…and don’t get me started on mini-bar prices!)
I’ve had it explained to me that if you can afford the premium you can also afford the extras. AKA If you have to ask the price you can’t afford it! I suppose that’s true, but why should you have to pay extra?
This is where joining the club comes in handy.
When deciding which loyalty program to join it’s good to know what you’ll get. Almost all hotels chains offer free memberships that net you points and can also provide perks when you stay. However, the big boys aren’t the only ones worth joining. Some of the smaller, more boutique brands are keen to get you in and keep you happy.
For instance, Fairmont President’s Club, Kimpton’s InTouch and Omni’s Select Guest offer free internet for all members – this could save you upwards of $15/day – and you can join on the spot and get the benefits immediately. Kimpton gives mini-bar, bar and spa vouchers, depending on the property. Fairmont offers member’s spa discounts and free shoe-shines. Omni gives you complimentary water, coffee delivery and pressing services. It pays to read up on the chain’s membership offers. Another upside is that some cards let you accrue the points to your preferred mileage program instead.
So, if you are smart, you can work the system, instead of letting the system work you, and get more bang for you buck even if you still only get your room for 18 hours.
*Ever wondered who created the whole hotel rating system? Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide, is credited with launching its star rating system in the USA in 1958. However, this is by no means a global system nor are the standards relating to them. Three-star accommodations can vary a lot between one European country and other and may even only make the level of an American two-star establishment. It’s sometimes not even worth bothering with the star system in certain countries.