When you book a room at a 5-star hotel, you expect a certain level of luxury beyond access to unlimited, free coffee. Everything from your mattress and bedsheets to the décor and view play a role in creating a luxurious experience.
Here’s a list of several amenities hotels can offer to create a more luxurious experience for guests.
1. A full-size, wall-mounted bidet
Nothing will leave you feeling cleaner and fresher than a bidet. Every 5-star hotel should have a bidet. Unfortunately, many European hotels and resorts “Americanize” their bathrooms by removing the bidet.
Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have resisted the bidet for centuries. Some say the resistance stemmed from associating bidets with sex and scandal. For instance, American troops stationed in Europe during World War II saw bidets in bordellos and associated them with sex work.
Even after the war, in Britain and the U.S., any form of douching was considered a form of birth control to prevent pregnancy. This made the bidet taboo.
Today, more Americans are getting used to the idea of using a bidet, even if it’s just a water sprayer connected to their toilet seat. For those who have never tried a wall-mounted bidet, staying in a 5-star hotel might convince them to get them for their homes.
In many European countries, a bidet should be considered a standard fixture in a 5-star hotel. However, in America, it would be considered a luxury – provided guests can figure it out.
2. Adjustable beds
Many 5-star hotels have massage beds, but not many have adjustable beds. Adjustable beds, like the Tempur-Pedic brand, are amazingly comfortable and feel luxurious.
Sometimes when you’re in a luxury hotel, all you want to do is read a good book or fall asleep watching television. That’s more comfortable when you have an adjustable bed because you can raise the head to the perfect height. Even the best, most luxurious pillows are no substitute for raising the head of your bed.
3. Memory foam mattresses
A high-quality memory foam mattress can provide a wonderful night’s sleep. Hotels would benefit from having several rooms with memory foam mattresses for guests.
Ideally, hotels could have a few rooms with soft, medium, and firm mattress options. That way, the majority of their rooms come with standard mattresses, since some people can’t settle for firm or soft memory foam mattresses if their preferred option is unavailable.
4. A detachable shower head
You’d be surprised to know how many people just want a detachable shower head. For some reason, it’s common in residential bathrooms, but not in hotels. Some hotels don’t even let you move the shower head. This is why it would be considered a luxury.
The only hotel rooms that seem to have a detachable shower head are the disability-accessible rooms. If you don’t have a legitimate disability, it’s not right to ask for one of these rooms.
Sometimes hotels will rent you an accessible room if you agree to move when someone needs the room. However, hotels should just start putting detachable shower heads in all bathrooms as a standard amenity. To guests, this amenity will be a luxury.
5. Complimentary food and beverages
In most hotels, you have to pay for the snacks and drinks you consume from the room. However, some hotels provide complimentary snacks and beverages for guests – to a degree. Others serve free food all day.
Any hotel that provides complimentary food and drink to guests will make people feel like they are having a more luxurious experience. This could even work for 3-and-4-star hotels.
Guests don’t have to be given expensive wine, champagne, and caviar to feel luxurious. Sometimes a $10 bottle of wine and some cheese is enough.
6. Food delivery service
There’s room service and then there’s food delivery service. Hotels obviously can’t staff people to run food errands all day and night for their guests, but they can partner with local restaurants to ensure their guests can get hot food delivered right to their doors.
Many hotels already do this, but some are lagging behind. Room service is great, but when guests want a pizza or Chinese food from a local restaurant, they’re not always going to feel like leaving their room. Plus, getting your car out of valet parking can be a pain when you just need to drive a few blocks.
All hotels will benefit from luxury upgrades
All hotels, including discount hotels, will benefit from upgrading the amenities offered to guests. Guests enjoy luxury, and if you can create that feeling, they’ll remember the experience and book the same hotel next time.
