Luxury, mid-range and budget hotels offer more than just a roof and a bed. Our readers' favorite hotel amenities are described: In-room internet access wins!
The July poll here at Luxury and Resort Travel asked, what is your favorite hotel amenity? The voters have answered, and the poll has been closed. Many have voted, some with serious intent, others, less so.; I suppose that's what we deserve when we offer a "funny answer" option. The votes have been counted, and the results have been analyzed by a panel of expert statisticians (read: Me.) What can we tell from the results? What are this column's readers most favorite hotel amenities?
Coming in first place, is "in-room internet access." At 41.18% of the votes, this option received more than double the votes of any other poll choice. It used to be that only business travelers packed their laptops, but these days it's rare to see families or even romantic couples leave their computers at home. Free Wi-Fi helps keep in touch with important people while you're away, and the internet also has stored a wealth of information regarding local events and lists of great restaurants wherever you are. The desire to access local info is easily understandable!
Second place goes to "24-hour room service," with 17.65% of voters wanting the luxury of chowing down any time of the day (or night). Now, for me, I like having the option of room service, even if I rarely use it. All I want in the morning is some coffee and cereal, who wants to pay twelve bucks for that? But then, after a long day of outdoor activities, be it hiking to petroglyphs or surfing at the beach, sometimes we're just too pooped to go out for dinner. Room service and a mellow evening is often the perfect solution.
In third place, with 15.69% of the votes, is "clean sheets, is all I'm asking!" It seems that a certain amount of our readers here in the Outdoor Adventure section are true outdoor adventurers. This poll choice is for those of you who are used to roughing it to the extent that a crisply made bed, with comfy pillows instead of a pile of leaves, is considered a luxury!
Fourth place, "satellite, flat-screen TV" received 13.73% of the votes. The relatively low ranking of this choice suggests that tourists, even luxury travelers who intend to relax, don't like to spend too much time holed up in their hotel room watching movies. Why do this, when you could be outside experiencing real life instead? One person who did vote for satellite television as her favorite hotel amenity mentioned that for her, the real treat is in the extra channels. If she gets enough exposure to all those extra channels, I think she'll realize that they're all just playing reruns of Law & Order. And Spanish soap operas.
In fifth and last place is "trustworthy babysitting and/or pet care." With just 11.76% of voters choosing this option, it seems that either we A) prefer to leave our kids and pets at home or B) vacation with our families (pets incuded), and that means exactly what it sounds like; quality family time. I agree with this low ranking. My family leaves our pets at home (kinda hard to travel with a hamster anyway), and we enjoy watching our children experience new places for the first time. Try it: You may find that you appreciate your vacation spot even more, when viewed through the eyes of your child.
Hotel amenities come in many forms. If you consider a dry floor and a roof above your head a luxury, all the power to you. Your life must be exciting and adventure-filled. However: If what you need to feel like you're treating yourself is an on-call concierge, towel warmers and that lovely little after-dinner mint on your pillow after turn-down service, well, hello sister! Just be sure you make your reservation at the right hotel for your own personal vacation style.
Copyright Jennifer Miner and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
The copyright of the article Favorite Hotel Amenities in Luxury Travel is owned by Jennifer W. Miner. Permission to republish Favorite Hotel Amenities in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I admit it - my vote would go to our second place winner, 24-hour room
service. Not so much for breakfast, which is really a giant rip-off in my
opinion, but just knowing room service there as an option is relaxing.
Can't get a reservation at the chic hotel restaurant? No prob; we'll just
order in! How about you?
Jul 25, 2006 9:11 PM
Jill Florio
:
Internet access, preferrably WIFI and free. I hate paying for my
internet..and I will choose a budget hotel with WIFI over a luxury one
without most of the time.
I have never been on a luxury trip
for vacation purposes (not since I was a kid and my parents took me), so
it's hard for me to answer that one right off...even if I have the option
of room service, I don't order in b/c the prices are higher than they are
in the dining room.
Amenities I like besides WIFI - a fitness
center, they accept pets, it has a courtyard or hot tub or sauna, and
hopefully has a common area with coffee in it.
Jul 26, 2006 1:36 PM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
Interesting comment; thanks for putting so much thought into it. From what
I've seen, when a hotel has internet at all, it's been free, regardless of
the relative "star-rating" of the hotel. The weirdest internet
experience I've had while traveling was in Italy, because the keyboards are
different and it took a lot of concentration to type! :) That may be one
reason why wi-fi isn't my #1 favorite hotel amenity (although clearly I'm
in the minority here).
Jul 26, 2006 4:28 PM
Jill Florio
:
Nope, usually the WIFI in nicer hotels ain't free. It's annoying as hell.
Some charge by the 24 period, some by the stay and some have other creative
ways to nickle and dime the guest. it costs nothing to let others use your
WIFI (you only pay to have broadband...it already broadcasts). I refuse to
pay since I only select a hotel that won't bother me with extra fees.
The luxury hotels that I have traveled to as part of business
travel or conventions stays usually charge.
Funnily enough,
it's the cheaper hotels like Hotel 6 and Best Western that offer free WIFI.
So they get my business. Smart move on their part. :)
PS: I am a
cheap b@st@rd. Too used to being broke. :(
Jul 27, 2006 4:11 PM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
Wow, it wounds like you and I have had some different hotel-and-internet
experiences! I've only stayed at one convention center-type of hotel since
Wi-Fi was created (in San Diego), and that was the only place for me that
had the audacity to charge for internet service. Maybe convention centers
are more oriented to squeezing every last dime out of their guests? I'm
not sure. But the resorts and fancy joints I've been in never have
charged. Next time you're headed somewhere, why don't you email me here
and I'll see what I can find for you that has free Wi-Fi
<b>and</b> all the other extras you like! :) Jen
Jul 27, 2006 9:56 PM
Alan Sorum
:
My vote would be for good, high speed internet access. We were in Europe
during June and had good luck finding connections. I have run into few
hotels here in Alaska that charge fro WiFi. We even had a WiFi system
installed in my marina.
Jul 28, 2006 9:43 AM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
Your preference, for high speed internet access, sure puts you in with good
company! I may have to rethink my "room service" choice...Nah!
But in any case, the idea of Wi-Fi at your marina sounds great. Pretty
different from my childhood, when the only thing "installed" at
the marina near me was, I believe, a strong odor of rotting fish. :) Jen
Jul 28, 2006 11:07 AM
Jill Florio
:
that's pretty cool that your marina has WIFI. :) I love finding stuff like
this. My local all-purpose park (both ball fields, beaches and hiking
trails) has free wifi across the park. That's nice since I can get work
done while watching Dan and his microsoft cronies kick a soccer ball
around.
Public libraries usually have free WIFI, plus all
paneira bakeries (you can access it from your car in the parking lot even
after they are closed). Plus a ton of coffeeshops (although "name'
places like Starbucks, Tullys and Seattle's Best charge you for it).
I have also found many truck stops and highway rest areas are now
more and more often offering free wifi - a real boon for road travel. :)
Exciting times!
Jul 30, 2006 10:10 PM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
It sounds like free Wi-Fi is becoming almost ubiquitous! Perhaps the
wishes of "the people" have been heard, and answered! ..But not
in my home town, unfortunately. The only free wireless internet is in our
library.
Jul 24, 2006
