Luxury hotels for travelers can be a great option, but there are also drawbacks as far as we're concerned. It's a little hard to define the pluses and minuses because what might be a plus for you could be something that would turn another traveler off.
Luxury hotels will probably be the most expensive option for holiday accommodation. They're great for business people on an expense account, but harder on the average travel budget. One thing to consider here is that when the global economy takes a downturn, these luxury places suffer along with everyone else. They start offering discounted rates or upgrades.
So if you'd love to stay in a luxury hotel, but you think your budget just wouldn't allow it... you might want to check for special offers before you settle for something less. Another way to save is to head for these places on weekends or holiday periods when the business people who generally occupy them are home or on holiday themselves.
Most of the time you will find those luxury hotels in cities. They offer a uniformity... You know exactly what you're going to get. They will have phones and TVs and Internet connections. (Though interestingly enough, those Internet connections often come at a surprisingly high price!)
You will get lots of lotions and shampoos and luxury fluffy towels. There will be a restaurant in the hotel... sometimes two or three. You'll get front desks that are staffed 24/7 with multilingual desk clerks, and you'll get a concierge and doormen.
Maybe you opt for that luxury place because you want that central location. Even if you're the type of traveler who prefers small local places with lots of cultural immersion... once in a while, a luxury place can make for a nice refuge from the chaotic streets of a foreign city... and a little break from diving right into the local culture.
The uniformity and sheltered feeling are also among the downsides of staying in a luxury hotel. Aside from costing you more than staying in a small local hotel would... luxury hotels DO cushion you from the culture that you traveled to see... maybe too much. That really nice room could be anywhere in the world.... That uniformity can be a little TOO much the same.
Our advice is if you find it expedient to stay in a hotel like this... at least get out on the street for lunch and dinner. They might have a great restaurant, but you'll get something much more authentic, and probably more reasonably priced, in a restaurant down the street among the locals.
Most of these hotels do not include breakfast in the price of the room, but they do have coffee and tea in your room... So grab a cup as you get dressed in the morning, then skip the expensive breakfast buffet and wander out onto the street to find breakfast. Stand up at a pasticceria (a pastry shop) in Italy for cappuccino and biscotti...
Find a little local restaurant in Budapest, grab a table outside and order Kifli (a traditional Hungarian pastry) with cheeses, cold cuts or jam and honey... Have a Danish pastry and coffee in Denmark. Anything local will cost you less and be more fun.
Luxury hotels serve a great purpose for all kinds of travelers at different times during their travels... look at your itinerary and travel goals, and decide when one works for you.
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