Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Hotels are judged by the star system--from one star which denotes a no-frills, budget hotel to five stars for the most upscale of accommodations and customer service. A hotel can also be classified as "luxury" or "deluxe" outside of its star rating, based on certain criteria. A "five-star" hotel isn't necessarily synonymous with a "deluxe hotel," although many five star hotels tend to be deluxe hotels. In 2010, the Peninsula Chicago and the Beverly Hills Hotel were named "superior deluxe" hotels by the Hotel & Travel Index.
A deluxe hotel room usually offers an extremely comfortable mattress, the finest bedding, elegant decor and upscale furniture. Room amenities usually include a top-of-the-line television and clock radio. Most of the guest rooms in a deluxe hotel have scenic views.
Unless the hotel is a smaller boutique hotel, a deluxe hotel offers a state-of-the art gym, sauna and business center (with computers, fax machines, and printers for guest use). A deluxe hotel may house an upscale arcade, a room with video games or even a movie screening room, like at the Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, which shows a changing schedule of free films for guests. Many deluxe hotels offer a salon, a spa, childcare services and upscale shopping options.
Most deluxe and luxury hotels offer room service that is either around the clock or keeps extremely late hours. Many deluxe hotels also have one or more cafes, restaurants or bars in the hotel that serve food at late hours. The concierge may also be available 24 hours a day; the front desk is staffed 24 hours a day and the laundry services may offer one-hour turn-around, even at night.
At a deluxe hotel, every staff member is virtually guaranteed to be courteous, attentive and schooled in hotel service. The concierge may offer an array of services, from making reservations at coveted restaurant tables, to offering recommendations for local activities and lending jewelry and accessories to guests.
Virtually everything purchased from most deluxe hotels can be charged to one's guest room and the staff at deluxe hotels may make an effort to learn guests' names. Many deluxe hotels, such as The Four Seasons, offer turn-down services and the housekeeping staff may come by at night with ice for the guest rooms.
Deluxe hotels tend to be more pet-friendly than less upscale hotels. If the hotel doesn't explicitly allow pets, they may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis; what makes luxury hotels unique is that they are frequently painstakingly sensitive to guests' needs and desires. A deluxe hotel may keep a restaurant open late for an elite patron or bring a steak upstairs for a guest's dog.