Hello back from sunny, warm Hong Kong!
After staying at the Dusit Princess Srinakarin in Bangkok, I can’t help but think about how the value of hotels has to do with what you actually get.
I’ve stayed at a few big non-chain hotels in the past, and even this year – I’ll take The Bell Phuket, the Treetops Lodge and Estate Rotorua, the Bagan Hotel Umbra and the Dusit Princess Srinakarin, all of which I’ve reviewed (hopefully understandably with exception of the last, which I checked out from last night). The first two are top-level rooms that retailed for HK$7000/night (we got a 65% discount at the former, but still), and the latter two are school booked entry-level hotels that retailed for less than HK$1000 a night.
What are the big takeaway differences I have from these hotels?
Turndown service.
All these are pictures of the hotel rooms when I got back to them, and not when I initially entered the room for the first time.
The Bell Phuket Presidential Pool Villa Bedroom
Treetops Lodge and Estate Rotorua Pheasant Cottage (courtesy Treetops)
Hotel Umbra Bagan Grand Deluxe Room
Dusit Princess Srinakarin Bangkok Deluxe Room
Is turndown service really useful at all (especially without ambient lights)? Probably not at all. But it’s the little things that matter, and I always find it a nice touch. But why do the cheaper business hotels have them, and not the bigger luxury hotels?
I’m actually not really sure why that is, but it’s an interesting thing I really wanted to point out. Not that I expect turndown service at all, but it’s interesting that you get these touches at ~HK$1000 hotels, and not ~HK$7000 ones.
Does anyone have any theories behind this?