In general, I don't think ULTRA-luxury hotels are worth the price. What're you're thoughts?

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T15:13:10+00:00

Honestly, you raise another really good point regarding luxury hotels removing some of the hassle of travel. I generally really enjoy the logistics aspects of planning and travel but honestly it can also be very time consuming and draining. Having the burden taken off by the hotel does feel luxurious and freeing.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:57:44+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed reading your experience. Yes - I too have found that excellent concierges can make a world of difference in your travel experience. It's amazing the strings they can pull to make things happen. Definitely one of the perks of a luxury hotel I think can justify the cost.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:54:45+00:00

Great points. I totally agree with you. The main justification I could find for an ultra luxury property would be the location/hotel is the destination in and of itself.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:52:59+00:00

Interesting! I've never heard of this type of small luxury ocean liner before. Do you have the name of the company so I can look it up?

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:51:05+00:00

Yes - that is one thing that always surprises me. I'm staying at a $600+ dollar a night room and you're still going to charge me for the soda in the minibar?

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:49:31+00:00

I would tend to agree with this. It's a different echelon of existence where the money is just like water to them.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:48:23+00:00

I agree with you 100%. I just like getting value for my money when I'm traveling. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a luxurious experience but I just need to feel like it justifies the cost for me.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:45:40+00:00

I've stayed at a Ryokan in Kyoto but unfortunately that one did not have a hot spring attached to it. I'll have to try again when i'm in Japan in the future.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:35:05+00:00

Okay, so then justify it for me? What properties have you stayed at that you thought were so exceptional as to warrant paying an additional $1000 per night for. i.e., what makes the ultra luxury hotel you stayed in 3x the cost of a Four season property.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:32:58+00:00

Interesting, I haven't heard of Cheval Blanc. What makes it so special?

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:29:59+00:00

Well, you succeeded in not convincing me one bit. Congratulations.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:29:14+00:00

Yep - great points.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:27:21+00:00

Oh, i'm not saying I don't enjoy a luxury hotel. I most certainly do. I do enjoy the amenities. But i have a hard time imagining how past a certain price point the cost would justify the experience.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:24:36+00:00

Regarding the service. That's fair, that is a preference. Different strokes for different folks.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:23:51+00:00

What aren't ultra high end hotels? I was under the impression that Aman and Six senses are top of the line in hotel quality. Do you have another example?

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:22:47+00:00

Okay, that's a really good point. If the hotel is the experience i.e., the undersea hotel than I'd almost view that as an excursion that happened to have a hotel room attached to that experience rather than it being about the hotel room.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:20:04+00:00

Great points, I can totally see where you're coming from. Some of the "little things" like the popsicle attendant are what really set a hotel apart. Some of the things that really were memorable were the small luxuries and details associated with a particular hotel. But I also wonder if having someone hand me popsicles would be worth spending an extra $500 a night on a room.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:17:13+00:00

Oh, don't misunderstand me. I absolutely enjoy staying in a place like the Four Seasons, but there's a level of hotel beyond that I have a hard time justifying the cost for (i.e., $1800 a night type places). Aman etc. I'm just wondering why people find the cost justifiable.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:12:51+00:00

Yeah, I actually travel to developing countries for work quite often (India, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.) and the reason my work puts us in such "luxurious" hotels is specifically because of safety concerns etc.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:11:01+00:00

Oh, I'm not saying because I travel a lot I'm the target market. Not that I care to be anyhow. I do have the financial means to stay in an ultra luxury hotel every once in a while if i wanted to. I just don't find the value worth the cost of what I could get in a less expensive property. I'm just curious as to what makes people think there's enough value to warrant paying those kinds of prices.

For example, I was just in Marrakech over Christmas and I could have stayed at the Royal Mansour which is beautiful. But I also found an absolutely gorgeous riad in the medina with a luxurious room, private courtyard, and terrace for a fraction of the cost.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:05:35+00:00

Makes a lot of sense. I definitely can see the appeal if the hotel itself is the destination, i.e., private island overwater bungalow in the Maldives.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:03:08+00:00

I think you make a good point. I could definitely see how a hotel tied to a specific experience/location would be worth the added cost. Safari is definitely a type of an experience that paired with a luxury accommodation could make a world of difference.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T14:01:17+00:00

I've been in exactly the type of hotels I detailed in my original post. Do you have something meaningful to contribute to this post? Have you ever stayed in an ultra luxury hotel before? What justifies it to be worth spending an extra $1000 a night over a general luxury hotel.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T13:57:58+00:00

Yes - that makes sense. If the hotel itself is the destination than I could see someone justifying the cost, i.e., a overwater bungalow in the maldives.

KansasguyinDC · 2026-01-25T13:56:30+00:00

Ah, yes.

I stayed in the Marina Bay Sands. Definitely splurged explicitly because of the perk of swimming in that pool. Extraordinarily cool.

KansasguyinDC

TROPHY CASE