How to Pick a Great Hotel

It was not so long ago that great hotels wowed guests with the latest facilities and most lavish décor. The crème de la crème of hotels, however, have always risen above all that. The best hotels have that distinct personality, even its moods at different times of the year. Originality and grand schemes are not everything. Furthermore, do not cling to luxury hotel chains with their exorbitant price tags.

When next selecting a hotel, simply remember the following:

Passion

The reason why some hotels are so alive is passion. It is amazing that many people in the hotel industry are so disinterested in what they are doing. A dead and lifeless hotel (even with all the trappings) is the result. And in this area, the Italians have that edge above others in living and loving. Once I stayed in a Capri hotel up to the last day before it closed for the winter. The master concierge showed such graceful magnanimity in biding farewell to guests, with the appropriate flourishes, that the hotel, with its dwindling guest population, seemed full of life.

There is no better place to gauge passion than in the kitchen. Passion is what makes the chef prepare basic dishes just right. And it is usually the trivial that gets overlooked in luxury hotels. How I have often despaired at the dismal quality of simple dishes served in hotels: eggs badly cooked, bacon cold and limp, fried rice lacking in 'wok' flavour and so on. I am seldom wrong about this: if they are not capable of getting the basics right, forget about the more complicated items.

Passion is what makes the general manager sit up and ask, 'How can I make my guests truly comfortable?' It is also what makes the receptionist look up with a smile and say to himself, 'What can I do to make this guest happier?'

Once I had dinner at a luxury Bangkok hotel that was part of a reputable international hotel group and had to reject less-than-fresh oysters. There was no real love or care; otherwise, it would never have happened. Years ago, one of Singapore's grand hotels served an English friend tau suan that had gone off completely. It was so piercingly bad in smell that I stopped him before he took his first mouthful. When this matter was raised, the waiter looked visibly offended. Where is the passion, you ask. Where is the tender loving care, I wonder.

Style

So difficult to describe and pin down, style is something many luxury hotels lack today. It encompasses the confidence of a superior establishment and the attitude towards guests which makes them feel special. Style is often in simple acts of kindness. The doorman proffering an umbrella before the guest steps out into inclement weather, the returning of a ring lost in the shower, the clever accommodation of the guest's many requests. Even the ability to say 'no' to the guest can be done with pizzazz. An orchid on the pillow every night after the bed has been turned down, with carpet slippers properly laid out. A personal note from the general manager. The way your luggage disappears upon arrival and magically appears in your room with minimum fuss. The presentation is always critical.

If upon your checking in, the reception is thrown into a loss of self-composure because they cannot retrieve your reservation, you know that style is not present in any great measure here. Room service is another litmus test of style. If the butler carries in a mean looking tray on which your sandwich sits, you know where to stay next time. If they wheel in a trolley beautifully presented even though you have ordered humble wanton noodles, take it from me that there is still hope for the establishment. The ultimate test must be its flowers and plants. A hotel with any artificial flora or fauna should be written off from the style file without hesitation. After all, passion is quite useless if its rough edges are not polished.

Finally, style is invariably reciprocal. If you go into a hotel braying inquiries about rates or waddling about in the wrong attire, do not complain if you get treated like an animal.

Sense and Sensibility

Nothing irks me more than unfulfilled promises and the half-baked excuses that follow.

The hotel directory or brochure promises facilities which the guest discovers are under repair or are just not available any more. The lesson for all hotels is never to create an expectation in the guest which cannot be lived up to. Better for the guest to be pleasantly surprised if the hotel does deliver without first nurturing any hope in him.

In my case, this faux pas was committed when I stayed at a top Singapore hotel which offered in their rooms two tea cups, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and a mini-bar. Having had sight of the cups, I naturally began to nourish an expectation that I would have also use of two teaspoons. There was, however, only one spoon available. When finally I spoke to the Director of Rooms, he told me in his most serious voice that I was not to expect two spoons. Could I use one spoon to stir both cups? What about extra glasses to serve drinks from the mini-bar? Yes, of course, but did you know, sir, that we levy a charge for bringing the glasses to your room? Really, I did not know at that moment in time whether I should have wept or laughed because the ludicrous was so vexing and yet luminously perfect in its comic qualities.

Wrongs Made Right

The hotel is such a complex machinery that it is bound to make some mistakes. This is pardonable provided that the staff takes steps to rectify them. Sweet apologies go very short these days; everyone is saying sorry today and not meaning it.

If you get assigned an unsuitable room, speak up and expect swift action. Otherwise, proceed to strike the hotel from your list. If the tap does not work, ask for repairs and expect them promptly. Nothing is more abhorrent than short delivery of carpet slippers or extra towels after repeated requests. I once had to wait for close to an hour to be checked into a room in a Canadian hotel well-regarded for its service for which I had reservations. No waiting room or lounge was available for resting and no alternate guest room could be opened to accommodate my family. Throughout, the staff were studiously polite and proper. After that, a lame note of apology came from the Assistant General Manager with a totally inadequate plate of fruits (where was the style, I cried aloud) meant to soothe my frayed nerves. For a luxury hotel, be merciless with anything less than the best. And always expect remedial action in time. Otherwise, as they say, talk is cheap, and an apology is even cheaper in comparison to the luxury rates that you pay.

Anything is Possible … Almost

Today, nothing is impossible for hotels. At least, almost nothing. For instance, hotels go to great lengths to satisfy the guest's idiosyncratic shopping list: gibbons, antique furniture, trishaw, mongoose. The excellent hotels do this as a free service. Here, the concierge can make or break the hotel's reputation for he is expected to help the guest in all possible matters. And well, nothing is supposed to be impossible.

If the concierge tells you he is not sure how to catch the public transport to the museum, he has been sleeping on the job. If he cannot get you ready change for the public transport, he should be shipped out with immediate effect. The well-trained concierge makes ready recommendations for restaurants, theatres, sports events and business seminars. He should remember the names of guests and be quick to check flight details for them. A mark of an excellent hotel in Thailand was the tireless and smiling way in which the concierge arranged and re-arranged my travel plans a few times due to unforeseen circumstances.

On top of this, hotels promise bigger and better things in the face of fierce competition. From faxes in hotel limousines, to wireless internet in the room, and special beds with the finest linen and touch-button controls, hotels constantly innovate to outdo their rivals. Expect only top quality toiletries and complimentary services such as laundry and shoe cleaning. Newspapers in a variety of languages should be delivered daily at the guest's choice. Oversized towels and different types of pillows are also de rigeur in today's luxury accommodation.

More of everything is poor comfort if it is not accompanied by a feeling of comfort for the guest. At the end of the day, with a great deal of passion, style, sense and other elements all thrown in, the guest must ask himself, 'Does the hotel care about me? Do I feel comfortable and at ease? Do I want to return?'

Jeffrey Lee