When did posh hotels get SO expensive?
Discussion
OK, so PH warning, the following post contains details of outrageous spending and may upset some individuals.
Anyway, a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6) I was lucky enough to be able to stay in lovely room in a very nice hotel on Lake Como (Villa Serbelloni). Prior to that I had stayed in a few of the truly grand hotels at other towns around the lake. Villa Serbelloni was (IIRC) around £5,000 for a week, which was extremely expensive (for me) and was around double the cost of the other grand hotels.
Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, and for a special occasion I thought, let's go back to Villa Serbelloni. For the same week (mid-September) in a lake view room, it's £16,000! I looked at the other grand hotels (Belvedere, Menaggio, Tremezzo etc) and they start at £10k a week, more if you want lake views etc. I would have thought that they were in danger of pricing themselves out of the market, but if their websites are to be believed, most of these have only 1 room left at that price, some have none.
What did I miss? Is this just an Italian Lakes thing, or are all posh hotels now at this level?
Anyway, a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6) I was lucky enough to be able to stay in lovely room in a very nice hotel on Lake Como (Villa Serbelloni). Prior to that I had stayed in a few of the truly grand hotels at other towns around the lake. Villa Serbelloni was (IIRC) around £5,000 for a week, which was extremely expensive (for me) and was around double the cost of the other grand hotels.
Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, and for a special occasion I thought, let's go back to Villa Serbelloni. For the same week (mid-September) in a lake view room, it's £16,000! I looked at the other grand hotels (Belvedere, Menaggio, Tremezzo etc) and they start at £10k a week, more if you want lake views etc. I would have thought that they were in danger of pricing themselves out of the market, but if their websites are to be believed, most of these have only 1 room left at that price, some have none.
What did I miss? Is this just an Italian Lakes thing, or are all posh hotels now at this level?
greygoose said:
Similar prices for the top London hotels when a friend was looking recently, not even a decent view either and breakfast is extra 
.
London hotels take the mickey with breakfast prices. When I stayed last Thursday, I had breakfast at Fallow for less than the hotel wanted! .FlyingPanda said:
OK, so PH warning, the following post contains details of outrageous spending and may upset some individuals.
Anyway, a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6) I was lucky enough to be able to stay in lovely room in a very nice hotel on Lake Como (Villa Serbelloni). Prior to that I had stayed in a few of the truly grand hotels at other towns around the lake. Villa Serbelloni was (IIRC) around £5,000 for a week, which was extremely expensive (for me) and was around double the cost of the other grand hotels.
Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, and for a special occasion I thought, let's go back to Villa Serbelloni. For the same week (mid-September) in a lake view room, it's £16,000! I looked at the other grand hotels (Belvedere, Menaggio, Tremezzo etc) and they start at £10k a week, more if you want lake views etc. I would have thought that they were in danger of pricing themselves out of the market, but if their websites are to be believed, most of these have only 1 room left at that price, some have none.
What did I miss? Is this just an Italian Lakes thing, or are all posh hotels now at this level?
The only people it will upset are bitter miserable socialists who loathe people being wealthy and enjoying themselves. Anyway, a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6) I was lucky enough to be able to stay in lovely room in a very nice hotel on Lake Como (Villa Serbelloni). Prior to that I had stayed in a few of the truly grand hotels at other towns around the lake. Villa Serbelloni was (IIRC) around £5,000 for a week, which was extremely expensive (for me) and was around double the cost of the other grand hotels.
Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, and for a special occasion I thought, let's go back to Villa Serbelloni. For the same week (mid-September) in a lake view room, it's £16,000! I looked at the other grand hotels (Belvedere, Menaggio, Tremezzo etc) and they start at £10k a week, more if you want lake views etc. I would have thought that they were in danger of pricing themselves out of the market, but if their websites are to be believed, most of these have only 1 room left at that price, some have none.
What did I miss? Is this just an Italian Lakes thing, or are all posh hotels now at this level?
FlyingPanda said:
What did I miss?
Wealth increased for the top few % after Covid so exclusive/posh hotels (among many brands) price themselves into the aspirational/unobtainable bracket.Plus there's been an influx of American tourists to Europe the past 18-24 months who are willing to pay 30% more than Europeans for hotel rooms.
Combine those two and it's a recipe for price rises.
FlyingPanda said:
Hoofy said:
That's all that matters.
And that s the truth of it. If they can fill hotels at £16k a week, but I can t afford it, then it s me that s getting things wrong, not them!craigjm said:
Indeed. I have never really seen the point in expensive posh hotels. Looking for a standard absolutely but for me I am on holiday im not sitting in my room / on the balcony, I am there to sleep so decent bed and shower and if breakfast is outrageous get it somewhere else, I would rather spend my money on experiences in the location. That may include posh restaurants and bars etc but not to sleep as long as a certain standard is met. £300 a night hotel and £13000 in my pocket to spend while there is a much better balance
I have to say this is close to my philosophy too. I'd be around the £300 a night and then only use the hotel for sleeping. This might be impossible to do around Como, no idea.craigjm said:
Indeed. I have never really seen the point in expensive posh hotels. Looking for a standard absolutely but for me I am on holiday im not sitting in my room / on the balcony, I am there to sleep so decent bed and shower and if breakfast is outrageous get it somewhere else, I would rather spend my money on experiences in the location. That may include posh restaurants and bars etc but not to sleep as long as a certain standard is met. £300 a night hotel and £13000 in my pocket to spend while there is a much better balance
I agree. How much time do people spend hanging out in these very expensive hotels whilst awake? What do they offer offer over a mid-price hotel?
So long as they can rent out the rooms at those prices, they will, but I can't imagine that there is any sort of "value for money" in these very high prices.
NDA said:
craigjm said:
Indeed. I have never really seen the point in expensive posh hotels. Looking for a standard absolutely but for me I am on holiday im not sitting in my room / on the balcony, I am there to sleep so decent bed and shower and if breakfast is outrageous get it somewhere else, I would rather spend my money on experiences in the location. That may include posh restaurants and bars etc but not to sleep as long as a certain standard is met. £300 a night hotel and £13000 in my pocket to spend while there is a much better balance
I have to say this is close to my philosophy too. I'd be around the £300 a night and then only use the hotel for sleeping. This might be impossible to do around Como, no idea.MC Bodge said:
craigjm said:
Indeed. I have never really seen the point in expensive posh hotels. Looking for a standard absolutely but for me I am on holiday im not sitting in my room / on the balcony, I am there to sleep so decent bed and shower and if breakfast is outrageous get it somewhere else, I would rather spend my money on experiences in the location. That may include posh restaurants and bars etc but not to sleep as long as a certain standard is met. £300 a night hotel and £13000 in my pocket to spend while there is a much better balance
I agree. How much time do people spend hanging out in these very expensive hotels whilst awake? What do they offer offer over a mid-price hotel?
So long as they can rent out the rooms at those prices, they will, but I can't imagine that there is any sort of "value for money" in these very high prices.
We nearly always have our own pool, and large terrace when not in a large city (NY for example). The room will also be a suite, so will frequently have sitting and dining areas, and often more than one toilet which I think we all would like, am I right?
.It's a home from home.
It doesn't mean we don't leave the 'room' but it does mean we don't have to if we don't want to.
The hotel cost also correlates with the service provided by the hotel which is very important to us.
The old "I only sleep in it, it doesn't matter" is the equivalent of "flying is business is a waste of money".
It's okay to value and prioritise different things, it's also nice to to have to. To the OP, yes prices have gone up a lot over the past 20+ years. It's hit us hard in the UK because it's not correlated to a generally equivalent rise in earnings, or GDP per capita at an economy level.
Nothingtoseehere said:
The old "I only sleep in it, it doesn't matter" is the equivalent of "flying is business is a waste of money". It's okay to value and prioritise different things, it's also nice to to have to.
For me it's the opposite. I'll fly business or first and then stay in a cheap hotel. It's okay to value and prioritise different things, it's also nice to to have to. As you say, priorities.
InitialDave said:
Nothingtoseehere said:
The old "I only sleep in it, it doesn't matter" is the equivalent of "flying is business is a waste of money". It's okay to value and prioritise different things, it's also nice to to have to.
For me it's the opposite. I'll fly business or first and then stay in a cheap hotel. It's okay to value and prioritise different things, it's also nice to to have to. As you say, priorities.
I realise it's very much a PH post. But as you say, it's priorities. If one can have it all then why not...? We're mostly off the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
I think the majority of price increases happened post covid when the world was getting back to normal. I often wonder if anyone has ever tracked hotel prices over the past 10 years but then realise I probably don't want to think about it, because it just makes me cross.
I have deliberately blocked out how much the suite in Vegas cost me last year, but I can still remember getting rinsed $26 for two Starbucks lattes. f
kers still wanted a tip too.
I have deliberately blocked out how much the suite in Vegas cost me last year, but I can still remember getting rinsed $26 for two Starbucks lattes. f
kers still wanted a tip too.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff