Top 10 things that makes a luxury hotel luxurious! 

We love luxury hotels. Whether we are traveling as a couple or a family we always look for somewhere luxurious to stay. But what makes a hotel luxurious?

The bathroom 

Wandermust Daddy and I have very different opinions about what makes a luxurious hotel. For him it’s all about the shower.  For me it’s all about the bath. But we both agree that open bathrooms with a view are the bees knees!

outdoor bathroom, buckingham place

The view 

9 times out of 10 we are staying at a hotel because of where it is. A great luxury hotel is all about location, location, location! It can be a stunning beach view, across mountains or rolling hills. I don’t mind what so long as it’s beautiful

the view at Ndali Lodge

You can read about the amazing Ndali Lodge here

The outside 

And if there is a stunning place you definitely nice outdoor areas to appreciate them.

our private balconies at Kyambura Gorge Lodge

The pool 

After a long day sightseeing you definitely require a nice pool to take a relaxing dip! Even better if it’s private.

the pool at kyambura gorge lodge

It doesn’t have to be michelin starred but it’s got to be good.

the restaurant at Buckingham place

My personal favorite is at the Masseria Il Frantoio. It’s a lovely little hotel with an even better restaurant serving local and seasonal Italian cuisine.

the beautiful terrace at Masseria il frantoio

You can read a full review of the restaurant here 

The spa

After along day trekking, sightseeing or shopping or perhaps just to relax in the first place, a spa is an essential. My favourite was the spa at Kyambora Gorge. Not the most extensive in terms of treatments but after a long day chimp trekking a massage was definitely needed. The experience was made by the thunder storm overhead. No need for relaxing spa music here.

You can read about our Kyambura Chimp trek here 

The bed

The bed can make or break a getaway. If I am getting luxury then I definitely expect a great nights sleep.

Its great when you can customise the pillows to create your perfect sleeping environment like we did at the Westin Excelsior

Baby E enjoying the super comfortable bed at Westin Excelsior

The service 

To us this is the number one thing that can make or break a luxury hotel. The service should be tailored to the hotel type. Present but never overbearing. For us the epitome of good service can be found at Buckingam Place hotel in Sri Lanka. I’ve never been anywhere where all your needs are catered to before you’ve realized you need them.

There is a full review of Buckingham Place hotel here

The unexpected 

But most important, and what truly sets a luxury hotel apart are the little touches that you don’t expect. The welcome gift, the drinks on arrival, the towel sculptures or happy birthday cake – it’s the little things that go above and beyond that make you know you are getting a personal experience that for me make something truly luxurious.

Welcome gift at Westin excelsior

This month the topic is ‘most interesting item you’ve discovered or seen in a hotel room/accommodation’. We can’t wait to see what is unearthed…

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There are no rules – basically all we ask is that you check out some of the other cool bloggers that are involved in that months travel link up; make a few comments here and there and tweet a few of the posts out to your followers that you think they will love. It’s a great way to meet some new travel bloggers and share some blogging joy!