20 Surprisingly Free Things Tourists Can Find In These Luxury Hotels
One of the perks of staying at a hotel on a vacation is checking out your room to see what type of free amenities the hotel offers. If you are lucky, you may score a few bottles of refrigerated water, some nice travel sized lotions, and a miniature sewing kit. You can always call the front desk if you forget your toothbrush or razor if you really want to feel spoiled. But beyond these basic necessities, you are likely out of luck if you forget something more valuable at home. That is, unless you are staying at a luxury hotel that tries to go above and beyond the regular hotel experience to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Why not call the fragrance butler to sample the latest in high-end perfumes and colognes? Or ask for a night time treat for your children to help them easily fall asleep in an indoor tent along with some hot chocolate? While some of the hotels are on the high end scale, a few hotels in the more affordable range are beginning to offer perks for their guests to make vacations even more enjoyable. Check out 20 hotels that offer unbelievable free perks for their guests ranging from the practical to the absurd.
20 MANGROVES SAFARI: FOUR SEASONS LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA
This beautiful resort is located among a tropical rain forest and is surrounded by stunning cliffs at the edge of the Andaman Sea. With natural beauty at every corner, the private beachfront villas with exclusive plunge pools probably seem like enough of a perk to spend your hard earned money on for an overnight stay. However, if you want to explore the area, guests can also enjoy a guided Mangrove and Eagles Safari offered exclusively to guests, twice a day. Take in the views of cliffs that are over 500 million years old, observe the monkeys, walking fish and other creatures as you explore the mangroves with a group, or for even more exclusivity, on your own.
19 FREE DRINKS: GRAND VELAS RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO
All-inclusive resorts are great for laid back vacations with unlimited food, drinks and endless entertainment options. Most all-inclusive resorts offer similar perks for guests to enjoy, including multiple restaurants to choose from, water sports, sugary drinks, beachfront locations and planned excursions for an additional fee. At Grand Velas Riviera Maya, the luxury resort takes it one step further and welcomes each guest with a bottle of artisanal tequila that is made specifically for resort guests by the founders of the infamous Don Julio brand. Guests are of course welcome to enjoy tequila at the many bars, but a customized bottle waiting in room adds a special touch to the stay.
18 PUPPIES: INK48, NEW YORK CITY
Vacations are great, but for pet lovers can sometimes cause a bit of stress when making care arrangements for your furry friends. If you decide to bring your pet along with you, Ink48 is an inclusive space where all pets are welcome, in every room, and even in dining rooms. For the ultimate perk, however, you can always satisfy your craving for a comforting friend by visiting the hotel’s resident dog. When visiting New York, you will have the pleasure of meeting the Director of Pet Relations, Sadie, a Shitzu breed you can take for a walk when missing your pet while visiting.
17 GOLD IPAD: BURJ AL ARAB, DUBAI
If you are lucky enough to stay at the self-proclaimed 7- star hotel in Dubai, you may not be as impressed as we are with the complimentary 24 carat gold iPad that is available to you as a guest. You can use it while you look out to the sea from your marble floored apartment, while your personal butler attends to your needs. If Dubai traffic is too hectic, the helicopter landing pad atop the hotel is available for your reservation as well. And, if you want to take the iPad home after your stay, you just need to shell out $10,000 and be on your way!
16 COOKIES, MASSAGES AND YOGA: L’HORIZON RESORT AND SPA, PALM SPRINGS
A visit to the chic boutique hotel in Palm Springs comes with a lot of history. The prime location made the resort a hot spot for celebrities in the 50s and 60s attracting stars such as Marilyn Monroe and even U.S. presidents. After a renovation, the resort now boasts private bungalows each with their own private pool and outdoor showers (who wants to shower indoors, with beautiful scenery awaiting outside). If you head to the pool you can enjoy complimentary hand massages, and return to cookies on your bed as part of turn down services. The resort offers complimentary poolside yoga classes every Saturday as well to burn off some of the cookies!
15 UNPACKING SERVICE: FOUR SEASONS, LAS VEGAS
There are two types of people in this world. Some will unpack their suitcase the second they arrive at their destination, hanging everything in the limited closet space in most hotel rooms. Most others will choose to forgo any type of unpacking and live out of a suitcase for the duration of their stay. If you visit the Four Seasons in Las Vegas, you can choose to live like the select organized few with the complimentary unpacking service upon check-in (if you book the Presidential Strip-View). Imagine arriving at your hotel and having someone else organize and unpack your clothes while you explore the strip from the view right in your living room!
14 MASSAGES: BODY HOLIDAY, SAINT LUCIA
When you think of all-inclusive resorts, you often think about endless food, watered down drinks and poolside activities. While it is certainly nice to not have to worry about paying for your food and drinks throughout your vacation, the additional excursions and leisure activities can quickly add up. At the exclusive Body Holiday all-inclusive resort, you won’t have to worry about whether you should splurge on a spa treatment- one 55 minute treatment is included in every day of your stay. You can choose from treatments available at their beautiful on-resort spa and then relax by the meditation pavilion or partake in the other free activities including yoga, tennis, or diving- making this a truly inclusive resort.
13 BONFIRE ASSISTANT: HYATT REGENCY, HUNTINGTON BEACH
Sitting around a bonfire and making smores is a tradition for many campers. At the Hyatt Regency, you can enjoy the comfort and luxury of a beachside resort in a Spanish style hotel in a California beach town. In addition to the free perks such as rental bikes and shuttle service, you can have your own bonfire butler scope out the beach for the perfect campfire spot. The butler will start your bonfire for you, provide blankets and pillows for comfort and hand over your supplies for the smores. Who wants to be lugging around logs for a campfire on vacation anyways- a bonfire butler is the way to go.
12 USE OF LUXURY VEHICLE: BALBOA BAY RESORT, CALIFORNIA
A drive down the Pacific Coast Highway in California is unlike any other. It is often listed as one of the most scenic drives in the U.S. and for good reason. For some, the road trip would be even better in the Maserati that is made available to guests who book the Coastal Riviera Luxury Experience at the Balboa Bay Resort in California. The breathtaking resort is situated on a 15 acre waterfront property and offers select guests the exclusive use of its Maserati to enjoy a day of joyriding around the coast. If luxury vehicles aren’t really your thing, you can stay in the resort and go for a swim in the Olympic size pool as well and take your pick between a luxury car or a luxury room!
11 PERSONALIZED SHOPPING: THE MARK HOTEL, NEW YORK
Manhattan’s Upper East Side is synonymous with high-end shopping and fashion. If you can afford a stay in one of New York’s most sought after locations, you most likely can afford to shop at some of the exclusive brands available for visitors to peruse. At the Mark Hotel, the shopping experience is made easy with the availability of pedicabs that will transport you directly to Bergdorf Goodman at almost any time of the day. If you want to avoid the crowds you will have exclusive access to the store before or after hours, and if you are reserved in a hotel suite, you are gifted a $500 gift card to splurge.
10 CUSTOMIZED PLAYLISTS AND GUITARS FOR RENT: VARIOUS HARD ROCK HOTELS
The Sound of your Stay program at all Hard Rock Hotels offers a completely customized music experience for you and your guests to jam out to. The hotel offers curated lists based on your favorite genre or musical artists and allows you to select and create your own playlists during your stay. If listening to music is too mellow for you, you can reserve one of 20 guitars that come complete with headphones and a floor amplifier to create a mini studio right in your hotel room. Rock out with your own music or your own playlist- without worrying about your neighbors asking you to turn the music down!
9 HOT CHOCOLATE AND TENTS FOR KIDS: KIMPTON RIVERPLACE HOTEL, PORTLAND
A nightcap is nice for the adults, but every parent knows that ensuring the kids are happy while on vacation is essential to a stress-free vacation experience for all. At the Kimprton River Place Hotel, parents can literally rest assured with their Bedtime Butler program that offers children hot chocolate and bedtime books before they hit the sack. To make the experience even smoother, the hotel offers tents so kids can camp out in their hotel room, complete with floor cushions, sleeping bags and night lights. The parents aren’t completely left out – the butler will also bring bourbon or hot tea for the adults in the room- keeping parents and kids both happy.
8 GROCERY SHOPPING AND FRIDGE STOCKING: HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON
Apartment style hotels offer more of a home-like feel than the average hotel room. Most suites offer a separate living room space and a small kitchen with appliances so you can actually store food and not have to eat out at unhealthy restaurants or takeout for the duration of your stay. At Homewood Suites, you can enjoy your vacation and not have to worry about lugging home your groceries to cook a nice homecooked meal. Simply provide your list of groceries to the concierge and return to your suite for a fully stacked fridge, at no extra cost!
7 BASKET OF GOODIES: THE LAYLOW, OAHU, HAWAII
When arriving at this beautiful resort located on the picturesque Oahu island, guests will be offered a refreshing relief from the intense temperatures in the form of a chilled towel and freshly cut and chilled pineapple. The freebies don’t stop at the lobby. Once you are settled into your room, you will likely be hungry from your journey and you will be welcomed with a basket of locally sourced healthy treats to snack on, including shortbread cookies, taro chips, healthier fruit sodas, and assorted candies. The hotel also offers free slippers to lounge on the beach with, and treats for your pets as well.
6 LUXURIOUS PILLOWS: BENJAMIN HOTEL, NEW YORK CITY
There is something about hotel beds and pillows that provide the ultimate in comfort and deep sleep. It might be the blackout blinds, or the soft plus mattresses, or it might be the fluffy pillows that you seemingly sink into. At the Benjamin Hotel in New York City, guests have the option to choose from 9 different pillow options including a 5 foot pillow cushion for joint support, or the Cloud 10 pillow which offers more than 10 million air beads to keep you cool at night, or a water pillow to relieve head and neck pain. If the pillows aren’t enough for you to fall asleep, simply ask for the On Demand Meditation option for a guided 10 minute meditation to lull you to sleep.
5 NETFLIX AND CHILL: VARIOUS MARRIOTT HOTELS
For most people, a night in at home consists of binge watching our favorite series on Netflix or other streaming sights. While on vacation, the last thing you should be doing is sitting in a hotel room watching TV or movies, but when the hotel comes with free access to Netflix, it is easy to give in to temptation. At various Marriott locations throughout the country, Netflix is available to stream in the comfort of your own hotel room, so you can keep your self or your children entertained with endless hours of free entertainment on rainy, or simply lazy days.
4 EXERCISE EQUIPMENT: TRYP, WINDHAM HOTELS, VARIOUS LOCATIONS
For some people a vacation is time to take a break from the routine of everyday life, and take a break from the rigors of healthy eating and working out. For others, a regular workout is an absolute must, regardless of the location. For those types of people, the Fitness Rooms at the TYRP hotels provide the best fit – the rooms come equipped with exercise machines of your preference, including treadmills and elliptical, weights upon request, and complimentary workout clothes; all so you can continue to torture yourself even while on vacation!
3 FRAGRANCE BUTLER: ROSEWOOD HOTELS, VARIOUS LOCATIONS
24 hour room service is common place in a number of hotels and resorts, but 24 hour Fragrance Butler is completely unique to Rosewood Hotels. With this service, guests are able to select from various perfumes for women and colognes for men to sample for a night out on the town. Guests simply have to ring up the Fragrance Butler at any time, select from 10 scents and be on their way. Guests are not permitted to keep the perfumes, but can call upon the butler at any time and, if they wanted to for whatever reason, pile on the fragrance.
2 SPEEDBOATS AND PRIVATE THEATER SEATS: GRAND HOTEL EUROPE, ST. PETERSBURG
Often dubbed to be the Venice of the North, St. Petersburg in Russia is a beautiful city with rivers and canals throughout. Similar to Amsterdam, there is no better way to enjoy a tour of the city than by boat, taking in the architecture and beauty of the city by water. Guests at the Grand Hotel Europe can take in guided tours on the hotel’s own speedboat during warmer months. After your water tour, why not take in a show at the Mikhailovsky Theater in the hotel’s very own private box. The Grand Hotel also offers guided walking tours with expert guides to explain the interesting history of the ancient city.
1 TEQUILA, SORBET AND FRUIT: LAS VENTANAS, SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO
This Rosewood resort is internationally acclaimed and known for its personalized service, along with stunning location and scenery. As you lounge by the pool, the pool butler will offer complimentary sorbet and will make sure all of your needs are taken care of. If you doze off, the pool butler will wake you up at a certain time. When you head back to your room, a bottle of tequila awaits alongside fresh fruit that is replenished daily. Room service is available 24 hours a day, and your room will be made up at least twice a day by housekeeping. If you opt for a one bedroom suite, a personal butler is available for all of your needs. While Netflix isn’t available yet, a stacked DVD library is available for use, along with a library and telescopes to be rented for star gazing. If that is not enough, you can always pay a bit more and have access to the hotel’s mini Cooper to explore Cabo on your own!
