Travel and Leisure

What separates a luxury resort from its lesser brethren? What makes it worth the higher prices charged? There are certain standards to which a luxury resort must rise. Those standards concern the following: its rating, the quality of its website, the check-in process, the quality of the rooms and the level of the amenities offered.

Five star rating

The hospitality industry is rated on a "stars" scale that starts at one and goes up to five. As you may surmise, the top rating is five stars. From there, it is easy to see that a luxury resort should be rated at five stars, as this is the highest rating under this system.

You may ask what are the criteria that a resort or hotel must meet in order to receive a five star rating? To reach the five stars level, a resort must perform superlatively in all areas concerning its service. Included in this are its management, employees, amenities, and security. All services offered must be delivered at the highest level of competence. In other words, everything about the resort's services must be extremely high quality.

Well run and informative website

Even the cheapest roadside motels have websites that offer information about their services and a means to book a room. So, it goes without saying that a luxury resort should offer this and much more. A luxury resort must have a website that works well. The website shouldn't be cluttered and difficult to navigate. It shouldn't be down half the time and it shouldn't have images that don't load. It shouldn't have errors that prevent prospective guests from completing a booking. It should also offer detailed information about the resort, its amenities and what is included in the booking price. There should be pictures of the rooms and the grounds and there should be a phone number to contact and the address of the resort.

No waiting for check-in

A luxury resort should offer check-ins that are smooth, fast, and handled courteously. This means that it should take no longer than ten minutes from start to finish, including having your luggage sent up to your suite. Your accommodations should match the description you were given when you booked your stay with all the amenities you requested.

Perfect room

The rooms at the resort must be perfect in every way. They should be large and have all of the amenities that you would expect them to have. At the very least, the décor should be tasteful and the furniture should be high-end and spotless. There should be ample privacy and you shouldn't be able to hear hallway noise or any outside noise if the windows are closed. Additionally, fast and courteous room service is a must.

The bathrooms should feature double sinks on a large vanity made of high quality material such as granite or marble. The bathtub and separate shower enclosure should likewise be of granite or marble and large as well. There should be plenty of large mirrors and the towels should be fluffy and soft.

Top-notch amenities

The resort must have grounds and amenities that justify the high cost. There should be at least one, if not two or three large swimming pools. These should be heated and a lifeguard should be on duty at all times. In addition, the pool areas should have showers and a place to change into and out of bathing attire. This is just the beginning. It would not be too much to expect the resort to have a full gym that is staffed with qualified trainers. Full service spas are quite common and should offer services like massage, full pedicures, and beauty treatments.

When you spend your hard earned money on a luxury holiday stay, you should get expect nothing but the best. Luxury resorts must live up to the meaning of the word "luxury" in every way. Anything less is unacceptable.