I have a confession.
I've been really put off by two of the luxury resorts I visited late last year. Like "let's never go there again" issues.
We're talking about nightly room rates starting at $800 for a basic room and escalating wildly above that.
The first place had one-person at the front desk who when I checked in was not very happy that he was there. I think he was supposed to be doing other things, not this. (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt).
He didn't tell me when my room was ready (it was after 4pm!) even though I was literally sitting a few feet away from him. Then it took me 45 minutes and three phone calls to get my luggage once I was in the room.
It was a shame because the accommodations were beautifully designed with lovely, curated items (cool books on the shelves about the region, vintage-style barware) but that was lost on me because of my front desk experiences.
So, what we had here was an Instagram-ready resort with DMV-level services. And no offense to the DMVs around the world whatsoever. But you get what I'm saying.
The hands-off attitude provided a mood that was so sterile way that I couldn't wait to get out of there the next morning.
The next resort I visited presented a much better welcome experience, but it had a very strong emphasis on the residential aspect of the place; we're talking million-dollar homes at every turn. I felt that I was a guest of these residents, that I should feel lucky just being able to stay in their wondrous environment.
Maybe that was just me and I'll own that insecurity.
But what really got me was the stupid pricing for everything on property, which was fairly remote.
Read: You're stuck here so you're forced to pay us $17 for a glass of beer at the bar and $30 for a cosmopolitan served in a high-ball glass. Why a high-ball glass? I don't know. The bartender handed it to me and I smiled politely and signed the tab.
I'm the first to say that an establishment can charge whatever the market will tolerate. This is the way businesses operate.
But just because you can doesn't mean you should.
When you’re in a customer’s face with such blatant extortion you make them feel foolish for handing their money over to you. At this resort I could literally imagine management having a good laugh every evening when they tallied up their receipts.
Or maybe that do that in the morning, not sure. Either way it sounds like a jolly experience, just not for me.
I spoke with several luxury travel advisors about these encounters. Some said their clients don’t seem to mind it. Others noted that they're not finding this dynamic as much as they are in the United States. Some said they’ve gotten pushback from their affluent clients who felt trapped and forced to pay stupid pricing for ordinary things.
Clients are buying their own vacation homes to take back control of the situation. Even the folks with private jets are balking. Why? Not everyone landed in the world of the wealthy because of a trust fund. Many super successful people have worked hard to earn their own money and don’t see the value in throwing it blindly at an establishment that’s taking them for a ride, just because they can.
I know my concerns are of a Champagne caliber, but I'm feeling pretty alienated and my question is, "Is this just me?"
As one luxury travel advisor so aptly put it: “People do not remember what you say or do, they remember how they make you feel. A high priced cosmo in the wrong glass? That speaks volumes.”
Related Content
Top 10 insights on selling luxury travel
A guy walks into a bar...
Kramer’s pizza dream and the rise of experiential travel
Creating lasting bonds with ultra-high-net-worth clients