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| Vice President—Content/Editorial Director, Ruthanne Terrero |
Hotels are incredibly personal. You might love a place, I may hate it. I could rave about a hotel that’s just opened and when you visit it you may wonder what the heck I was thinking.
I lean toward luxury, but I don’t believe a hotel has to be a five-star to be exciting. Cleanliness goes a long way and so does a large amount of personal space when I am judging whether a hotel has a vibe that makes me excited to be there.
Here are some of the items on my checklist that make a hotel hot.
Oversized customized artwork that dazzles. Lighting that makes everyone look fabulous and sexy. Easy-to-use technology that’s better than what you have at home. An exciting nightclub right on site so you don’t have to leave the hotel. A lobby where people are coming and going but no matter what they’re doing, they’re grinning because they feel they’re staying some place special. A swimming pool (adults only, please), where the chaise lounges are expensive and cushy (not those strappy plastic chairs you can buy at Pathmark) with excellent service, great drinks and a menu that goes beyond hot dogs and hamburgers. Did I mention that everyone at the pool should look great?
These are just some of the things that make a hotel hot.
Then there are the basics. A private balcony that overlooks the ocean. A huge bathroom with a huge bathtub. If it’s a single guest room there should be plenty of space between the bed and the bureau. A work area should have all of its outlets at easy reach and the Internet connection should be free and fast.
Location is important but if the hotel is truly hot it will serve as a destination unto itself. I still marvel at my stay at The St. Regis San Francisco which was so utterly close to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art I could have gotten there in one easy jump. An array of amazing restaurants nearby makes a hotel hot and they don’t have to all be “Oh, look at the amazing weird dish the chef just made” types of places. A fine Italian restaurant, Chinese food and something incredibly local and inexpensive suit me just fine.
What makes a hotel not hot? A hair dryer that’s attached to the wall (who would want to steal this thing?), with such low ampage your hair looks like you got caught in the rain five hours ago and couldn’t find a hairbrush. Grout around the bathtub that’s soiled. Bathrooms tiles that are cracked. An establishment where the answer to everything you ask hotel staff is “no,” even before you’ve finished asking your question. An on-site restaurant where tables aren’t cleared as soon as guests finish eating, so that the seagulls have a field day swooping down to sort through the garbage.
Cocktails at a hot bar that cost $15 and have no alcohol in them but lots and lots of sugar. Elevators that are broken day after day after day so you all but have to take a number to wait on line to get to your room. Guest room rugs that have stains on them. Cherry air freshener in the hallways covering up an unidentifiable odor that clings to your hair and your skin and the inside of your nostrils. Sometimes you can still smell it when you’re back home. Butler service so pretentious and invasive you find yourself tiptoeing down the hallway flattened against the wall hoping you won’t be asked if you need assistance with anything for the 10th time that day.
The hotels you will find in our latest feature are hot in only the most appealing ways. They have great concierges, impressive technology and beautiful surroundings and the best part is they are new. If you have clients who are interested only in the next new thing, this is your bible for 2013. Let us know if we’ve tapped your favorites or if we’ve left any gems out.