I know, I’m a walking, breathing, contradiction, given that I’ve “fought” for suite upgrades many times over the years (though that was more on principle than anything else). 😉
But am I the only one that doesn’t really like suites when traveling alone?
Why I do like suites
If traveling alone, the main thing I like about suites is the ability to have a separate room from which to work. If I just have a “standard” room I usually start working from the desk for all of five minutes, then decide I’ll move from a more “comfortable” location (aka bed), and then fall asleep five minutes later.
That’s not an issue with suites, as I refuse to leave the living “area” unless it’s bedtime. Also, I love when there are separate temperature controls for the bedroom and the living room. I can keep the bedroom super-icy for when I want to fall asleep, and the living room at a more reasonable temperature.
Why I don’t like suites
I believe this qualifies as the ultimate #firstworldproblem, or maybe more like #paranoidpeopleproblems. I have a weird habit in hotels rooms whereby I:
- Search the room every time I enter. When you think about it, hotel rooms aren’t very safe. A virtually unlimited number of people have keys to your room, and it’s also not that hard to convince a front desk to give you a key for your room. So I realize it might be paranoia, but every time I enter a room I do check under the bed and all the closets. Am I crazy? Probably.
- Close all doors and turn off all lights when I go to sleep. That’s easy enough to do when there’s a central control for the lights, but have you ever been in a massive suite where it literally takes 10 minutes just to find all the light switches and everything?
- It’s easier to leave things behind in a suite. When you’re constantly checking in and out of hotels, it’s much easier to accidentally forget something in a suite than a standard room, given how much square footage you have to search before leaving.
Yes, I realize there’s a “novelty” to suites and there’s a lot of value in them when traveling with someone else, since you can work while they sleep and vice versa. But for those of us single people that travel alone, there’s something to be said for a standard room over a suite.
Am I crazy, or does anyone feel the same way?
PS to hotels: please ignore this post 😉
On my tombstone it will say, "Luxury was wasted on me". I have virtually no preference for a suite over a standard room at most properties. I make it a point to not spend much time awake in a hotel room anyway. There are certain places where it would make a difference. In some resorts when you get a private pool, or an overwater bungalow, etc. then I'd prefer something other than standard room. At...
On my tombstone it will say, "Luxury was wasted on me". I have virtually no preference for a suite over a standard room at most properties. I make it a point to not spend much time awake in a hotel room anyway. There are certain places where it would make a difference. In some resorts when you get a private pool, or an overwater bungalow, etc. then I'd prefer something other than standard room. At least for the experience.
Otherwise, I don't care. So, no, you're not crazy. At least not about that
@SPG Exec Offices - LOL.
I share the paranoia about someone being under the bed in hotel rooms. I've had dreams where I've bent down to look under and someone lunged out at me. My feeling is it's still better to be alert and check then half asleep and have someone come out.
Totally true,i travel mostly alone and as a Royal Ambassador i almost get a suite upgrade each time,just this year i had 4 presidential upgrade (Willard washington,Phoenicia Beirut,de la ville Rome),Barclay New York)and in 2cases i asked to switch to normal room,its pretty scary being alone in a large space and even when you 2 ,you keep shouting to know where the other is.
slow news day, yes.
What about when you check under your bed in your OWN HOUSE? and i aint even talking about human intruders, i did this lil check under my bed just yesterday after accidentally watching 10 seconds of a horror movie trailer
I totally agree. This is where I think hotel chains need to rethink their perks. As a Hilton Diamond member, I frequently get upgraded to nice suites when traveling internationally, but as I'm generally alone, this perk doesn't mean anything to me. However, when I travel with my wife (on points), upgrades are much less frequent. Chains should recognize that many travelers would rather have upgrades on award stays (when they are traveling for pleasure...
I totally agree. This is where I think hotel chains need to rethink their perks. As a Hilton Diamond member, I frequently get upgraded to nice suites when traveling internationally, but as I'm generally alone, this perk doesn't mean anything to me. However, when I travel with my wife (on points), upgrades are much less frequent. Chains should recognize that many travelers would rather have upgrades on award stays (when they are traveling for pleasure - and probably with their spouse) then on paid stays (when they are traveling for business and possibly alone).
I actually agree … when traveling alone, I find a Junior Suite preferable to a 1 BR Suite with separate living room.
When traveling with my wife, a separate living room lets me work in the early morning while she's still asleep.
Thanks, Ben. We will note this preference in your profile.
;)
I am surprised that there are so many crazy people pointing out that there are crazy people criticising the crazy people who are criticising you for being crazy.
I love all of your posts, but following the theme here, maybe spend some time that you've been using for these kinds of posts to catch up on your trip reports (I'm still waiting for Iceland, LOL)
Having said that, give me a suite every time, please.
I was once bumped out of my reserved ocean view room at the "pink palace" in HI and was given a room connected to a giant ballroom-sized suite with 20 ft ceilings. It was creepy especially at night. Living in hotels is never as secure a feeling as one 's own home.
On that note, how many times have you actually said "no thanks" to an upgrade to a suite? If you don't like it, I'm sure many would love it. - Especially families.
I'm not sure who is crazier - you for checking everything or your readers complaining about your crazy posts. This reader gets a kick out of it all. You have such a different life than the ordinary person that it's fun to read about it, no matter the craziness.
Crazy? Uh, you brought it up.
I prefer one efficiently organized room to a suite when traveling alone. However, if I was staying at a hotel for more than a couple days (as you often do now), I would probably prefer a suite.
I also agree with some of the other comenters that you seem to be posting more than actually necessary. My theory is that you are lonely with all that hotel living,...
Crazy? Uh, you brought it up.
I prefer one efficiently organized room to a suite when traveling alone. However, if I was staying at a hotel for more than a couple days (as you often do now), I would probably prefer a suite.
I also agree with some of the other comenters that you seem to be posting more than actually necessary. My theory is that you are lonely with all that hotel living, and we are now the folks that you share all your random thoughts and small talk with. Actually, I mostly enjoy it. But I can see how others might be less interested.
No, hotels are not dangerous places. Airplanes are not dangerous.
Highways are dangerous. Like 10,000 times more dangerous than hotels. If you worry about hotels more than you worry about being on the highway, you are paranoid.
I usually stay in pensions and small hotels. My rooms are so small that it never occurs to me to look under the bed. The closet is an armoire, so I don't think anyone would fit, and the shower is so small that I accidentally turn the water on/off, hot/cold when I move.
The one time I was put into a suite it was an enormous thing. I had booked a budget single, and I...
I usually stay in pensions and small hotels. My rooms are so small that it never occurs to me to look under the bed. The closet is an armoire, so I don't think anyone would fit, and the shower is so small that I accidentally turn the water on/off, hot/cold when I move.
The one time I was put into a suite it was an enormous thing. I had booked a budget single, and I checked in at a reasonable time, but they had no rooms. So they put me in the penthouse suite. It was the whole dang floor! I wasn't supposed to explore, but who can resist? After I saw how big it was, I was nervous. There were too many closets (mirrored closets, no less), too many rooms, and way too many doors. Didn't like it at all.
Give me my budget single rooms, and I'm cozy and snug.
Lately you just post to post. Your blog was much better before. It's as if you sit on a plane or hotel room alone "working" ie trying to think of something...anything to post.
I agree - I am not a fan of suites when alone. I like the cozier environment of one room with desk/TV/Bed. Many times "a suite" can be a small bedroom and then a sitting area.
I don't like Embassy Suites for that reason - small bed room and no outside window in the small sitting area.
Suites are great when you plan to have people visit your room.
I love your site, posts and work (is there a Lucky fan club to sign up?), but I'm starting to think that you are "thinking aloud" too much over the net. What are going to be your next posts? Is Lufthansa first class overhyped (I think you have already posted something like this)? Should I stay in a hostel in Bangkok? I'm going to switch to Samsung.
As you said previously that you would...
I love your site, posts and work (is there a Lucky fan club to sign up?), but I'm starting to think that you are "thinking aloud" too much over the net. What are going to be your next posts? Is Lufthansa first class overhyped (I think you have already posted something like this)? Should I stay in a hostel in Bangkok? I'm going to switch to Samsung.
As you said previously that you would like to take a break sometime and you produce at least five posts per day, why don't you save some posts and publish on your vacation two posts a day (written previously)? Sometimes you publish so many good posts in a day that some good ones don't get all the attention they deserve.
I agree that suites when traveling alone are often superfluous--though I agree that turning down the bedroom A/C to icy cold for sleep and working/relaxing in the more moderately cooled living room can be a nice perk (but not a big deal usually).
The biggest downside to a suite when traveling alone in my experience is that the air conditioning doesn't work well ENOUGH to cool down the bedroom.
I agree that suites are...
I agree that suites when traveling alone are often superfluous--though I agree that turning down the bedroom A/C to icy cold for sleep and working/relaxing in the more moderately cooled living room can be a nice perk (but not a big deal usually).
The biggest downside to a suite when traveling alone in my experience is that the air conditioning doesn't work well ENOUGH to cool down the bedroom.
I agree that suites are most appropriate when traveling with your significant other or with family/friends who can join you in the suite, even if not staying with you.
"Am I crazy, or does anyone feel the same way?"
You're crazy.
in "Why I do like...", I think you meant to say you move "to" (not "from") a more comfy area.
slow news day huh?
I see your points, but given the choice of suite or regular room, i'll take the suite everytime even if I'm traveling alone.
I completely agree. I used to travel a lot for work. One year it was 123 nights in hotels.
Having a 2 room suite when you're traveling alone made me feel even more alone rambling around in a 800-1200 sqft space.
That being said, when I travel with my boyfriend we love suite upgrades. When the Westin Vendom upgraded us to a Jr. Suite for 5 night stay we were extremely pleased.
I do...
I completely agree. I used to travel a lot for work. One year it was 123 nights in hotels.
Having a 2 room suite when you're traveling alone made me feel even more alone rambling around in a 800-1200 sqft space.
That being said, when I travel with my boyfriend we love suite upgrades. When the Westin Vendom upgraded us to a Jr. Suite for 5 night stay we were extremely pleased.
I do remembering that open suites similar to those found at Hyatt Place or Vdara were nice and felt comfortable for someone traveling alone.
Do bloggers have the need to blog (or vomit) anything just so that the words appear on the screen? Is the fear of not blogging so big that sometimes bloggers blog about the most ridiculous stuff that ADDS no value to any reader's life???
You have good articles, why affect your reputation with stuff like this???
Haha great post and all true. However this makes us guilty of "first world problem" issues.
He who thinks to check under the bed has hidden there himself.
- Polish proverb
@Ben -- "So I realize it might be paranoia, but every time I enter a room I do check under the bed and all the closets. Am I crazy? Probably." Definitely. ;)
Haha Ben - you crack me up with this post on a late Friday afternoon!
Valid points but really, a first world problem :)