Travelers expect a lot from their hotels. Many often hope for five-star hotel accommodation that makes them feel like royalty. It helps, however, if you conduct yourself in poise and manners when you’re in luxury settings.
Luxury settings should afford a level of extra sophistication. Etiquette in five-star hotels encourages a certain level of class in the right conduct. Something as simple as controlling your voice and using polite gestures can go a long way. It affords you the respect of the staff and better standing with the people around.
Want to learn what you can do to make sure you stay classy at your favorite luxury resort? Here are 15 rules you need to observe when sleeping in a five-star hotel. These can help you on your next night out to make sure everyone around you gets a pleasant experience.
Why Observe Proper Etiquette at Five-Star Hotels
There are many possible reasons for you to be at a five-star hotel.
You can be resting with your family. You likely have a business meeting. There might be a conference that you are attending with colleagues.
Whatever your reason is, five-star hotels are a great place. Many are for specific purposes, with many dedicated hotels for traveling businessmen. The last thing you want is to embarrass you and your companions.
Why? Why should you even observe proper etiquette?
Etiquette in both normal and luxury settings is a way to show respect for the people with us. Together with our very own satisfaction, it’s vital to keep others happy and satisfied too.
Politeness and good manners in five-star hotels can give you excellent benefits. You’re not only there to prove that you can afford the place. You need to show that it’s befitting you too.
For starters, poise in luxury places can help keep your standing within your network. People who go to five-star hotels are, at most, people who have essential networks. You don’t know the people who visit these places, but many of them go to conduct business.
You don’t know which person in the same hotel can be useful for your business. The person that sees your improper attitude can be a person who can help you at work or business one day.
Showing grace and candor in around higher echelons can tell people that you belong there. Nobody will try to take advantage of you or assume their place above you. As long as you know the rules that you need to follow, you should be good to go.
1. Carry Yourself With Confidence
One important rule to observe when sleeping in a five-star hotel is to walk with grace as if you own the place. Mind you that you don’t walk there acting rude to everyone, but rather move with grace and dignity. Stride with confidence but with politeness to others around you.
Five-star hotels do their best to show that they can give you the best time. They will ask what you want for your morning papers. They will open car doors for you and valet it.
You don’t want to show that you’re not a customer deserving of awe and respect. Hold your head up high and walk with full confidence in what you are about to do. By doing so, you’re creating a level of difference between you and the staff.
Don’t sneak in with an apologetic smile and go around as if you want to serve the staff instead. With your sense of entitlement comes a responsibility to show delicacy with others. Show you’re happy you’re there and waiting for them to serve you. However, radiate that you’re not a snob who looks down upon these people in service.
Show finesse. These people are there to do a job so let them do their jobs.
2. Understand the Tipping Culture
One crucial question we always hear is tipping in five-star hotels. The answer depends on where you are, what is the service, and the level of sophistication of the service. Every place will have its own rules, but there are a few general things to keep in mind.
First, consider the country where you are in at the moment. Etiquette that applies to one country does not always apply to another. This is more so true about tipping.
For example, it is almost always an expectation that you tip your service staff in the United States. Many services offer small wages to their hotel service team, so tipping is good. In Japan, however, tipping is an insult to the service and should not happen unless visible.
Many five-star hotels will have an extra percentage charge for gratuity. This can go anywhere from 10 – 15% or even more in some cases. If there is such a charge, you don’t have to tip unless you receive extraordinary service.
If you have to tip, tip according to the service you receive. It’s a waste to give a tenner for a minor service unless you are feeling generous. Give tips but don’t burn out your vacation money give it away.
For bellhops, a dollar or two per piece of luggage works. For valet or concierge staff, $5 should be the bare bottom dollar. Chambermaids and housekeepers should get around $2 – $5 a night unless you made a big mess.
If there’s any outstanding service, as a superb candlelit dinner, 15 – 20% of service is appropriate. Small services like hailing you a taxi should cost you around a dollar or two. Consider the value of the service rendered and give an appropriate tip.
It sounds like you’re tipping for every move you make, which can be outrageous. Remember that you’re in a luxury setting. If you can pay for luxury accommodations, you should have a few dollars to spare your service team.
3. Mind Your Manners at the Front Desk
Apart from tipping, front desk manners are some of the most important rules in hotels. Luxury hotels, in particular, would rather have guests with stellar attitudes than tip a little. For people who want to show their status as a seasoned guest, maintaining your poise is a must.
Show your largesse when you’re in a queue by keeping your cool. Whether you’re checking in or out, you want to keep your composure and stand upright. Genuine luxury hotel guests don’t rush to the front desk, trying to get ahead of other guests.
Don’t flaunt your expensive Hermes bag and slam it on their desk. Be courteous and talk to your front desk staff in a clear, crisp voice. Don’t drum your fingers or show impatience while you’re waiting for service.
Many hotels do their best to attend to their customers as soon as possible. If the front desk team is unable to take care of you now, there’s a good reason for it. They can find themselves overwhelmed by the number of people they are attending. Know that the staff will always try to acknowledge you when they can. Five-star hotel staff is there to greet you and provide as quick a service as possible.
If, in any case, you need to have an urgent check-in, tell them, and be polite about it. Ask for their attention in an as respectful manner as you can have.
Don’t use expletives and don’t complain aloud. Making a scene will not resolve your issue faster than it already is. Causing a ruckus will only show a lack of class – it doesn’t get you to services any quicker.
4. Stay to HeadCount
In five-star hotels, headcount is a crucial number to keep. Every room’s headcount is there to ensure maximum comfort for you and everyone around you. Keep with the headcount and don’t unload more people than intended.
Getting a room intended for two and putting eight people in it can be a problem. It’s dishonest, especially for people who can pay for it. If you tell the hotel they are expecting two people, follow through it.
Hotel pax is crucial to provide optimum service. To bring in more people can reduce the comfort the room gives you and the people with you. It can also disturb other guests on your floor if you overcrowd your room.
5. Learn What You Can Take Home
Luxury hotels tend to have a lot of giveaways and complimentary amenities for guests. Many hotels provide small trinkets as a reminder of your stay within their premises. There are, however, items that are not for you to take home.
Small complimentary amenities that you can take home include soaps, shampoos, and sewing kits. Anything intended as a consumable, the hotel will likely be ok for you to swipe. Five-star hotels won’t even complain if you take the pen and the bathroom slippers.
Many five-star hotels don’t want to have their linens taken home. Anything that’s part of the furniture and fixture is not something you take back with you. This includes batteries, towels, Bibles, and even bathrobes. Sure, you want a trinket, but it’s best to buy these at the hotel souvenir store itself.
A room is there to make guests feel at home. By removing an element of it like a towel or lamp, you’re removing a part of the supposed experience. You don’t want others to have a worse experience because you’re stealing an essential part of the room.
6. Dress Like a Five-Star Guest
Dressing up the part for luxury hotels is your responsibility to both yourself and others. Wearing appropriate clothes for the venue is a way for you to show your status. It’s also a way of respecting the value of the place, making others feel comfortable.
Many people who go to five-star hotels can sometimes intend to sleep around and do nothing. This is a valid activity, but it never comes down to this most of the time. Luxury accommodations have different activities intended for you to enjoy.
Don’t wear clothes, outside your room, that look like you’re at home. Wear decent clothes when outside your room. Wear swimsuits when at the pool, and something respectable in dining lounges.
You don’t have to go overboard and wear a fancy suit wherever you go. You want to have only as much as smart casual unless you have an official function.
7. Keep Selfies and Celebrity Gawking Under Control
Five-star hotel experience designs around luxury and value to you as a customer. In many hotels, you will notice that many prominent people will be there. This contingent will include celebrities.
It’s best to keep selfie and celebrity gawking, to as little as possible. If you can, don’t approach celebrities. They’re there to rest too, so they will appreciate it if you treat them like any other guest.
Don’t go crazy on the photo ops. People care about their privacy in the hotel, so photo ops can make people uncomfortable. You’re there to relax, so enjoy it. Photos are great, but letting the experience sink in is a better way to enjoy.
Don’t be the annoying guest that stops at every ornament. Show you’re cool. Show that you deserve the five-star treatment.
8. Learn Fine Dining Manners
Five-star hotel restaurants and dining options hold a high standard every time. They will have a selection of foods and a list of wines you may have no experience eating. There will even be foods that you will have problems pronouncing.
If you’re one of those people, expect further interactions with the wait staff. They will be there to help you pick the right meals for you. Expect the restaurant staff to decrumb your table and remove cutlery – even refill your bread.
Sit back and let them do their jobs. Don’t be afraid to ask your server for an explanation of the food on the list. Inform them of your allergies and anything that can affect the experience.
9. Stay Calm and Respectful Under Duress
Things can always go wrong – even when you’re in a five-star hotel. This can happen even to travelers who like to afford a five-star experience. If you have any trouble in the hotel, stay calm.
Stay respectful and talk to the staff. Ask for a way to fix an issue in your accommodation. You have an entitlement to a complaint, and most five-star hotels are happy to help.
Is your room missing power? Did the hotel lose your luggage? Complain away but stay civil.
Is your room service 5 minutes late? Follow it up, but don’t be argumentative. Pick your battles.
10. Don’t Be Too Friendly With the Staff
Hotel staff are going to be polite and will be conversational with you. You will encounter many situations where they will be extra courteous. Don’t mistake this for friendship, but rather as a professional courtesy.
The staff is there to do their jobs. They’re not your friends, but instead, they’re there to earn their keep. Don’t keep them from doing their jobs by chatting them up or wasting their time.
Strike up short conversations, but don’t eat their time. They want to earn money, and you’re one of the thousands of people they serve every year. Keep professional distance.
11. Be Careful With Other Hotel Guests
Be careful of the people you bump into and the people that you rub elbows within five-star hotels. Many times, people there are only regular guests, and it should be ok. Now and then, you will interact with someone who looks regular but is anything but ordinary.
There will be times where you will stumble upon diplomats and business tycoons. You will share restaurants with influential people and might come across unsavory figures. Keep your distance, and don’t fool around with them.
Refrain from touching them unless they interact with you first. Don’t do any misconduct that can result in powerful people giving you trouble in the future.
12. Keep Your Room As Tidy as Possible
Even in five-star hotels, it is an expectation that you leave the room as tidy as you can. Messy rooms can be the cause for delay, as housekeepers will check for damages. The neater you leave your room, the faster checkout goes for you.
Hotel staff doesn’t mind clean up since it’s part of their job. What they care about is being messy and destructive.
Don’t clog toilets, rip things from the wall, or overflow your tub. Put your rubbish where it should go and put all your used linens in one place.
13. Plan Ahead for Pets
If you plan to travel with a pet, inform your hotel accommodations ahead of time. Many five-star hotels allow are pet-friendly and don’t mind guests with pets. Some won’t have facilities to handle pets and will not allow pets into the premises.
If they can’t accommodate you, find another one and don’t make a scene. The person talking to you does not make the rules. They’re there to communicate the regulations of the hotel, so arguing with them won’t go anywhere.
For hotels that allow for pets, ask what’s the limit on size and breed. Check if you have to bring a pet travel cage with you. If your pets are messy or will disturb other guests, it’s best not to bring them along.
14. Use the Hotel Concierge
A hotel concierge is the best source of information that you can use in the five-star hotel. They know the locale like it’s the back of their hand. For people looking for activities, the concierge is yours to use.
Ask if they can get you tickets for events nearby. See if they can sort restaurant reservations for you. If you need maps or travel guides, they can also furnish you with this information.
Be polite when asking them for information. If there is a service that they can’t do for you, be respectful, and go on. If the concierge gets you what you need, it’s best to give them tips as a token of gratitude.
15. Curb Your Expectations
When in the service of a five-star hotel, some may think of an ultra-lavish experience. You might think you’re the king of the world, only for it to fall short of expectation. There is something that you need to consider when you have to keep expectations realistic.
Keep your expectations checked. While five-star services are crème de la crème, you’re one of the hundreds in the vicinity. You will get the same treatment as everybody else.
Conclusion
Five-star hotels are an enclave for people to enjoy themselves and relax. The lavish services that luxury accommodations afford are something for you to enjoy. Such spaces still need you to put your best foot forward and practice excellent etiquette.
Be polite to everyone around you, from the guests to the hotel staff and everybody in between. Carry yourself with poise and dignity befitting your status as the guest of the hotel. Dress the part and act with class, showing that you deserve to be there.
When you’re an outstanding, gracious guest, people will go above and beyond for you. They will make sure that everything is relaxing and no-fuss. Conducting yourself in the best way you can help you get higher esteem from your peers as well.
Enjoy the stay!
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