Checking into a new hotel room can feel like opening a treasure chest of fragrant lotions, cutting-edge tech gadgets and delicious chocolates perched on just-fluffed pillows. While some properties still have the audacity to tack on fees for necessities like Wi-Fi and bottled water, other hotels spoil visitors with freebies far beyond the perks of a standard guest room. If you’re ready to swipe your key card to find more than a flat-screen TV and ice bucket, read on to learn about our favorite perks available at hotels across the country.
Ritz Carlton, New Orleans
The Big Easy’s nightlife is legendary, of course, but a morning after too many Hurricanes can be a hard recovery for visitors. After overindulging until the wee hours, waking is made slightly less painful when babied by the Ritz Carlton’s Hangover Concierge. Delivering “hair of the dog” Bloody Marys, aspirin, fresh fruit and water bottles directly to guest rooms, the staff does their best to exorcise the voodoo spirits of Bourbon Street from Mardi Gras revellers. In-room detoxifying spa treatments revive the undead before another long night of partying.
Four Seasons Beverly Hills
Seeing the sights takes on a whole new meaning for guests of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. Those staying in suites can get a glimpse of life as a Hollywood star by borrowing their dream car from the hotel garage. Home to a fleet of 17 vehicles, the property offers choices including a Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini, all without a rental fee -- just remember to bring dark shades to hide from the paparazzi. Booking a standard room still earns overnight visitors a set of wheels: They get complimentary access to the property’s Volvos and Mini Coopers.
The Benjamin New York
In the City That Never Sleeps, it’s possible to get pizza at 4 a.m., order wine in your pajamas and catch a train from dark until dawn, but sometimes all you need is a good night’s rest. Instead of booking a staycation, overworked New Yorkers (as well as jetlagged travelers) can rest easy with a sleep-cation at The Benjamin New York. Partnering with a sleep-medicine professor, the AAA 4-Diamond hotel ensures guests catch some shut-eye with in-room spa treatments, eye masks, white-noise machines, a lullaby playlist and pillows designed by NASA scientists. Children ages 2-10 receive child-size pillows, bathrobes and kid-friendly books, while visitors of all ages are treated to milk and cookies at bedtime.
Hard Rock Hotels
The trendy brand’s Sound of Your Stay program gives guests a backstage pass into the music industry with an unlimited personalized playlist and free issues of Rolling Stone magazine in accommodations bedecked with musical memorabilia. Making childhood aspirations of rock stardom a reality, the properties are stocked with 20 Fender guitars for visitors to reserve, free of charge. To complete the jam session, the hotel throws in Nixon headphones and Fender Mustang floor amplifiers so the concert doesn’t carry into adjacent rooms. Dreaming of DJ fame instead? The concierge will send up a controller and laptop as well as an iPad stocked with video lessons.
Red Mountain Resort, Southwestern Utah
Many jetsetters find it hard to balance hectic travel schedules with the responsibilities of pet ownership, forgoing the latter in place of the former. The all-inclusive Red Mountain Resort understands that the urge for a furry companion can be even stronger on the road and pairs guests with dogs from a local shelter for hikes in the nearby Snow Canyon State Park. Both people and pups benefit from the exercise and attention, and adoption is also an option for those who fall in puppy love during the 4-mile outing.
The London West Hollywood
Fashion lovers checking into the London West Hollywood’s penthouse are treated to 11,000 square feet of private living space personally appointed by designer Vivenne Westwood. The queen of punk rock replaced her signature style of safety pins and razorblades with sleek white furnishings, pale shades of blue and green, and modern, mirrored accent pieces. The two-story apartment treats guests to spa-like bathrooms, an outdoor kitchen, rooftop sanctuary and views of Beverly Hills. In addition to the swanky pad, the designer gifts complimentary his-and-her leather wallets and an hour of private (and discounted) shopping at her nearby boutique to guests shelling out $25,000 per night for the room.
