It's amazing how it's the small luxuries we remember from a really good hotel visit, I still remember my joy on visiting one little bed and breakfast when I found real milk in a jug (protected by a bead-weighted embroidered doily), five different types of tea including Earl Grey and proper china teacups.
Little luxuries are how hotels earn their five stars - see for example our review of The Baglioni where my colleague Jules was greeted with cold towels and drinks after arriving to check in on a scorching hot day.
So what small luxuries should hotels be giving us?
One idea is a shoe shine – still offered by some of the more traditional hotels. But I think the shoe shine is obsolete. How many of us wear suede, or trainers or sandals these days – none of which take a shine.
I’m more interested in the free soft drinks now offered by many hotels.
When I get into my hotel room, I want to put my bags down and relax. Part of the ‘relax’ is a cool drink if I’ve arrived on a hot day, or a cup of tea or coffee on a cold one – a complimentary soft drink is always a nice touch.
Red Carnation Hotels (which runs six boutique London hotels) specialises in “tiny noticeable touches” including free seasonal treats for guests – we recently blogged for example about their strawberry season treats. We’re sure they’ll soon also be offering some soothing winter warmers like the free hot chocolate and homemade biscuits we enjoyed during our free WiFi touchdown at the same group’s Rubens at the Palace Hotel.