Extra! Extra!
Hotel bonuses for business owners.
If you've seen one hotel room, you haven't seen 'em
all. Unless, of course, you've checked out the concierge floors
under construction at the newest business- travel hotels.
These special club levels, which feature everything from
dual-line speakerphones and in-room faxes to printers and upgraded
toiletries, are finding a lot of fans among frequent travelers.
Hoteliers report that the deluxe rooms invariably sell out first,
so in response, they're upping the number of executive-level
offerings.
The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, for example, recently spent
more than $3 million to overhaul its existing club level and create
a new concierge floor, where guests will find a lounge with
complimentary newspapers and a breakfast bar.
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If the new concierge levels sound great to you, get ready to
pay. A recent survey of 3,000 properties by PKF Consulting found
that hotels charge a 60.3 percent premium for the privilege of
staying on their executive floors. That means you'll shell out
an additional $56.81 per night over and above the standard room
rate.
Some properties, however, are resisting the club-level practice.
At the 15 Loews hotels in North America, you'll find a special
"Did You Forget" closet stocked with many extras
including a tie, a computer and even diapers--all of which are
provided free of charge. Says Debra Kelman of Loews: "We
wanted to anticipate all of our guests' needs."
Christopher Elliott is a writer in Los Angeles and a
columnist for "ABC News Online."
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