My Luxury Hotel Addiction

I have an addiction

I can’t quit. I’ve tried, but I’m hooked. Yep, I am addicted to Luxury Hotels. If there is a five-star, Conde Nast rated hotel or resort, it’s on my list.  I’ve either stayed, visited, planned future travel or I am dreaming of.

I am fortunate to have stayed at many, but I am not always laying my head on their Frette bedding.  If not, rest assure, I will find a cozy nook in the lounge or bar, and Champagne and/or a Martini will be consumed.  Once you start staying, exploring, and visiting these grandiose lobbies, you will understand why I am addicted, and you may be too!

Blame it on Washington

When did this problem begin? I resided in the D.C. Metropolitan area for those awkward high school years. I would spend many days strolling around the Capital grounds with my father, and my “habit” began there at DuPont Circle. (So did my love of Steakhouses, but that’s a different story!) I’d walk throughout that city forever. I’d stroll in and out of anyplace that looked inviting….more often than not, it was a luxury hotel, not a historical monument.

Do you belong here?

Yes, I do! I’ve never felt that I could not enter. Confidence is all in how you hold yourself. Every soul-searching book says that how you feel inside is how you will come across outside. (Self-help portion of the article over!)  It’s a matter of being respectful of your surroundings, and I believe this applies to wherever you are. I am not trying to be rich, have “status”, or pretend I am something I am not. I want to acquire experiences, not things. \

We are all in different financial brackets, and for me, I “visit” more often than “stay” at these luxurious hotels. So, if I want my hard-earned dollars to be spent on a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Champagne at The Ritz in the glamorous lounge,  then so be it.

Clean yourself up

How presentable are you? Yes, you’re on vacation, or have a day of leisure in your home town.  Still, take off the baseball cap, and don’t wear the shoes you wear to the gym. You are not going to see Jimmy Buffett, nor hanging out in Venice Beach. You can still be casual, but be respectful and presentable.

I walk everywhere in Paris, so my Manolo Blahnik shoes must stay home. There are so many comfortable styles out there, I am sure you have a presentable choice in that closet or suitcase. There is no better photographic moment then in front of the magnificent flower art decoration or grandiose entrance at the Four Seasons or Peninsula Hotel.

No, I cannot quit it

Writing this makes me “jones” a glass of Dom at The Plaza right now!  Anyways, the calm relaxing feeling I get when entering a glamorous hotel is like no other. Into the cocktail lounge I sachet, and suddenly I sink into those fluffy couch pillows and now I have cured my “fix”. We live in a fast paced world, and not many things can slow down my mind. I am always thinking about work, problems, family issues, etc. (Aren’t we all?)  But when I walk through that spectacular grand entrance, immediately I take a deep breath, and my shoulders climb down from my ears. In that moment, or when that cocktail touches my lips, I drift away into complete relaxation and suddenly I am in the “here” and “now”.

Why would I?

I have no reason, need or desire to quit this obsession. Now that I have shared, I wonder if there are others out there with the same addic…..No, let’s call it a Passion, not addiction.

Whatever your passion is in life, do it. Find a way, figure it out, don’t dream, DO. My addiction to luxury hotels isn’t hurting me or anyone else. (My wallet is the only injured party here) Find your passion and share it, I have mine, and I hope you will too!