B efore I reveal to you this revered list of the supposed top 20 luxury hotel brands in the world, please allow me to refresh what is the definition of luxury as according to the Oxford Dictionaries:
luxury |ˈləkSH(ə)rē, ˈləgZH(ə)-|noun (pl. luxuries)
the state of great comfort and extravagant living: he lived a life of luxury.
Keeping that definition in mind, I now present to you the top 20 luxury hotel brands in the world:
- Travelodge
- Days Inn
- Best Western
- Fairfield Inn
- Quality Inn
- Motel 6
- Microtel Inns & Suites
- Super 8
- Knights Inn
- Ramada Inn
- Howard Johnson
- Red Roof Inn
- La Quinta
- Rodeway Inn
- Sleep Inn
- Hampton Inn
- Four Points by Sheraton
- Country Inns & Suites
- Sol Meliã
- Ibis Hotels
While there are some good hotel properties amongst the lodging brands listed above, it would be absolutely ridiculous to call even the best of them luxury hotel brands; but although the following list from the World Luxury Index Hotels report as the result of a collaboration of Digital Luxury Group partners with Samad Laaroussi — who is the chairperson of luxury hospitality at École Hôtelière de Lausanne — would be considered significantly closer to real than the mock list I conjured, much of it would be considered absurd as well by purists of those who patronize luxury hotel properties:
- Hilton
- Sheraton
- Westin
- Four Seasons
- Ritz-Carlton
- Hyatt
- Renaissance
- Embassy Suites
- InterContinental
- Hyatt Regency
- Shangri-La
- Wyndham
- Grand Hyatt
- Fairmont
- JW Marriott
- Sofitel
- Loews
- Mandarin Oriental
- Conrad
- Peninsula
…so where are St. Regis, Jumeirah, Waldorf Astoria and Oberoi on this list — and how are Hilton, Sheraton and Westin ranked above Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont?
What the heck is Wyndham doing on that list? Wyndham? A luxury hotel brand? The state of great comfort and extravagant living?!?
I must be missing something here.
Please do not misunderstand me: I have enjoyed what I considered to be excellent experiences — comfortable room, attentive service, excellent food, spectacular views, executive lounge access — with some of the hotel brands listed above; but many of them would not be considered luxury, in my opinion.
“Please, let’s not compare FS to Waldorf-Astoria or St. Regis”, opined FlyerTalk member oneworld82 in response to this article I wrote on March 27, 2013 pertaining to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts reportedly set to launch its own frequent guest loyalty program. “This is simply another league! If anything, you can put FS, R-C, Peninsula and MO on the same league… perhaps only, though.”
Do you agree with oneworld82? Better yet, do you agree with the list by Digital Luxury Group and Samad Laaroussi?
Please list your top luxury hotel brands in the world in the Comments section below; and also feel free to list your favorite luxury hotel properties — even if they are independent hotel properties and not part of a brand or chain.
