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These are mostly positional items. The four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door. The rooms are basically the same, the fixtures at the fo

These are mostly positional items. The four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door. The rooms are basically the same, the fixtures at the four seasons are fancier, the bedding is prettier, some random furniture may be sourced from a different supplier. The four seasons will be in a location which has somewhat better views. The four seasons has prettier and more attentive staff, and there are less "less well off" at the four seasons. And you get to brag that you went to the "four seasons" but it really isn't that much better. It's almost all status.

sarchertech 1y ago
I stayed at the 4 seasons a few years ago just to give it a try. Not even remotely worth it. The only real difference I noticed was the obsequiousness of the staff. If you want hotel employees to kiss your ass and pretend to respect you, then this is the place for you. But the quality of the room wasn’t noticeably better than other places I’ve stayed. I will give you a good example of something that most upper middle class people can’t afford or at least can’t afford frequently. Disney World VIP tours. My wife has family who are club 33 members and they gifted us a VIP tour as a wedding present. The tour guide drives you around to the different parks and walks you backstage through tunnels and hidden areas to get you the very front of any ride you want to go on.
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  > the quality of the room wasn’t noticeably better than other places I’ve stayed I broadly agree with you on their hotels. But I’d note that Four Seasons doesn’t compete on room quality, but service. If you planned your stay perfectly they shouldn’t outperform. But if you forgot something, or need help with something weird, they have a habit of being halfway legendary. (Colleague left his suit at home. They had one made overnight. Concierge apparently knew a suit maker’s cell.)
  - bombcar 1y ago
    This is exactly it. The middle class (even upper) aren’t really used to the “mention something, get it fixed” type of lifestyle. But that’s what you’re paying for.
  - song 1y ago
    Memorable experience at a four seasons in Shenzhen (memorable for how well they fixed my screwups that is), I had forgotten my laptop charger (apple laptop). They didn't have any I could borrow, went to the apple store to buy one and lent it to me. I forgot my phone in the taxi arriving at the airport. Noticed immediately, I tried calling my phone, the taxi driver hung up immediately on me (so he knew I left my phone there and was probably planning on selling it). I called Four Seasons, they had kept a record of the taxi number, got the phone fedexed it to my destination.
JumpCrisscross 1y ago
> four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door I’m not comparing the hotels, I’m comparing their yacht and jet programmes. Status signalling is mostly an upper middle class game—the truly wealthy tend to use their wealth to buy power or privacy.
rangestransform 1y ago
These days I feel like I’m getting nickel-and-dimed more at the grand Hyatt than at Hyatt place
nunez 1y ago
Depends on which one you go to. Supposedly the experience is insanely better internationally. Regardless, at luxury hotels, the rooms are nice, sure [^0], but you're mostly paying for top-tier service. If you want to travel somewhere within the US where you _know_ your room will be tip-top and don't want to lift a finger, the Four Seasons/Ritz/St. Regis is it. [^0] They do have some huge, amazing suites that you won't find at a Westin, though.
petesergeant 1y ago
> The four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door I think it would be more fair to say that the Four Seasons isn't materially better than the _Conrad_ next door. I've stayed in some amazing Hilton-branded properties, but also some terrible ones. I guess I am expecting the hotel brand to denote the _minimum_ level of comfort, and there are some Hiltons that truly drag along the bottom, where I'd be very surprised to find myself at a shitty Four Seasons (or Conrad, which is the HHG's next step up from a Hilton).

sarchertech 1y ago

I stayed at the 4 seasons a few years ago just to give it a try. Not even remotely worth it. The only real difference I noticed was the obsequiousness of the staff. If you want hotel employees to kiss your ass and pretend to respect you, then this is the place for you. But the quality of the room wasn’t noticeably better than other places I’ve stayed. I will give you a good example of something that most upper middle class people can’t afford or at least can’t afford frequently. Disney World VIP tours. My wife has family who are club 33 members and they gifted us a VIP tour as a wedding present. The tour guide drives you around to the different parks and walks you backstage through tunnels and hidden areas to get you the very front of any ride you want to go on.

JumpCrisscross 1y ago
> the quality of the room wasn’t noticeably better than other places I’ve stayed I broadly agree with you on their hotels. But I’d note that Four Seasons doesn’t compete on room quality, but service. If you planned your stay perfectly they shouldn’t outperform. But if you forgot something, or need help with something weird, they have a habit of being halfway legendary. (Colleague left his suit at home. They had one made overnight. Concierge apparently knew a suit maker’s cell.)
- bombcar 1y ago
  This is exactly it. The middle class (even upper) aren’t really used to the “mention something, get it fixed” type of lifestyle. But that’s what you’re paying for.
- song 1y ago
  Memorable experience at a four seasons in Shenzhen (memorable for how well they fixed my screwups that is), I had forgotten my laptop charger (apple laptop). They didn't have any I could borrow, went to the apple store to buy one and lent it to me. I forgot my phone in the taxi arriving at the airport. Noticed immediately, I tried calling my phone, the taxi driver hung up immediately on me (so he knew I left my phone there and was probably planning on selling it). I called Four Seasons, they had kept a record of the taxi number, got the phone fedexed it to my destination.

JumpCrisscross 1y ago

> four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door I’m not comparing the hotels, I’m comparing their yacht and jet programmes. Status signalling is mostly an upper middle class game—the truly wealthy tend to use their wealth to buy power or privacy.

rangestransform 1y ago

These days I feel like I’m getting nickel-and-dimed more at the grand Hyatt than at Hyatt place

nunez 1y ago

Depends on which one you go to. Supposedly the experience is insanely better internationally. Regardless, at luxury hotels, the rooms are nice, sure [^0], but you're mostly paying for top-tier service. If you want to travel somewhere within the US where you _know_ your room will be tip-top and don't want to lift a finger, the Four Seasons/Ritz/St. Regis is it. [^0] They do have some huge, amazing suites that you won't find at a Westin, though.

petesergeant 1y ago

> The four seasons isn't materially better than the hilton next door I think it would be more fair to say that the Four Seasons isn't materially better than the _Conrad_ next door. I've stayed in some amazing Hilton-branded properties, but also some terrible ones. I guess I am expecting the hotel brand to denote the _minimum_ level of comfort, and there are some Hiltons that truly drag along the bottom, where I'd be very surprised to find myself at a shitty Four Seasons (or Conrad, which is the HHG's next step up from a Hilton).