Outrageous hotel luxuries. by By Rebecca Ruiz, August 25, 2008

THE hotel industry started more than a century ago when stagecoach outposts gave overland travellers a refuge from the elements, and little else.

Nowadays, however, five-star properties offer well-heeled guests spa treatments, personal butlers and even room service for pets.

High-end properties, says American Hotel & Lodging Association president Joe McInerney, aspire to give guests a "home away from home." Of the luxury hotels recently surveyed by the AH&LA, 81 per cent had flat screen TVs and about 60 per cent had docking stations and DVD players.

Since such features are standard at most properties, hotels distinguish themselves by focusing on outstanding service. At Keswick Hall, a colonial-style mansion at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, new mothers can call on the baby butler. This attendant warms bottles, places a rocking chair and personalized crib in the room and rocks the baby to sleep while mom soaks in the tub.

At the Ritz Madrid in Spain, monogrammed robes are placed in a guest's room before arrival. At Jade Mountain, a Caribbean resort, a poem is placed on each pillow at turn down.

Tasty treats for furry friends

Other hotels target a specific type of guest, like the pet-owner or environmentalist. The Lowell New York offers room service for pets, with choices like filet mignon tartar and organic buffalo marrow bone.

At the Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the West Indies, guests can contribute to local conservation efforts by paying to adopt an endangered sea turtle, which has been tagged with a satellite transmitter for research purposes. Adoptive guests then monitor their turtles' migratory patterns via an Internet-based program.

Many luxury hotels have also shifted from a staid atmosphere to one that indulges their guests' interests, whether that's gourmet food or adventurous excursions.

The Enchantment Resort, a spa in Sedona, Ariz., has outfitted room terraces with built-in grills and offers an assortment of meats which are delivered by room service. At the Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand, guests can fly by private plane to a secluded island, where they'll watch the sun rise over breakfast. This may sound unoriginal, but the most sophisticated hotels integrate a guest's every whim to make the experience truly memorable.

Such extravagances will only become more common among luxury hotels since fierce competition begets stand-out services and amenities. (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)