INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE HOTEL INDUSTRY
MOST LUXURIOUS HOTELS IN THE WORLD
It’s impossible to definitively say which one is at the top of this list, so we’ll give you our three suggestions:
Most Luxurious Hotels in the World
"Burj Al Arab"
“Burj Al Arab” in Dubai. The hotel is one of the emblems of the United Arab Emirates. It’s built on an artificial island 280 meters from the shore. The building is shaped like a ship’s sail, and even though it’s over 20 years old (opened in 1999), it still evokes amazement today. There’s a helipad on the roof, where even an exhibition tennis match featuring Andre Agassi and Roger Federer was organized. The restaurants and bars with ocean views are simply breathtaking. The “smallest” suite in the “Burj Al Arab” is 169 square meters, and the largest is about 780 square meters.
Stays range from $1,000 to $15,000 per night, and for their Royal Penthouse, it’s $28,000 (prices before the current situation). Each room has a butler who caters to all the guests’ wishes. The rooms are lavishly decorated, with golden ornaments throughout the interior. The panoramic elevators and the underwater entrance to one of the restaurants are just some of the unique luxuries. Guests are transported around the hotel in Rolls-Royces. Two infinity pools, a private beach, a spa center with all kinds of treatments, and of course, boutiques of world-renowned fashion brands contribute to the feeling of being in paradise itself.
Most Luxurious Hotels in the World
"Emirates Palace"
“Emirates Palace” in Abu Dhabi – About 20,000 people from over 50 different nationalities participated in the construction of this incredible project. It is said that more than 2 billion pounds were invested in its construction. We can’t overlook the trees with leaves made of 22-carat gold, the chandeliers made of Swarovski crystals (over 1,000), the 114 domes, including the largest in the world, even bigger than the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The hotel has its own marina and
Three people are assigned to take care of each guest. They cater to their every wish, including accompanying them on walks through the hotel’s exquisite gardens (over 4,000 acres). Here, the customer’s comfort is truly paramount, so there are 140 elevators to avoid frustrating waits. The private beach is so vast that there’s plenty of room for all guests, so they don’t have to worry about reserving spots in advance. In total, the hotel has 302 rooms and 92 suites. In addition, there are 16 Palace Suites on the sixth and seventh floors.
The suites are furnished in gold and marble and often host heads of state and leaders of various countries. A Christmas tree for 11 million dollars? Yes, the hotel boasted the most expensive Christmas tree in December 2010. The most affordable price in the low season is around $400 per night, reaching up to $11,500 for their most luxurious suite. The refined taste of visitors is catered to in 14 top-level restaurants.
Most Luxurious Hotels in the World
"Mardan Palace"
“Mardan Palace” in Antalya – Our neighbors in Turkey are proud of this jewel of the hotel industry. The investment amounted to 1.4 billion dollars. The hotel has more than 560 modern, high-class rooms. The complex boasts one of the largest outdoor pools in Europe, with a special aquarium and fountains in the center. There’s an underwater reef in the pool where guests can dive in a controlled environment among fish. Like the properties mentioned above, “Mardan Palace” also has its own private beach exclusively for its guests. The sand was brought in from Egypt.
“Mardan Palace” has 8 restaurants serving various authentic specialties from Russian, Thai, French, Japanese, and, of course, Mediterranean cuisine. There’s a panoramic bar overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. They’ve also thought about those dedicated to Eastern philosophy, with a special meditation room offering a peaceful view of the indoor pool. Additional services include a spa center, fitness center, and a beauty center with exotic therapies.
THE OLDEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD
Yes! This is not uncommon. We’ll list some of them below:
Oldest Hotel in the World
"Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan"
Do you think the hotel industry is 100, 200, or at most 300 years old? We’ll surprise you by revealing that the oldest accommodation opened its doors over 1300 years ago in Japan. The hotel “Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan” (we don’t guarantee the correct spelling of the name, you understand why) has been operating continuously since its founding in 705 to this day. This place began offering shelter to guests seeking healing in the hot medicinal waters in the town of Hayakawa on Honshu Island.
In 2011, “Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan” was officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest hotel in the world. An interesting fact is that since its founding, it has remained a family business, and now 52 generations of the family continue the work of the founder, Fujiwara Mahito. It is considered one of the oldest continuously run businesses. In its modern form, the hotel has 35 rooms, and the price of one night starts at $460.
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN HOTELS
Famous people who lived in hotels
Coco Chanel, David Beckham, and others
- French fashion designer Coco Chanel lived for over 30 years at the Ritz in Paris. In her honor, after her death in 1971, the suite she occupied was renamed “The Coco Chanel Suite.”
- For a considerable time during his stay at Real Madrid, David Beckham lived with his family in a hotel.
- Bob Dylan lived at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
- For several years, Ernest Hemingway was a resident of the Ambos Mundos Hotel in Cuba.
- For an extended period, Robert De Niro lived at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. He now even owns a hotel in Tribeca, a western neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.
- John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston lived at the Pink Beach Club hotel in Bermuda for almost a year.
- Elizabeth Taylor lived at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles when she was married to Nicky Hilton.
THE RICHEST OWNER
in the hotel industry
The richest owner in the hotel industry
Sheldon Adelson
Until recently, this was the magnate Sheldon Adelson, with an estimated fortune of about 35 billion dollars. (Now transferred to the hands of his heirs after his death on January 11, 2021). We decided to introduce you to him because we believe he was and will remain an iconic figure in the global tourism sector. He founded the Las Vegas Sands group. His holding employs 50,000 people, mainly distributed in his luxury hotels and casinos. Sheldon Adelson started his business ventures at the age of 12, selling newspapers with $200 borrowed from his uncle, and also went through a candy vending machine business.
The idea that marked the beginning of the accumulation of his vast wealth emerged in the late 1970s. This idea was Comdex – an exhibition in Las Vegas for the then relatively new computer trade, which was held for the first time in 1979 (he didn’t understand technology, but that didn’t stop him from realizing his innovative idea). It subsequently became the largest in the world. He also developed in the field of charter flights and transportation. Then he gradually entered the gambling and hotel business, which extends from Las Vegas to China, Macau, and Singapore.
His name is also associated with politics, as Adelson was a major supporter and donor to the Republican Party and, more specifically, to Donald Trump. The amounts he donated amounted to more than 300 million dollars. Due to his Jewish roots on his father’s side and the origin of his second wife, Miriam, Sheldon financially assisted the Israeli community. He also had close relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last year, Forbes magazine ranked Adelson 28th on its list of the world’s billionaires. He will remain an inspiration to many young enthusiasts who decide to venture into the depths of business and try to build a thriving business empire from scratch.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL ROOMS
in the world
Most Expensive Hotel Rooms
Hotel "The Mark"
One of them is at the hotel “The Mark,” located in New York City, specifically in the heart of Manhattan. It’s surrounded by museums, shops, restaurants, and business buildings. The rooms there are the work of renowned French interior designer Jacques Grange. Would you like to know the price tag for a night in their Penthouse Suite (a large apartment)? For the luxury of gazing at Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you’ll need to pay the modest sum of $75,000 per night. Quite a bit, isn’t it? There are people who gladly part with that kind of money. It’s seen as a matter of prestige.
Most Expensive Hotel Rooms
Hotel „President Wilson“
We’ll surprise you – there’s an even more expensive hotel. Where do you think it’s located? In America again? No, my friends. It’s the Hotel “President Wilson” in Geneva, Switzerland. Overlooking Lake Geneva, it’s set against the breathtaking backdrop of the northernmost parts of Mont Blanc. Elegantly furnished, it boasts 226 stylish rooms. The most attractive and, consequently, the most expensive accommodation at the Hotel “President Wilson” is the Royal Penthouse Suite. It occupies the entire eighth floor of the hotel and is furnished with a piano, a telescope for stargazing, a vast terrace, 12 bedrooms, and a 103-inch television screen (you have your own cinema in the apartment). We almost forgot to mention the price. Brace yourselves – for one night, you’ll need to pay $80,000. We wish you such a standard of living that you can afford it.
Most Expensive Hotel Rooms
Hotel "Palms Casino Resort"
And now we’ve reached the most expensive room we managed to find. Yes, you read that right. There’s a hotel with a higher suite price than the previous two. It’s the “Palms Casino Resort” in Las Vegas. Here, of course, given the location and the name of the establishment, there’s a large 24-hour casino and various types of restaurants. The hotel is a masterpiece of interior design and architecture. The ambiance exudes unparalleled contemporary luxury. It’s time to tell you the price of their suite – “The Empathy Suite Sky Villa.” It’s $100,000 per night (with a minimum stay of two nights, meaning $200,000). Its design is the work of the British artist Damien Hirst. The suite includes two bedrooms, a massage room, a salt room for recovery, a jacuzzi, a 13-seat bar, and a pool on the terrace with an incredible view (it’s shallow, but still a pool). Everything is made of marble and glass. A dizzying atmosphere, a dizzying price. These values are “astronomical” for our reality, but there are people who pay them and even get upset if it’s not available for their desired date and event.
P.S. We must mention that there’s a submarine, the “Lovers Deep Luxury Submarine, St. Lucia,” which offers overnight accommodation for $150,000. It provides guests with exceptional comfort and luxury. You spend the entire time at a significant depth, observing marine wonders. Surely, they will surprise us soon with even more incredible prices for a night’s stay, but after our thorough research, we arrived at these.
THE LONGEST FLIGHTS
in the world
Longest Flights
From New York to Singapore
How long do you think is a long time to be in the air? 8 hours, 10 hours? If you ever need to travel the distance from New York to Singapore (15,350 kilometers), be prepared for a stay on the plane of about 19 hours. This is considered the longest non-stop flight in the world. It’s operated by Singapore Airlines, using Airbus 350 aircraft. The more precise duration of the flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to Singapore Changi Airport is 18 hours and 40 minutes. This route, like many others, was affected by the pandemic and temporarily suspended. In November, it was reinstated with a reduced schedule. Other similar flights are also operated by Singapore Airlines, such as from Los Angeles and San Francisco, again with Singapore as the final destination. Their durations are 17 hours and 50 minutes, and 17 hours and 35 minutes, respectively. In these cases, it’s a good idea to have your carry-on bag loaded with a good book or to have recently updated the music on your mobile devices.
OVERBOOKING
Hotels accept more reservations than available rooms – “overbooking.”
overbooking
More Reservations Than Availability
Are you wondering how this is possible and why they do it? The image of arriving at a hotel reception and hearing “Sorry, we don’t have any available rooms” immediately comes to mind. And you booked your dream vacation a month in advance. Relax. In most cases, this is a calculated risk by the management team, and such situations don’t arise. The question is, however, why this strategy is employed.
The logic is that in the modern world of travel, many guests, for various reasons, fail to realize their plans and utilize their reservations. This most often happens at the last minute – something “comes up,” and you’re prevented from going on a business trip or vacation (especially in the current situation). The reasons can be countless. Precisely because of this, especially large hotels in popular destinations allow themselves “overbooking” within an acceptable percentage. This way, they avoid losses from no-shows. If it happens that all those who made reservations actually arrive, they simply turn to colleagues for assistance and redirect the guests, compensating them either with better rooms in another hotel or with free treatments and compliments.
If people are very disappointed, it can happen that the “guilty” hotel fully covers the cost of the stay. Risk and reward, risk and loss. Certainly, no one will sleep under the stars unless they choose to. Here, we’ll mention that other hotels have the opposite policy. They always keep a few rooms in reserve for regular guests. They can’t afford to turn them away. It’s a matter of choice. Every manager and owner decides how to proceed. We hope that the time when this dilemma exists – whether to keep rooms for loyal guests or allow “overbooking” to avoid losses – will soon be restored.
THE LARGEST HOTEL CHAINS
We’ll introduce you to companies that are giants in terms of the number of properties and thousands of rooms worldwide. You’ve surely heard of them, and now you’ll learn a bit more about them. Some figures are impressive, let’s see them:
Largest Hotel Chains
"Best Western"
We start with “Best Western.” This chain is also the most widespread in Bulgaria compared to other global brands. In its portfolio, it has about 4,700 hotels in 90 countries, with almost half located in North America. It was founded in 1946 with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Its annual revenue is estimated at 3.1 billion dollars. The chain has three commercial divisions based on the level of service offered and requirements: “Best Western,” “Best Western Plus,” and “Best Western Premier.” They boast 35 million customers who are members of their loyalty program and enjoy privileges at all their properties.
Largest Hotel Chains
"Hilton"
We can’t miss mentioning “Hilton.” The company was founded way back in 1919 in Virginia. It boasts 6,200 hotels spread across 118 countries. The number of rooms in “Hilton Worldwide Holdings” is 980,000. Their annual revenue in non-pandemic times amounts to 9.5 billion dollars. Under its umbrella, “Hilton” has 14 different brands on 6 continents. In Bulgaria, they are represented by their property in Sofia, which opened its doors 20 years ago (245 rooms on 8 floors and 17 suites).
Largest Hotel Chains
"Marriott International "
The chain with the largest number of rooms globally is “Marriott International.” Under its management are 7,500 hotels with over 1.4 million rooms in 131 countries. Again, it was founded in America in 1927. Its net annual revenue is 21 billion dollars. At “Marriott,” they are dedicated to the principle of providing an exceptional experience to their guests, with over 110 million customers in their loyalty programs. Here, we’ll also mention another interesting fact – the name of the company’s founder, John Marriott, is associated with the 30-minute principle for cleaning a hotel room. A 66-step guide was created on how to organize the work of refreshing and maintaining a room. This practical achievement is used not only by the chain but also by other hotels around the world to this day.
Largest Hotel Chains
„Wyndham Hotels Resorts“
The chain with the largest number of hotels is “Wyndham Hotels Resorts.” They boast over 9,300 hotels in 75 different countries. Interestingly, their total number of rooms is almost half that of “Marriott,” at 830,000. “Wyndham” is a relatively newer establishment, founded in 1981, also in America, specifically in New Jersey. According to data, their official annual revenue is 4 billion dollars.
