For our ten year anniversary a few years ago, I surprised my wife with a weekend getaway to Charleston. Truth be told, we got married in Beaufort and prefer to visit there most of the time, but I figured it was a good idea to change it up a bit. Since this was a special occasion, I splurged and booked an upscale hotel in the heart of the city.
Our room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived. After many apologies, the desk clerk asked us if we’d like to wait at the bar where we’d receive a complimentary beverage. We both opted for a glass of champagne. When our room was ready, the bartender asked me to sign a zeroed out bill for the drinks. It was then that I realized we were in for an expensive weekend. Those two glasses of champagne, had we paid, would’ve cost us nearly $50.
When I booked the room, I knew almost anything we purchased at the hotel would have a pretty hefty markup. Until we downed those glasses of bubbly, I had no idea how hefty that markup would be.
As I sat poolside sipping on a $20 Mojito, the concept of luxury occurred to me. Was the drink in my hand worth what I had paid for it? It was delicious and the pool had a beautiful view of Charleston’s church steepled skyline but it was hard for me to justify paying so much for liquid in a glass. It was then that I realized what I considered luxury was different than what many would consider luxurious.
Having a corporate job for many years, I was able to use an expense account for hotels and restaurants I wouldn’t have otherwise paid for out of my own pocket. Although there is a huge difference between a Comfort Inn and a Ritz Carlton or an Applebee’s and a Ruth’s Chris, there are layers of luxury in between. Staying at an upper end Hilton for instance can be almost as nice as the five star option down the street. The same could be said for the local steak house offering great food and service at a lower price than the upper end chain equivalent.
It’s easy to stay and eat anywhere when you’re not footing the bill. It’s another thing entirely when you are. The hotel definitely provided a high end level of comfort and service we wouldn’t have received elsewhere; however, was it really worth paying 30-40% more out of pocket for everything? Rather than attempt to answer this question while we were enjoying our weekend, I tabled my thoughts and revisited them when I got home.
Once I had time to reflect, I had zero guilt for staying where we did. Special occasions are meant to be special and the weekend we had with each other certainly was. Having said that, we both agreed there was no need for us to stay in a similar upscale hotel in the future. The level of pretension as we walked through the lobby was enough to make us uncomfortable to the point of embarrassment. Not for us, but for those who felt the need to drape themselves in designer everything while forcing their Botox ingested lips to smile as we passed. In the end, this high end hotel proved to be too much pomp and not enough circumstance.
Our Honda Pilot wasn’t causing any heads to turn when it was parked outside the hotel and neither were we. Our idea of luxury is having money in the bank to buy what we want, when we want it (within reason). It’s reasonable to like nice things, but only those that fit within your lifestyle and budget. Any luxurious purchase should be rooted in the reality that choices need to be made and economies within a budget need to be found.
For the record, no amount of economizing is going to make Applebee’s seem appetizing.
I have my limits.
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