Introvert Talks - Let's Talk About Hotels

"Introvert Talks" is meant to be a new initiative or theme, where I myself as an introvert, just talk about reflections and thoughts about my life, or maybe share more personal stuff. :)

This is my weekly post under this "Introvert Talks" theme and let's see where it takes me and us.

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Do you use the gym and the pool in the hotels?

When I was younger, most of my travelling consists of sightseeing and exploring the cities.

Hotels was more of just a place to place my luggage, return after a tiring day, take a shower, and have a good night rest. As such, I had no qualms picking basic ones, and coincidentally, I also had to work with tighter budget given I had less savings and income back then.

When I gradually got older, after having some years at work, a little of "lifestyle inflation" crept in, and there's always the thought (at the back on my head) that I should "reward" or "pamper" myself.

I began to view hotels as not just a place to shower and rest, but also part of the travelling experience. I started to pay more progressively from 4 star to 5 star hotels to experience these fancy places. I would enjoy the sumptuous spread in the morning at the breakfast buffet, and soak my worries and my fatigued feet at the end of the day in the bathtub (and not worry about utilities bills lol). Sometimes I get to enjoy good views of the city from the room or the infinity pools at the top of the hotel.

Fast forward to now (almost turning 40), especially after my recent trip, hotels had yet another different meaning to me.

While the hardware aspect (facilities) matters, I placed more emphasis on the software aspects (hospitality) and my needs. I began to go back to hotels that I enjoyed my stay experience, even though it might not be the most luxurious or even the cheapest option. Of course, I "blacklisted" hotels that I didn't enjoy as well. Occasionally, issues will crop up during the stay, and I think I have stayed enough hotels to be able to compare the different standards of service recovery by various hotels and chains.

Eventually, I also realised that it's probably wiser to stick to the same chain and accumulate some form of loyalty membership or status to enjoy more perks like complimentary room upgrades and late check outs. And inevitably, the service is tied to the level of status as well.

Anyway, back to this recent trip, it was more of a chill trip because I have been to the city multiple times and have more or less covered the touristy places. I wanted a decent hotel with exercise facilities like a gym and a pool, and I am glad with my choice. It's kind of ironic that I used to wonder who will spend their precious vacation time at the hotel gym and pool instead of out in the streets and malls... But here I am, spending my mornings clocking some exercise and lazing and getting some sun at the deck chairs, catching up on the news, messaging my friends, snapping like photos like this one, and enjoying the music and amazing view!

And for now, that's my way of vacation! What about you?