Why are all Hotels the same?

If there's something I can rant about then about the bland sameness everywhere I go. I do travel a lot.

The first time the idiocy that comes with "globalization" and "standardized customer service" and "convinience" struck me was when I landed on the South Pacific Fiji Islands. Instead of native colours, native customs, unique styles the first sing I saw when landing at the airport were: McDonalds, Shell Gas Station, Sheraton Hotel, Footlocker. Gone were the days one is greeted by guitar-playing islanders wearing flowers. Intsead, it looked just like anywhere else. "For the tourists convinience"

The loss of uniqueness, variety and diversity is the most obvious in Hotels. Ive seen them all...5 and 6-star luxury Hotels in Dubai and Italy to mid-range run-of-the-mill hotels to Shabby motels and hostels in Russia and Mexico.

How uncreative, uninspired, unindividual and uniform they are was brought home to me when I saw one Hotel that was actually different from all the rest. And it wasnt even an expensive one, somwhere mid-range. They had yoguhrts and snack-bars running on a conveyer-belt through the lobby. One of the walls in the hallway to my room was not a wall at all but an aquarium. The smoking-section outside had a king-size-fur-covered-chair with a built-in-ashtray. None of these things were made out of especially expensive material...but they were unique and fun. The patio of my room led to a pond and a zen-garden with works of art carved into the sand. On my pillow I found - not sweets or a "welcome card", like in all other hotels - but a card with an inspirational "quote of the day" + the weather forecast for that day. I'd never seen anything like it before.

There are many thousand other ideas I've had for pleasant and/or interesting hotels, but unfortunately most hotels choose to look, feel, sound, act the same. This is in part due to huge conglomerates, where one company owns several "different" chains and to mandatory standardization in order for a hotel to receive "ratings" in travel guides.

Some people cherish the neutrality that motels and hotels offer because then they "know what to expect". I find it unbearably dull if I already "know what to expect" beforehand.

This is especially disgusting in places of mass-tourism, where you have one hotel after another lined-up along a beach, not a single one any different from the other...full of people who's predictable habits are just about as bland as the hotels.

The one thing that you have to remember about these places is that their economy is driven by tourism. They want the tourists to be comfortable, and they want them to feel like they're at home. Most people want to be able to relax, and if they go somewhere that's totally different than they're used to, they're not comfortable.

The economy of Hawaii for example, the highest spender is the military, followed closely by tourism. If tourists go there and don't like it, they go home and tell their friends, and if their friends were going on vacation, maybe they go somewhere else now. So they try to make it look like home, so people tell their friends and tell them to go there.

reply to post by Zaphod58

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Yes...but most Hotels neither feel comfortable nor like "at home". They are neutralized and standardized.

Also...I dont think people really enjoy everything to be convinient and familiar...its only what they've gotten used to and now have to higher expectations.

reply to post by Skyfloating

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I think they bombard us with Mc Donalds and Starbucks etc for the familiarity. This is a prime example of how that breeds contempt.

I agree i would much rather see the " flavor" and vibe of the locale i am visiting. It truly does water down the experience when everywhere you go, it looks the same.

reply to post by Skyfloating

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Yes, they're neutral, but they're FAMILIAR. If you've been in a hotel, you know what to expect. One hotel is the same as another most of the time. People like that familiarity.

Familiarity...yeah.

I guess people are still at a stage were they really struggle anytime anything unfamiliar comes up.

I used to love Starbucks...the whole vibe and atmosphere and style. After seeing it pop up almost everywhere, I cant stand it.

I agree, I am usually disappointed by the chain hotels.. I would much rather stay in a dive motel, for the "patina", interesting characters who own them, and the oddity of the "arrangements". The best hotel I ever stayed in was the La Fonda in Santa Fe. Every room was different. The artistic touches were wonderful.. The second best was a little dive cottage collection on the beach. It had a bed that seemed like I was spending the night at my grandma's. It wasn't nice, but it was quaint and clean, and we had the best time. I met the people staying next door and we had to compare our cottages because they were different... They borrowed some of our cookware because they were making a big dinner. It was fun.

fur and hot ashes? not a good idea... eww.

I ate at the table to the right of the center tree..and the food....yum!!

They still have the original guest sign in books... some legendary people have stayed there.

[edit on 22-11-2008 by seagrass]

yep! boring. The coffee is even tasting run of the mill.

I went to a McDonalds in Germany and it was so cool. They had carpet, and a train going around the room. It was actually a nice restaurant. Nice furniture.. and it wasn't plastic orange and red. It was in the ski motif.. Loved it. The food tasted better too.

The only "different" McDonalds I ever saw was also in Germany...at a skiing resort. It was so different that I was happy to be there. It was made to look like a wooden mountain cottage. Inside you could sit on lounge sofas with a view of spectacular scenery.

This guy sure wasnt following McDonalds Franchise guidelines.

Best Burger ever: Burger In-and-Out, Freeway 101, CA.

Sounds like the same place to me?
Best burger? My house....
Best Pizza... Woodstocks Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

reply to post by Skyfloating

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Understandable and I can see your point of view.

When I traveled for pleasure, the quaint bed and breakfasts or the remote cabins were my first pick. But when I had to travel for work as a flight attendant, it was very nice to be set up in something standard. When you're going to Narita one day, come back home for three days, then are shipped off to Dusseldorf, then come back for three days, then get shipped off to Lima, to infinity, it can be very nice to know what to expect and to lessen the impact of culture shock. Even then, I still had to pack things like electric outlet adapters and such to adjust.

It's nice to have the standard for business and the off the beaten path places for vacation.

I totally hear you about things like McDonalds, though. The only time I appreciated seeing one of those was in London. The meal servings at restaurants in England are so skimpy that I needed some artery-clogging American fast food to fill me up.

One of the best meals I ever appreciated was McDonalds as I arrived in New York from two weeks in the Soviet Union....Never had I appreciated ketchup so much after surviving on bread, chocolate, and tea.....nevermind the Vodka...

[edit on 22-11-2008 by seagrass]

I didnt realize you mainland american ATSers were so travel-savvy...

AshleyD in Lima from DDorf, seagrass from Moscow to NewYork.

Anyway...Im done with vacationing where everyone else vacations. I want my next one to me taking a snowmobile through northern Canada or Scandinavia and staying at an ice-hotel.

reply to post by Skyfloating

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I would do that too. They build it new every year too.

Is it true than in ice hotels the only drink they can serve is Vodka since it doesn't freeze? Just asking. Hubby told me that once but I have no idea.

yeah, and it looks cool with the blue stuff they put in it, and light up ice cubes... A great reason to buy an awesome fur parka.. no? hee

I skied Immenstadt.. so the McDonalds was in the nearest town to that..... Southern Germany... near Austria.

reply to post by Skyfloating

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Unfortunately most people DON'T like things that are different. They want some different, but they want to have some things that are familiar so that they feel comfortable. So until that changes, hotels and other places will always be similar.

Most people...but what about you?