I stayed in 5-star luxury hotels around the world for the first time and 10 things surprised me, from welcome gifts to pillow menus

Cheap Airbnbs, free campsites, and sleepless nights crammed in cars in Walmart parking lots used to be the norm for me. Because when it comes to travel, I typically prioritize experiences over accommodations in order to stretch my money to get to faraway places.

But over the last year and a half, I was finally in a position to pivot away from that strategy for the first time, and got a taste of what it's like to travel lavishly in luxury hotels.

My introduction to luxury started during a train trip to Miami in October 2021. I paid $864 to spend one night in the iconic Villa Casa Casuarina, a luxury boutique hotel with only 12 rooms known as the Versace Mansion as it was once home to the late fashion designer, Gianni Versace. The hotel caters to celebrities like the Kardashians, according to People magazine. It was my first experience at a luxury hotel, and once I experienced this level of service, it left me craving more upscale stays. 

So in August 2022, when I took a train trip to Canada, I decided to spend $500 for one night at the Vogue Hotel in downtown Montreal, Canada, which is part of Hilton's Curio Collection, a selection of upscale hotels by the brand, according to the hotel's website.

Just a few days later, I spent $600 on a one-night stay at the historic, castle-like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Canada, where prominent figures like Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alfred Hitchcock, and Queen Elizabeth II have stayed, according to AFAR Magazine. It also claims to be the most photographed in the world, the same source reports.

And recently, during another train trip through four European countries in October 2022, I paid $1,100 to spend one night at the Bulgari Hotel and Spa, which is the Italian jeweler Bulgari's boutique hotel in Milan. With returning celebrity guests like Sting, Travel and Leisure called it one of the most fashionable hotels in Italy.  

These luxury hotel stays came with many unexpected surprises that convinced me that the added comforts and better rest they provide improve my travel experiences — and will make it quite hard to ever go back to sleeping in a tent.

I usually book cheap hotels where the room keys I'm handed at check-in are sometimes finicky and often unremarkable. Truthfully, they were never even something I ever really thought about before, as I typically find that room keys look like credit cards and sometimes don't work if they've touched my phone.

Plus, those who know me know I lose things all the time. It's such a problem that I stuff my essentials in my pockets to avoid using purses and leave my umbrella at home when it's raining. So, keeping track of room keys is typically an anxiety-inducing task for me. 

So when I checked into the Versace Mansion and was handed a golden key with a tiny replica of the hotel's mission bell attached to a keychain, I was relieved that I could clip it to the key chain that I carry everywhere, making me less likely to lose it.

I thought this was a small thing that elevated my stay. The physical key also felt to me like a tiny touch that was an example of the high level of detail that five-star hotels offer. The key was not only easier for me to hold onto, but it was so much more memorable than a standard key card, too.

Even in budget hotels, I love the feeling of stepping into my room for the first time. Seeing the neat, clean space and perfectly-made bed after a tiring day of travel makes me feel a sense of relief and calmness. 

But I had no idea that at luxury hotels, this moment could make me feel even cozier with a warm welcome note from the hotel accompanied by a small gift. 

When I first entered my rooms at the Vogue Hotel in Montreal and the Bulgari Hotel in Milan, I was greeted by brief, handwritten notes that included my name, which made my stay feel more personal, like I wasn't just another guest.

Additionally, both notes came with small gifts that felt like going above and beyond the typical guest experience to really make me feel like a VIP.

On top of the note at the Vogue Hotel was a small jar of maple honey, which I took home with me.

And next to the note at the Bulgari Hotel was a glass jar of chocolate cookies, which I enjoyed during my stay.

I thought that these welcome perks were surprising delights that made me feel even more comfortable in each hotel. 

During budget stays, service isn't something I think about. But in luxury hotels, I was treated to many services and amenities meant to make my stay more relaxing, from access to a sleek pool to having a concierge arrange tours and excursions. 

As a guest of the Versace Mansion, I was invited to swim in a mosaic pool made of thousands of 24k gold tiles, according to the hotel's website. There was also a posh restaurant, bar, and rooftop terrace.

At the Vogue Hotel in Montréal, I could use a fitness center and make requests of the hotel concierge.

During my stay at the Fairmont Château Frontenac, I was pampered by amenity options like a dip in the hotel pool, steam baths, or whirlpool, while bellmen and a concierge waited to help me with any task. The hotel also has a fitness center, an on-site florist, restaurants, boutiques, and access to luxury car rentals and electric vehicle charging stations, according to their website. 

In Milan at the Bulgari Hotel, the spa has a gold-tiled indoor pool, sauna, and fitness center. The hotel also has on-site dining and concierge services who can help organize private villa and museum tours, hydroplane trips, and excursions to exclusive destinations by private planes, limousines, and yachts, according to their website. They also have personal shoppers, trainers, and luxury car rentals, according to the same source. 

All these services and amenities made me think how luxury hotel stays can make a trip easier and more relaxing by anticipating guests' every need or whim so they don't have to lift a finger.

Comfort is more important to me than aesthetics in a hotel room, but when booking luxury stays, I expected both to be top-notch. And that's what I got — stylish rooms with framed artwork, modern fixtures, and lavish decor.

But I wasn't expecting so many lighting options, and appreciated the variety more than any other feature of these five-star hotel rooms.

That's because I went to school for photography, and my studies left me feeling constantly captivated by lighting. I love the way lights of varying shapes and brightness coming from different directions illuminate people, objects, and scenes in different ways.

At the Vogue and Bulgari hotels, my rooms had an array of lights that surprised me with thin decorative lines, illuminated headboards, and soft glowing accents around the rooms.

And in my room at the Versace Mansion, I thought the colorful stained glass windows produced the same dynamic effect. Throughout the day, I noticed different colors from the windows reflecting on the room's furniture. I thought this gave the room an ever-changing glow that was more impressive to me than any of the decor inside. 

I've come to not expect much from in-room amenities in budget bookings. I typically get a hair dryer, shower soaps, and the occasional iron. 

But my luxury stays included bonus items that made my stay even more luxurious. 

Each hotel had a coffee maker in the room with complimentary teas and pods. 

And at the Fairmont Château Frontenac, some luxury amenities are available upon request for no additional charge, like a humidifier or a bed board to make the mattress firmer, according to their website.

In the Versace Mansion, complimentary breakfast was delivered to my room.

There, and also in the Vogue and Bulgari hotels, my rooms had thick robes and slippers that made me feel blanketed in luxury. The weight of the robes made me feel like I was being cuddled as I walked around each suite. 

Other in-room luxury amenities I've never dreamt of previously included a Bluetooth speaker in my room at the Vogue Hotel, so I was able to play my favorite songs. I usually have music playing at home, so this made me feel even more at home. 

The Bulgari Hotel had a Bluetooth speaker, too, as well as incense in the bathroom so I could enjoy a bath accompanied by relaxing smells and tunes. 

I appreciated that all the luxury hotels seemed to have elevated bathrooms stocked with high-quality soaps, lotions, and toiletries I hadn't seen in hotel rooms before, from cotton swabs to sewing kits. 

At the Versace Mansion, the shower was my favorite part of the whole suite. With decorative tiling, shower heads on either side, and an additional handheld shower head, I thought it was the best shower I've ever used.

The bathroom also had shower caps, Aromatherapy Associates soaps and lotions that left my skin feeling clean and soft, and unexpected amenities like a sewing kit, shoe sponge, and shaving kit.

At the Vogue Hotel, my marble bathroom had a whirlpool bath and a separate shower with a phone next to the bathtub, too. It was stocked with Le Labo toiletries, as well as a vanity kit with a set of cotton swabs, a shower cap, and a loofah. 

The Fairmont Château Frontenac had Le Labo toiletries too, as well as a rainfall showerhead in the bathroom. 

And at the Bulgari Hotel and Spa, my bathroom impressed me with a black granite tub, a separate shower, Bulgari-branded soaps and lotions, a sewing kit, a vanity kit, bath salts, and a bath stone. 

The Bulgari Hotel and Spa really surprised me with its toiletries, most of which were items I never tried before. 

Since I'm not usually a fan of baths, I'd never previously used bath salts. But when they were free in my bathroom at the Bulgari, I decided to see what they were like. According to Healthline, bath salts can include trace amounts of magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, and potassium. They are known for relieving stress and soothing muscles, according to the same source. 

The bath salts provided were Mauli Himalayan healing salts, which contain therapeutic oils and powdered rose quartz, according to the label. I used the salts in a bath as soon as I arrived at the hotel after a day of traveling by train from Rome. Since I don't usually like baths, I wasn't sure how I'd feel. But I thought the salts made my bath more enjoyable by adding a rosy scent to the air and helped relax my body. I was more refreshed than I expected when I was done. 

During my bath, I also tried out another free toiletry item, a bath stone. Before my stay, I had never even heard of a bath stone, let alone used one. But based on its smooth shape and rough texture, I found that it was perfect for removing calluses from my feet.

I thought these complimentary products made my stay feel even more luxurious.

As I explored my room at the Bulgari Hotel and Spa, I came across something I'd never heard of before.

I found a pillow menu on the nightstand next to my bed where I was given a choice of lavender-scented, aloe vera-infused, and memory foam pillows, as well as pillows designed for neck support, tension relief, and hot sleepers. 

I was instantly excited by the menu, but since the pillows weren't already in the room, I assumed they'd incur an additional price. But when a hotel employee stopped by for turn-down service in the evening, I learned they were complimentary. All I had to do was request them from an employee.

I ordered the lavender-scented one, since it's my favorite smell, and the memory foam option. The pillows arrived within five minutes.

At bedtime, I rested my head on the memory foam pillow and hugged the lavender pillow so I could fall asleep to its scent. I thought the pillows gave me a more restful night than I normally get at home, and I woke up feeling refreshed and indulged by the experience. 

The accommodations I normally book don't offer room service, so I was excited to enjoy some meals in bed.

At the Versace Mansion, I woke up to a complimentary breakfast of bacon, buttery pastries, and orange juice served right to my room. I thought everything was delicious, and it was the fanciest I've ever felt while eating bacon.

During my stay at the Fairmont Château Frontenac, I ordered room service first for dinner. I had a burger that I thought was juicy, full of flavor, and surprisingly upscale. It came with fries that were crisp and salty with a tiny jar of ketchup on the side. I'd never seen a condiment so small and it delighted me.

I loved the simple luxury of having my dinner brought to my room so much, that I ordered room service again for breakfast at the Fairmont. I had a cappuccino and a yogurt parfait, which came with a tiny jar of honey. I thought the combination of Greek yogurt, crisp granola, and fresh fruit with drips of honey had the perfect ratio of sweetness to tartness, making it the best parfait I'd ever tasted. And I couldn't believe I was eating it in bed. 

I ordered dinner in my room again when I stayed at the Bulgari Hotel. I got a charcuterie board and a pasta dish, and once again, enjoyed an elevated, restaurant-quality meal. When the food arrived, hotel employees rolled a table into my room in front of the bed.

I thought the table looked like it belonged in a fine dining restaurant with a draped cloth, upscale dishes, and sparkling cutlery. And the meal was as good as it looked, with a variety of cold-cut meats and perfectly-cooked al dente pasta. As I watched TV from bed while eating dinner in a robe, I thought about how nice it would be to wind down this luxuriously every night.

Of all my luxury hotel stays, the Versace Mansion surprised me the most by making me feel like I was the only guest there.

Communal amenities like the rooftop deck and mosaic gold-tiled pool were completely empty aside from me. In fact, I didn't see any other guests during my stay.

Since the hotel only has 12 rooms, I thought this was partly due to the hotel's intimate nature, and perhaps also that I just got lucky with the time of my booking. But it made me feel pampered nonetheless. 

Around lunchtime, I headed downstairs and noticed Gianni's, the hotel restaurant, was filling up with customers. Restaurant patrons had a view of the glistening pool but couldn't swim in it since they weren't guests. I was awestruck to find the most beautiful pool I had ever seen waiting for me, and I had it all to myself, which made me feel special. 

After a dip, I headed up to the rooftop deck, which felt like my own private terrace with views over colorful South Beach.

At night, with no one else around me, it felt like the whole mansion was just for me, giving me the most luxurious feeling I've ever experienced to this day.