Luxury hotels offer perks from bath butlers to Bentleys
Yes, the rich are different than the rest of us.
They get better hotel perks.
But even middle-class slobs can live like the rich for a night at one of Chicago's luxury hotels.
You, too, can luxuriate in a bubble bath hand-drawn by a bath sommelier, ride in style in a chauffeured Bentley sedan or have your luggage sent home so you don't have to deal with it.
It's all part of industry efforts to transform a place to sleep into a luxury retreat.
"We're bringing back the glamour of staying in a hotel," Fairmont Chicago spokeswoman Dana Weiss said. "To compete at this rate level, you have to anticipate what your guests want, and what they want is luxury."
Luxury room rates downtown often run from $189 to more than $600 per night, though they can top out at $6,000 for a penthouse with fireplace, dining room and piano.
But a standard room at the Fairmont is enough to get you the coolest perk: a free ride in a 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (which costs $170,000 if you prefer to buy it).
The Bentley is available to whoever reserves it first, though only for one-way trips within the downtown area. (No cruising back to the 'burbs to impress the neighbors, in other words.)
But it's perfect for those looking to make a splashy arrival. When the Bentley pulls up, bystanders stop to see who's getting out.
As part of room service, the Fairmont also offers its own bath sommelier, who will draw an aromatic bubble bath to the guest's specifications.
To up the ante in the new year, the hotel will open Fairmont Gold, billed as a five-star hotel within a four-star hotel, featuring upgraded marble, plasma TVs, a lounge and a spa -- complete with 14-karat-gold exfoliating scrubs.
Still looking for luxury? Try the Four Seasons Chicago, which offers packages that include a personal bartender to make martinis at the room, or have complimentary champagne delivered bedside.
Younger guests or those with a sweet tooth can create their own flavor ice cream upon request, and have sundaes made right at the room.
At the Whitehall Hotel, guests get a driver and free use of the house Lincoln Town Car for sightseeing.
The Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus in Oak Brook offers a unique perk you won't find at other hotels: a free tour of the Hamburger University Museum.
Visitors can see McDonald's founder Ray Kroc's office and the milkshake mixer he started with, plus changes of uniform over the years.
Other hotels offer special perks for four-legged guests.
The Hotel Monaco Chicago, for instance, offers a pet package that includes a bed, bowl and treat or litter box for dogs and cats. The staff can arrange pet walking, sitting, grooming and spa services.
If you can't bring your own pet, no problem: The Monaco will take care of you. It is proud to offer Guppy Love, in which guests are given a pet goldfish in a bowl to keep in their room. It's free, and hotel staffers will feed the fish, so you don't have to.
Now that's luxury.