This is a sort of "none of my business" question but I'm gonna ask anyway. I love to look at 5 star resort and hotel websites (Hotel Splendido in Portofino is my favorite) and I always wonder, who are the people who can afford to spend $1000 per night for a room at these places? I know some of you stay at 5 star hotels and if you are willing, can you tell us what sort of work you do to afford such luxury (well deserved, I'm sure)? There are the obvious lucrative careers, but I am curious as to what they are for those people on this forum and/or their friends who stay at the finest and most expensive places when they travel.
PS If this question offends you, please ignore it and don't flame me!

My sister has. And I have a friend who paid $900 a night. Both of them were in Rome. My sister works on commission and is very good at her job and my friend is a high-end interior designer (but there's family money there as well). Me? Nah. I'm a three-star girl. That's all my wardrobe will bear.

That's what Priceline is for! I usually bid on 4 or 5 star hotels and have never paid more than $170 per night, usually much less. I wouldn't pay the regular rate, but if I can get a deal, 5 star is mighty nice

margy

Margi, Priceline in Europe? I have used them lots for hotels in the States but never considered them for Europe. How about Rome?

Priceline in Europe?? Sure. Look at biddingfortravel.com - and then look at what hotels are being "won" in Rome.

In Europe, PL is brilliant for London - not so good in some other cities.

We booked a night in the 5 star Steigenberger Hof Hotel in Frankfurt because I found a great special on their website called "Magic of the Opera." You can get a double room on Saturday night, breakfast buffet for 2, a 3 course meal in their more casual restaurant, and 2 tickets to the opera all for only 238 Euros! I couldn't believe it! Then, on the day of our departure, a huge blizzard hit, and we couldn't fly to Frankfurt until Monday. I sure regret missing that deal. The rates for Monday were crazy!

You sure can use Priceline in Europe! We had a fabulous room at the Park Lane in London.

Margy

Priceline has been pretty good for me in the UK. I have used them for Heathrow, Gatwick, London and Manchester Airport. I just got my first choice of hotel at Manchester airport in July and am very happy. It means that I can afford 2 rooms instead of squeezing us all into one.

Carolena

We haven't stayed at any in Europe.....but we have stayed in 5* hotels/lodges in Cape Town, Honolulu, Beijing, Bangkok, Singapore, Egypt, Cyprus, and Tanzania.
Of course, I would NEVER pay $1000 a night. I think the most I paid was $450 a night, usually under $300.

There are some hotels which NEVER come up on Priceline.

When the Georges V in Paris comes up on Priceline let us know!

I'm not saying what DOES come up isn't good but I somehow doubt you will see that many truly five-star hotels come up there.

I used to book 5 star hotels all the time -for my boss, and it was corporate money, not his money. If he'd had to fork out his own money for a 5 star hotel he would have had a heart attack. When the company is paying, people usually don't care how much things are costing.

My husband and I travel a lot on our holidays and always have to watch costs. It's anything from a zero star to maybe a 3 star but we always have a good time regardless!
Kay

I believe the OP didn't ask for advice on how to get around paying the rack rates at a 5* hotels. The OP was just simply asking who pays these rates?

Besides the obvious, the rich, the famous, the moneyed, etc..., it's people that have different priorities.

I like to be pampered and enjoy luxury so I don't mind spending top $ for a hotel room or fly in business/first class.

I have friends that don't enjoy traveling. One is a poster child for all the Americans that never left their country. She can certainly afford to travel in luxury but chooses not to. Instead she has a wonderful house that she enjoys. It was featured in one of the House magazines. She is a total homebody. I have a nice place but don't spend nearly on it what she does.

I have other friends that have a need to have the latest, top of the line sports, SUV or luxury sedan cars. For me a car is nothing more than a means of getting from point A to point B. A reliable, comfortable car is all I need.

Me? I have Gypsy blood flowing through my veins. If I'm not on a plane going somewhere, anywhere, every few weeks, I get physically sick...

at the same time I do like better things in life so I choose to spend my hard earn money on the one thing I really enjoy - travel!!!

If I told you what I do for living I would have to kill you , but I do make a very nice 6+ figure salary, although there are some serious risks involved in my line of work. I'm also single (that could change soon) and don't have any children.

That said, I never paid $1000 for a room. The most I ever paid was ~$600 at a very posh hotel room in the Middle East. ~$500 for very nice rooms in US and Europe and Asia (Japan) and ~$300 for wonderful rooms in Asia (Thailand, Singapore) and South America.

Having friends who work in the industry has afforded me many vacations beyond my budget as does expedia.com and others. I'll admit to planning to book a $1,600 location in the Greek Islands this year just because we can afford it now and it's an experience I wish to have. We own our own business now. It's not my normal trip plan though.

Rudy Maxa...I used to watch his travel shows and curse his good luck to be able to stay in such beautiful places. Unfortunately, I have a 3 star budget but I consider myself fortunate enough to travel at all.

If your question is who pays personally pays top dollar for 5 star hotels, and you want to ask them what they do (or, if they inherited money) I don't think you are going to get that kind of opportunity on fodors.com

I have found the fodors crowd to be savvy travelers who are also interested in value. But, to get back to your underlying question, there are probably 2 groups who pay top dollar for 5 * hotels. Kay is absolutely correct, the majority are business people who are not paying a dime out of their pockets. Regarding the smaller second group who actually pay out of their pockets, I can tell you about two people who I know willing pay the top dollar. One is a neurosurgeon who works ungodly hours and travels very infrequently. When he does travel he will only book a 5 star hotel since he doesn't want there to be any question that he will be comfortable and that the hotel staff will take care of anything he might need (dinner reservations, tickets to activities, etc). The second person is a general counsel for a corporate real estate group. He is the equivalent of a partner at a major law firm and his salary is in the 7 digits. He and his wife stay at the top hotels on his cash when they travel. You won't be finding either of them on fodors talk.

If anyone personally spends top dollar for a 5 star, please feel free to correct me and post your job description and salary range.

As a note, I have also used priceline and bidding for travel to book a 5 star in London. But, I'm just a HIV physician making around 200,000 a year.

Well, one would assume that anyone who could afford $800 - $1000 plus per night would not be on Fodor's. I would assume they would have 'people' who could look at Fodor's for them!! Hahaha But I do see posts where someone is taking the family and want to ask about getting two rooms, one for them, one for the kids at very top hotels. I am like some of you, feel very fortunate to be able to go to Europe at all. Most of the friends I grew up with have never been to Europe (or anywhere else) at all.

I always stay at five star deluxe (note the difference: five star itself is usually a more business orientated property whereas five star deluxe is the top end leisure and business property) properties where possible i.e. if the city itself has one. The prices aren't nearly as high as you make out... It is only those who spend months on end in presidential and royal suites that have people to do everything for them, and even then they are just holidaymakers like everyone else.

It's not some exclusive club like owning a D flawless 30ct diamond, I think you're getting a little awestruck over nothing.

In my youth I used to stay at places like Le Sirenuse, although even adjusting for inflation I don't think we spent anything like $1,000. Now I'm in my fifties, cultivating a seemly asceticism. (Food and drink need some work.) At any rate, I find I don't enjoy -- dislike actually -- the sensation of being pampered. Thus the 5* holds no allure.

RBN: Have you ever asked yourself who fills all those giant sized cruise ships out in the harbor? I would guess that many of them are also spending close to $1,000 a night for two on the nicer ships...

Hi

My husband and I had the good luck recently to spend part of our honeymoon at the Banyan Tree in Phuket for 7 nights. We had booked a USD 900 ( ++ taxes of 21% on top!) per night pool villa as a special once in a life time trip - part funded as a gift.

When we got their we got upgraded to a USD 2,500 a night villa. It was wonderful but worth the money ? _ I think not- what you pay for is the privacy and the service - something celebrites, royalty , sports stars are only too happy to pay for .. The other simialr villas were occupied by 'royalty' ( don't know where from!) a retied footballer , a London City banker and a Russian family ( lots of Russians in general there ) .... so I guess they are the types that pay 5 star rates!!!

We just had a glimpse of the life style !