Want to know one of the wonkiest concepts in luxury travel?
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If a company labels itself as ‘luxury’, it probably isn’t. My experience with truly opulent travel brands has taught me one thing: real luxury is very subtle and hard to define.
It’s not the number of amenities available but the sense of discernment they leave you with.
That being said, there are a few mundane topics that first-time five-star travelers might not be familiar with. From the vocabulary used to the practices at play, it can be an exciting but slightly confusing experience.
Especially if you’re formerly a budget traveler.
Want the low-down on refined travel vocabulary? Here are a few of the phrases you might hear being tossed around in luxury travel circles.
Five-star vocabulary: phrases used in luxury travel
Turn-down
Turn-down service is when hotel staff sneak into your room and prepare it for bedtime. They physically turn down the sheets, which is where the name comes from, along with fluffing the pillows, closing the curtains, and tidying up.
Many also leave out a sleep menu for guests. (More on this below.) The idea is that guests should be able to sleep into bed and into sweet dreams when they return from dinner and drinks.
Sleep menu
A sleep menu is an actual physical menu that includes specialized offers for bedtime. That might be a range of pillows, from firm options to over-fluffed down pillows to specially scented pillows.
Beyond the scope of pillows, sleep menus might also include options like a sleep-oriented tea, a place to listen to sleep-centric audio, and more.
Baby-moon
Baby-moons are an increasingly popular travel trend in the luxury sphere. These trips are for expecting parents (usually their first child) who want to get away before Little Mary arrives.
While these aren’t exclusive to the ultra-lux travel space, I really can’t imagine the average American deciding that six months into a pregnancy is high time to charge a vacation onto their credit card. (Or am I disconnected?)
Bell captain
Whether the average porter assistant is called a bellboy or a bellman, they all report to a bell captain at a luxury hotel. A bell captain is simply the porter who is in charge of all concierge services related to luggage.
Concierge
You’re probably already familiar with a concierge. This term applies to all staff who help hotel guests make appointments, book services, and fulfill similar needs. But at a five-star hotel, every guest (usually) has their own specific concierge.
This concierge has also been prepped to serve specific clientele. If guests have stayed there before, the hotel will have kept notes on their preferences. If not, guests have likely already communicated their expectations and needs, which a personal concierge will see to.
Sabering
Sabering is the art of lobbing off champagne corks with an actual saber. Don’t know what sabers are? They’re cavalry swords with a one-edged, slightly curved blade.
While we’ve all seen someone de-cork a bottle of champagne with a knife, sabering is an even flashier way to get that bubbly. And while it’s not a standard throughout the five-star travel world but has made a comeback over the last decade.
Apparently, it’s a nod back to the old days of glamorous hotel stays in Europe.
