ELITE LIST: Top 20 Hotel Amenities

SKI VALETS at the St. Regis, Aspen
For those who love hitting the slopes but dread schlepping ski gear, the St. Regisprovides complimentary ski valets who meet you in the hotel lobby eachmorning, providing weather info and insider tips on runs before transporting you to the mountain. They also warm your boots, pick you up at the end of the day and store and clean your gear. stregisaspen.com

GUEST PROFILING at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok
Part of staff training at the Oriental involves honing employees’ memory for names and tastes. Newly arrived guests are photographedand asked their special needs or requests. After that, everyone from the concierge to the elevator operator knows a guest’s name and preferences. mandarinoriental.com

MONASTERY TOURS at the Augustine, Prague
Guests at the Augustine, a hotel housed in a 13th century monastery, can take private tours of a section of the monastery stillinhabited by an order of friars. You can witness friars at prayer and at work, then return to more modern surroundings. theaugustine.com

STYLISH SATCHELS at the Amankila, East Bali
Even if you’d rather explore volcanoes and hit the beach than go shopping, you’ll still leave the Amankila with a gratis handwoven Balinese bag, made from the leaves of pandan, a local plant used in cooking as well as weaving. amanresorts.com

MINI-RANGER PROGRAMS at the Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park
For safety reasons, most game reserves don’t allow children. But South Africa’s Singita Sabi Sand hotel offers a mini-ranger program and custom suites for guests with young children so pint-sized travelers can enjoy their own safari. singita.com

MIXOLOGY MASTER CLASS at the Bar at the Dorchester, London
Take a private class with the Dorchester’s renowned bartender, Giuliano Morandin. Learn the story behind Louis XIII Rémy Martin cognac, which costs 1,000 pounds (about $1,640) a pour, or mix a Champagne Shimmer, made with gold dust, which swirls in the glass like a kaleidoscope. Cost: £200 for two people. thedorchester.com

IKEBANA at the Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto
Although fresh flowers are commonplace in luxury hotel rooms, this traditional Kyoto ryokan (guesthouse) provides guests with a more distinctive floral arrangement: the ikebana. A Japanese art form dating back to the late 1400s, ikebana involves precisely arranging flowers and branches in unique configurations. The Japanese may bestunderstandikebana’s spiritual and creative aspects, but all travelers can appreciate their beauty. hiiragiya.com

TOURING GEAR at the White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport
Although the White Barn Inn offers guests bicycles and rickshaw rides, its most exciting transport option is True Blue, a 44-foot yacht that guests can charter. Cost: starts at $550 for one hour and includes a crew. whitebarninn.com
 

ROLLS ROYCE CAR SERVICE at the Peninsula, Beverly Hills
Guests at the Peninsula, Beverly Hills receive complimentary rides to local restaurants, shops and appointments in the hotel’s Rolls Royce Phantom, whose luxury details include umbrellas that extend from its doorframes. peninsula.com

CANINE PAMPERING at the Palomar, Los Angeles
At the Palomar, guests can purchase spa treatments, including massages and acupuncture, for their dogs. The hotel also offers pet attendants who provide walks, playtime or just petting. hotelpalomar-lawestwood.com

STOCKED BACKPACKS at the Eolo, Buenos Aires
Guests hiking Patagonia’s valleys and glaciers receive backpacks filled with hiking supplies and foodstuffs—gourmet fare like smoked salmon, caviar andArgentinean Malbec. eolo.com.ar

ELEPHANT PORTERS at Taprobane Island, Galle
At high tide, guests must wade through ankle-deep water to reach this Sri Lankan resort, which is about 20 feet from the nearest car-accessible beach. Elephants will carry luggage and transport those who prefer not to get wet. You can also schedule elephant rides during your stay. taprobaneisland.com

OXYGENATED ROOMS at the Hotel Monasterio, Cusco
Altitude sickness strikes many travelers to Cusco, Peru, which is approximately 11,000 feet above sea level. Although many hotels provide oxygen tanks to deeply affected visitors, only the Monasterio offers oxygenated rooms so guests can avoid becoming light-headed. Cost: $48 surcharge on the room rate per night. monasterio.orient- express.com

GOURMET COOKING CLASS at Hotel Caruso, Ravello
Ambitious gourmands can receive private instruction from the Caruso’s acclaimed chef, Mimmo di Raffaele, who will teach you how to prepare Southern Italian dishes. Cost: varies according to size of the group. hotelcaruso.com

CHAUFFERED REMORKS at the Amansara, Ankgor Wat
In Cambodia the remork(rickshaw) is one of the most commonly employed forms of transport. Guests at the Amansara each get their own moped-powered remork and driver on call for jaunts into town. amanresorts.com

JOHN LOBB SHOE SERVICE at Le Meurice, Paris
Guests receive shoe care from the same artisanal cobblers who created boots worn by Edward, Prince of Wales in the mid-1800s and, more recently, Daniel Day-Lewis. You can also purchase your own pair of bespoke Lobb shoes at the hotel’s boutique. Cost: John Lobb shoes start at £620. lemeurice.com

PERSONAL WINE VAULTS at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
The Big Easy’s Ritz will store bottles from your personal collection in their restaurant’s wine room to help make a special dinner more personal. Corkage fee: $35. ritzcarlton.com

PERSONAL TELESCOPES at the Molori Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve
Every room at the Molori comes equipped with a Kowa Spotting Scope, which lets guests see the night sky magnified by 20X. For an even more dramatic view, head to the hotel’s observatory, which houses a Meade LX260, one of the largest privately owned telescopes in Africa. molori.com

DEAD SEA SKIN PRODUCTS at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, Jordan
The hotel’s complimentary skincare products are made with Dead Sea mud, which is so renowned for its therapeutic minerals that some visitors come to Jordan just to experience it. kempinski-deadsea.com

PERSONAL STAFF at the One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos
Each private villa at the One & Only’s Villa Cortez section has a staff of 12, from housekeepT rs who illuminate the patios with dozens of candles each evening to a chef who creates meals and snacks to guest specifications. oneandonlyresorts.com

By Evelyn Wiese