Luxury hotels know no limits when it comes to personalized service and ingenious inventions that speak directly (and sometimes indirectly) to their guests.
From Mercedes-Benz house cars and red carpet arrivals to individualized in-room flower arrangements and iPads, at the core of a luxury hotel's guest experience is the simple offering that seems so slight but makes the biggest impact.
A hotel that pays attention will know what its guests want before they arrive. Over the years as a hotel guest, I've been treated to everything from relaxation CDs and my favorite magazines on the bedside table, to local bottles of wine and bags of extra bathroom amenities.
My favorite gift came from a luxury designer at the launch of a new hotel. The one-of-a-kind scarf was made especially to mark the occasion of this hotel's opening, and it not only provided guests a special memory, it was a great take away that will always remind me of my hotel stay.
More luxury hotels have started to pair up with fashion designers to create that unique look and signature item. The Dorchester in London recently teamed up with British fashion design group Teatum Jones to create a scarf available only at the hotel.
Designers Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones are known for their sleek designs and fashion-forward women's wear. "The Dorchester" printed silk scarf tells a story steeped in "aspirations of travel and the heritage, architecture and glamour of an iconic London hotel," according to the hotel. the result is a wearable design that inspires the romantic fantasy to travel.
Teatum Jones crafted the design as an homage to the hotel's architecture, history and elegance and will debut it at London Fashion Week's Spring/Summer 2013 show. The scarf will be sold exclusively at London's Liberty store starting in September, and it will also be available online at shop.thedorchester.com. The scarf is priced at Ł245 (approximately $380 USD).
Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.
Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com 
