Do you select a hotel for the amenities it offers? Well, forget mints on your pillow. Here are a few examples of how far some hotels will go to get you into their rooms.
HOTEL: Hotel Monaco, Chicago
AMENITY: Goldfish
ROOM SERVICE: The hotel is proud to be pet-friendly—so much so that if you didn’t bring one of yours, they’ll lend you one of theirs. (On your next visit you can even ask for a specific goldfish by name.)
HOTEL: Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru
AMENITY: Oxygen
ROOM SERVICE: Cuzco is the home of the famed Inca ruins at Machu Picchu and sits at about 10,890 feet above sea level. For the altitude-weary visitor, oxygen pumps are supplied. Every room has one.
HOTEL: The Clift Hotel, San Francisco
AMENITY: Live music
ROOM SERVICE: If you’re having trouble sleeping, this hotel has a string quartet on call. And they’ll come to your room at bedtime to play you a lullaby. (Cost: $1,000)
HOTEL: The Jailhouse Inn, Preston, Minnesota
AMENITY: Steel bars
ROOM SERVICE: The old Fillmore County Jail, built in 1869, was converted into a hotel in 1989. For $129 (starting rate) you can spend the night in an actual cell.
HOTEL: A proposed hotel in Bozeman, Montana
AMENITY: Grizzly bears
ROOM SERVICE: Plans for this hotel include rooms in underground caverns—that are also grizzly bear dens. You’ll get a TV, a kitchenette, and a one-way window to watch your roommates in their natural habitat.
Down to Earth: Caesar salad used to be known as “aviator’s salad.”