Some hotels offer fitness services, including personal trainers; some hotels in wine country offer wine making classes and grape stomping events; and some even offer cooking classes. And of course, there are all of those services and tours a concierge can arrange.
But as hotels compete for your business, some are offering quite unique and surprising services:
Fireplace butler: How many times have you stayed in an older luxury hotel with a fireplace that is now only there for aesthetics? That won't happen for your winter stay at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe, N.M. There you can call the fireplace butler, who arrives in rugged flannel attire, carrying a burlap log holder equipped with fresh-cut local pinon wood and lighting supplies; after lighting a fire, he will offer you a choice of complimentary hot spiced cider or hot chocolate. You also have the option to select from a menu of specialty items such as cheese, chocolate and after-dinner drinks at an additional cost.
Drive a Bentley: If you're staying in New York and want to be one of the first in the U.S. to drive a 2013 Bentley Mulsanne, you can do it at no additional cost for renting the Bentley Suite at the St. Regis New York. Guests who stay in the suite can drive the car within a 10 block radius of the hotel. Of course, the room rate is a mere $9,500 per night, but that shouldn't dissuade the true automobile enthusiast.
Window washing: When staying at a smaller inn, guests might expect to have more personalized service from managers (who may own the property as well). But guests at the White Water Inn in Cambria, Calif., are frequently surprised when they go out to their vehicles and find their car windows have been washed. The inn verified this is a complimentary service they provide to all of their guests who drive.
Soap concierge: It isn't unusual to have little complimentary bars of soap or even a basket of artisanal soaps. At the Viceroy Rivera Maya on the Caribbean in Mexico's Riviera Maya, though, after being welcomed by the property's shaman and given a Mayan blessing, you also get a personal soap concierge. The soap concierge will offer you a variety of soaps in different scents and types – each offering a different experience. When you make your selections, your personalized bars are carved from larger blocks made in local Mayan communities, following ancient Mayan traditions. All are formulated with organic ingredients found on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Yoga with the dolphins: Some hotels offer yoga classes and some offer the chance to swim with dolphins, but The Mirage in Las Vegas have combined the two. For one hour on weekend mornings, guests can fall into a deep state of relaxation and peace as they flow from pose to pose in a serene, underwater viewing area within Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. WIth the Yoga Among the Dolphins class, the hotel provides your mat, towel, water and a smoothie. Cost $50.
Tree climbing: If you never learned to climb a tree as a child and it's on your bucket list, you're in luck if you visit the Primland Resort, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. For two hours, a professional tree climber will teach you how to climb 70 feet up a tree – just one of the unique services the resort offers. Those interested in astronomy can check out the Tour of the Universe package, which includes a two-hour video and live observatory experience. Cost for tree climbing: $120. The astronomy experience: $75.
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