I'm just now catching up on my AR reading from my week in Las Vegas.

I loved Faina Sechzer's featured blog comparing the service one receives at the Ritz to the service one might receive from his or her real estate agent. I love analogies and this one was so dead-on - I can't say enough good about it. If you missed it, take a minute to read it over. It's so good.

However, my own personal experience with luxury hotels is somewhat different. Several years ago, I went on a business trip with my future ex-husband. It was some fancy-schmantzy to-do for attorneys to get their continuing education credits in between golf games, I think. It was held at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The room rate was something like $400/night, although I'm sure we didn't pay that much.

The room itself was decorated in 1970's Hotel Style, nothing special aside from the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. The hallways were dingy and not everything in the room worked right. There was, of course, a gawd-awful expensive mini-bar and no free coffee in the lobby. A continental breakfast put you back $15 or so. Oh, and you had to PAY $20/day for the honor of parking your car in the lot. I somehow rang up $250 worth of phone calls, even though I used my calling card for every single one. The staff seemed, depending on the person and time of day, harried...or bored.

Suffice to say that we were underwhelmed with the Hotel Del Coronado.

A few weeks later I stayed in a La Quinta Inn. What a difference! The room was clean and comfortable and it had the nicest pillows I've ever slept on. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Parking was, of course, free. There was coffee in the lobby all day and a complimentary continental breakfast from 6am to 9am. Cost? $49.99/night + tax.

So, what's my point? Well, contrary to Faina's experience at the Ritz, I felt ripped off by my Luxury Hotel & Resort experience. Conversely, I was tickled pink by the experience I had at the moderately-priced La Quinta.

Are you a Ritz? Or a La Quinta? Or, egads, a Hotel Del Coronado?

I've been both a Ritz and a La Quinta. I've charged "full price" and delivered way above and beyond expectations. I've also charged a less-than-full-price and delivered excellent value for the dollar spent. 

There's plenty of room (and business) for both models and whichever approach you take, your clients will be satisfied. Commit to one or the other and go sell some houses!

www.sellwithsoul.com