By today’s standards, 5-Star accommodations can include things like complimentary chocolate and wine, bathrobes, hot tubs and Jacuzzis. These things are not a necessity, but they make your stay at the hotel much more pleasurable and comfortable. The mini bar is open and there is no worry about a bottle count on your exit from the hotel. You get free movies, not just the ones that are being shown on HBO that are a year old either.
Our hotel stays and expectations are much higher than they were a decade ago. Now, we expect nice beds, nice meals and other amenities that we are ultimately paying for by staying there. Since most hotels are part of a chain, the same amenities are available no matter where you see their sign.
Luxury hotels, like those you may find in Vegas on the strip, will have an entirely different view on amenities and what constitutes luxury.
In the movie, 21, Kevin Spacey and his group of rowdies had comped rooms that were filled with luxuries that most of us will not find in the local Super 8.
Vegas skylines, plush interiors and all the room you would need if you were a cheat and planning on stealing the house. Good movie, if you enjoy a bit of suspense, drama and of course, the wildly entertaining Vegas nightlife.
Hotels and motels were made popular as the Interstate was developed in the United States. The ever popular Route 66 was the home of many motels that used all types of tricks to entice visitors in, like rooms designed as teepees. This was seen in the movie Cars when Lightning McQueen came to town. Here is a wonderful link to the Route 66 that the movie visited and those who were the inspiration for the movie characters in Radiator Springs.
http://route66news.com/2006/06/09/a-route-66-guide-to-the-cars-movie/
Going back before Interstate travel, we find that many people traveled the country by stagecoach. They would arrive in a town and then stay in a boarding house if the were staying for any length of time, or they could get a hotel room at places along the way. These hotels were situated along the routes of the stagecoach, much like the motels along Route 66. Like the motels along Route 66, as the modes of travel changed, so did the need for the hotels.
Those old hotels did not have indoor plumbing, so everyone had to trek out to the outhouse when they needed to relieve themselves. 5 Stars may have meant that you could dine in the local saloon or use a community bathtub, but it did not mean indoor plumbing.
You could tell it was a 5 Star hotel by how many outhouses it had. If those outhouses were double decker, you were staying in the Ritz!
Nevada City, Montana is home to many old frontier homes, businesses and other buildings that have been delivered to the town. It is registered as a ghost town, and it still has a deluxe hotel that you can stay in while you are in town. This mining city consists of one stretch of highway, a train depot, the scene of the greatest placer mining event in history of Montana and a group of rental cabins from the 1800s. Much of the city still has the original buildings that were part of the downtown in it’s heyday. There are also a large collection of rescued buildings from around the state that were delivered to Nevada City and set up to preserve the history of the state.
The hotel in Nevada City is still in operation during the season.
It is quite a grand old hotel. When I was there in the fall, they were taking down the signs and closing up for the season, but it did not keep me from exploring the old gal. There are wonderful old rooms that you can stay in and a lot of different sights to take in within Nevada City and the twin city, Virginia City.
Here are the rental cabins. You might notice the thatched roofs on these little bungalos.
You know you are in a 5 Star hotel because it has the outhouse to end all outhouses.
It’s a four holer double decker, which for some reason was most amusing to all of us in the family.
Gravity. If you are asking.
Now, you know you are in fine 5 Star Accommodations – Old West Style.
For those who are really interested in seeing both towns, here is a website that will help you find your way around. It is well worth the trip, and great fun for all, especially those who love history. http://www.aldergulchaccommodations.com/NC_Accommodations.htm
Cheers
Julie and Blu