For Hotels, Upgrades at Top Boost Bottom Line

Luxury hotels are spending money to make money, but the dollars aren’t flowing into the average traveler’s quarters, the Wall Street Journal reports. With competition growing and demand for rooms lacking, hotels are burnishing their top suites—some costing $30,000 a night—hoping the added glitz will generate buzz that draws conferences, business travelers and average Joes wishing to flirt with glamor.

The Four Seasons Hotel New York spent $50 million upgrading its penthouse; royal suites at the Raffles Dubai have butlers; a suite at the Setai in Miami boasts a private infinity pool. An over-the-top suite "allows you to reach that top-tier market," a Setai exec says. “It will attract guests who want the penthouse and travelers to our other suites, too.” (More Four Seasons stories.)