When Is A Hotel A Resort.

[real mad hatter]

Phew! My head last night was thumping,no not with drink or the cold. Got a phone call from someone I hadn't heard from for a long time.He had heard I was a big Disney fan and asked me just one question." What Hotels have you stayed at in Disney " ? So I told him which ones, as they are wanting to stay on site,but I mentioned there actually called resorts,not hotels.So after 40 mins on the phone explaining what the resorts are like,theming,pools,restaurants,etc. Before he hung up he said to me " So why is it called a resort and not a hotel "? Can anyone out there give me a logical,easy,answer to this question.

 

[dopeylover]

The encompassing theme and the (hopefully) excellent customer service? That's a hard question, I think, but that would be my best guess. Most hotels have matching decor and everything, but each place has a specific theme, and I think they do the best job of really making you feel immersed in the theme. For instance, I love POR, and everything from the food down to the music by the pool makes me feel I'm in the South.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Umm...you pretty much explained it in a logical, easy to answer way sir...it's not like the Double Tree in Parsippany, NJ has character breakfasts...I'd be more worried about your friend not comprehending

 

[real mad hatter]

Umm...you pretty much explained it in a logical, easy to answer way sir...it's not like the Double Tree in Parsippany, NJ has character breakfasts...I'd be more worried about your friend not comprehending

Yeh,He's never been to America,never mind Disney.Tho I did stay at The Sheraton World resort hotel on I- Drive once,and there was characters. A girl at the concierge telling us we had no reservation,( she was looking at the wrong month ) She was Dumbo,and a Bell hop took our cases to a different room.He was Dopey.

 

[donaldtoo]

Tell him "'Cause the whole dang thang is called 'Walt Disney World Resort'. It's a Disney thing. Hopefully, you'll understand soon."

 

[lunchbox1175]

A hotel may consist of guest rooms, restaurants, a pool, meeting space and business services. A resort, by most standards, may include all the above, but must also include an associated recreational aspect, be it golf, spa, amusement park, skiing, etc... hope that helps.

 

[zurgandfriend]

A resort IMHO has good restaurants, room service, great service and is a place where you like to relax. I have been in many hotels where I stayed away as long as possible because other that a place to sleep I didn't want to be hang around.

 

[Spikerdink]

My added guess is that it is also part marketing. When you think 'hotel' you think lumpy bed, tv with the rabbit ears antennae, and food choices of vending machine variety.

But when you think resort....you think luxury, opulence, relaxation, abundance....

It's all in how you wish to position your product in the mind of the customer/consumer. In Disney's marketing, they want to position thier room offerings as plush getaways from reality a step above the average hotel off an interstate. (One benefit is if it works, you can charge more for a room!!)

 

[taz0162]

Hotel - a single building where you rent a room with maybe a pool.

Resort - specifically themed multiple buildings, restaurant, bar, souvenier shop, convience store, multiple pools, daily activities (generally around the pools), laundry room, a multitude of employees to serve your many needs and to keep the place looking nice, guests are ncouraged to utilize the many activities and areas of the resort.

 

[littleroo]

Pixie dust and dreams

 

[Poofiesdream]

A destination not just a room to sleep in!

 

[real mad hatter]

Love,love,these responses.Writing them down as I speak.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

To me, a hotel is a building with a bunch of rooms in it and that's it. They may have limited room service and a pool but what they are known for is rooms to sleep/shower in. A resort (and this is true of anywhere imo - not just Disney) is a hotel with benefits. It has a pool (or two or three), a restaurant (or two or three), shops, shows, and other amenities. It's a place that ultimately if you really wanted to, you could stay at for your entire vacation (not leaving the property) and have it be a nice trip.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

My family used to use the resorts in the Catskills as the example...a resort goes beyond a hotel room and pool. To be a resort, it must offer enough activities, amenities, dining, and other recreational options so that you never go offsite...I.e. keep your $ with them during your whole stay.

 

[luv]

A resort comes with other things to do. Wat Disney World is a resort - hotels, stuff to do. The Pop Century in and of itself is not a resort. Disney calls them all individual resorts, but they also call us "guests", which (unless everything is comped), we are not. Guests are never presented with a bill.

They have their own unique nomenclature. When talking to people unfamiliar with Disney, I tend to drop the "Disney-speak."

 

[ExtinctJenn]

A resort comes with other things to do. Wat Disney World is a resort - hotels, stuff to do. The Pop Century in and of itself is not a resort. Disney calls them all individual resorts, but they also call us "guests", which (unless everything is comped), we are not.

Guests are never presented with a bill.

I dunno... I think I disagree... I'd say Pop is a resort because it offers way more than just rooms to sleep in. And, we are guests... just paying guests. LOL!

 

[PhilharMagician]

Definition:

re·sort [ ri záwrt ] Vacation place: a place that is popular for recreation and vacations and provides accommodations and entertainment.

 

[PUSH]

Most hotels don't have food courts, multiple pools, gift shops, game rooms, boat rides, bus transportation, monorail transportation, carriage rides, beaches, etc. I think the least they deserve is to be called resorts.

 

[bethymouse]

Hotel chains do not offer concierge services I believe. I mean, they answer your questions at the front desk, but there are no planned activities or restaurants ( on site- besides a continental breakfast room). In fact, there aren't too many amenities on-site at a "regular" hotel except for a small pool. It is also rather small compared to the number of rooms a resort may have. A resort has well maintained grounds to walk around and enjoy the scenery. A hotel is just a building. Disney Resorts to me aren't just buildings, they're "experiences" w/ well-themed rooms, pools, etc...

 

[mamabunker]

I think they are called resorts for the same reason that employees are called "cast members" and customers are called "guests".