Before my high-end travel days, I packed my own toiletries for trips. I thought I'd rather squeeze my shampoo and conditioner into tiny, reusable bottles than take a chance on the soaps available wherever I'm staying.

But at five-star hotels, I've found toiletry brands I can't even afford on the bathroom counters. From Le Labo and Byredo to Floris, the hair products, body washes, and lotions I've used in these top-tier establishments have felt like a treat.

Nowadays, I leave my bathroom products at home when I book luxury stays.

When I arrived at one of Salt Lake City's only five-star hotels, the Grand America Hotel, in January 2025, I was fresh off a 15-hour train ride from Denver. My clothes were sweaty, and chunks of snow were on my pants, so I took advantage of the hotel's laundry service.

I stuffed my dirty clothes into a provided bag and left it outside my door. The next day, three clean shirts, two pairs of pants, a single hoodie, a blazer, and a vest arrived on hangers. My six undergarments were wrapped in tissue paper inside cardboard boxes like a gift.

It was the swankiest laundry service I'd ever experienced, and the most expensive. My 14 articles cost $115 to wash — enough money for a whole new outfit. Doing laundry was my most costly mistake during my trip to Salt Lake City.

While the price tag may not faze some five-star guests, it wasn't worth the splurge to me.

One of my favorite parts of staying in a nice hotel is ordering room service. Answering the door in a plush robe and slippers to have a cart roll in with cloches, condiments in tiny glass bottles, and drinks in stemmed glasses makes me feel like a VIP.

But I've often missed out on what could have been exceptional dining experiences had I put on clothes and walked down to the hotel's restaurants. At five-star hotels, I've found that the restaurants typically have a luxe ambiance, award-winning cuisine, and different menus from the in-room dining options.

In spring 2024, when I stayed at the Phoenician, a five-star mega-resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, I didn't try any of the award-winning dining venues — Mowry & Cotton, J&G Steakhouse, and Thirsty Camel.

At the Grand America Hotel, I opted for room service breakfast, so I didn't get to experience the European vibe at the bistro, Laurel Brasserie & Bar.

I did the same thing when I woke up at the Versace Mansion in 2021, and I missed out on a meal on the patio next to a 24-karat gold pool. At the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in 2022, I didn't even see the rooftop restaurant, Eléa.

Most recently, when I booked one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in May, I ordered dinner instead of getting a table at the Michelin-recommended restaurant Botanist, which was filled with live plants.

Next time I stay at a five-star hotel, I'll eat in the hotel's restaurant.

When I visited Salt Lake City in the winter, a swimsuit was not on my packing list. While packing my suitcase with scarves and thermals, the thought of swimming didn't even occur to me.

Then I saw the indoor pool at the Grand America Hotel and instantly regretted leaving my bathing suit at home. The Mediterranean-style pool was in a cave-like room with curvy, white walls and plenty of windows leaking natural light.

The room had a calming vibe and was empty when I visited, perhaps because others had made the same mistake.

I should have known better. When I visited Jackson Hole in the fall of 2024, I wished I had brought my swimsuit to use the 75-square-foot heated outdoor pool at the Four Seasons.

In the future, I'll pack a bathing suit — no matter the weather.

Turndown service was a luxury I wasn't accustomed to before my five-star stays.

In the early evening (usually), an attendant stops in to prepare the room for sleeping. They make the bed, adjust the shades and lighting, and sometimes leave treats. On a few occasions when I was in my room in the evening, I've said "no, thank you" to the housekeepers coming by my room,

But I stopped saying no after my stay at the Bulgari Hotel and Spa in Milan in 2022. On my bedside table, I found a menu with a selection of pillows — lavender-scented, aloe vera-infused, and memory foam, to name a few. When an attendant stopped by for turndown service, I requested two and was thrilled to receive them five minutes later. I wondered if I'd missed out on this amenity at other luxury hotels.

Since my stay at the Bulgari, I've noticed that pillow menus and complimentary essential oils are common offerings at five-star hotels. And they make an already lavish stay feel even more elevated. Now, I always say "yes, please" to the service.

It's always hard saying goodbye when I check out after just one night in a five-star hotel.

I've left longing for another bath in a deep soaking tub, another snooze in a king-sized bed with custom pillows, and more time to take advantage of top-tier amenities I didn't even get the chance to try — from gyms with Peloton bikes and group fitness classes to spas, pools, and pickleball courts.

With a standard 4 p.m. check-in and 11 a.m. check-out, one night simply isn't enough time to enjoy all the luxuries five-star hotels offer.

So, if you plan to book a stay at a five-star hotel soon, don't make the same mistake. When your friends ask you how the Mediterranean-style indoor pool was, you'll want to have something to say.