Now that Mr. Jasmine and I booked our minimoon, we have to think about booking our wedding night accommodations. Initially, we were just going to stay at the InterContinental Los Angeles, where our wedding is being held. They’re providing us with a complimentary suite for the night.
But traditionally, Indian/Pakistani weddings end with what’s called a “rukhsati“. When the reception is almost over and the newlywed couple is ready to depart, the bride’s parents and siblings give their heartfelt blessings to the bride and wish her the utmost happiness in her new marriage. They also ask that she treat her husband’s family with love and care and that they do the same for her– essentially, the bride is leaving her family and joining her husband’s family (although nowdays it’s more symbolic than anything else). It’s a very emotional moment and makes for a very dramatic goodbye scene– I know I’m going to be all tears! Mr. Jasmine and I decided that, after the rukhsati, it would be kind of anticlimactic to march upstairs to our room in the same hotel. So we’re going to find alternate wedding night accommodations. Besides, I think Mr. Jasmine really wants an excuse to drive a fab getaway car 
But here’s my question: is it worth it to splurge on a fabulous wedding night hotel? I’ve heard mixed things. Some people claim that, of course, you should go all out on a luxurious wedding night hotel. After all, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you want to do it right. Others say that you and your honey will probably be too exhausted to really enjoy and appreciate the amenities of such an expensive room and thus, it’s a waste of money.
I’m on the mindset that life is too short (and I need a plush hotel room!), but I’m curious what you think. Is it worth it to splurge?
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, we thought we should investigate what the hotel rooms at our top three hotel choices for our Paris honeymoon were really like. Sure, all the hotel and vacation booking websites show pretty pictures, but are these pictures realistic?
I’m a big fan of user reviews, whether it is for hotels or for blenders, and travelers have made use of Trip Advisor in large numbers. Not only do they post reviews of their hotel stays, but they also post candid pictures. I thought it would be interesting to see if there was any resemblance between what glossy advertisements show and what hotel goers actually experience.
The top pictures are what the hotels and websites give us themselves, and the bottom pictures are the ones taken by the travelers.
These first ones are from the Sofitel Trocadero Dokhan. The lighting is not as inviting in the traveler’s pic, and I don’t see the orchids or champagne, but all in all, I’d say it still looks like an inviting bed, and I’d have to admit that the traveler’s shot is more zoomed in than the hotel’s, making it more difficult to judge if the hotel’s picture is an accurate portrayal of the room:
These are from the Sofitel Arc de Triomphe. Although from different angles and different zoom levels, the rooms look almost identical, no?
These next pictures offered the biggest disappointment, especially because this hotel, the Pont Royal, was our # 1 choice. The travelers’ pictures could not be, in my opinion, more different than the official ones given by the websites and the hotel. In fact, there are two types of rooms shown here and both look sadly disappointing:
All three hotels got great reviews, for the most part. But I can’t help but discount the Pont Royal when I see that sad little picture. Wouldn’t you want to stay in an incredibly romantic room if you were going to Paris on your honeymoon? And more importantly, shouldn’t there be truth in advertisement?
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Now that Mr. Jasmine and I booked our minimoon, we have to think about booking our wedding night accommodations. Initially, we were just going to stay at the InterContinental Los Angeles, where our wedding is being held. They’re providing us with a complimentary suite for the night.
