A one night stay in a hotel labelled as a 5-star one or at a high-priced private resort will not make you an expert, but it is the first step.

It may seem ambitious to think and dream of staying at luxury vacation spots, but with a thousand bragging that they are luxurious, how will we know if they are telling the truth or just using over-the-top adjectives to have all the rooms filled?

Disclaimer: I am not a professional hotel consultant but I did stayed on QUITE a few ones that I found and bid on this luxury travel site and with a few pointers from a confidant who is on the hospitality business for 20 years. He wants to remain anonymous so as not to appear subjective so let me just say, thanks for the tip, Michael.

When they have in-door premium facilities , when they have in-house food and beverage outlets, when they have a luxury spa, when, when they offer exclusivity and customized packages or when the rates are equal to a month’s salary, we thought those are what make up a luxury hotel. But a luxury hotel’s definition is becoming dynamic, and we have to bag the best deals ever to get the best accommodation worth of our hard-earned money.

So, how will we know if we are putting our money on the right goods? Have come up with a few ways.

1. Read reviews. What better way to know than to get testimonials from the experts. Tripadvisor and luxuryhotelreviews give pretty credible hotel reviews so they’re worth checking out.

2. Participate in forums dedicated to luxury destinations. Hearing a fellow luxury traveller’s views is a reliable way to know the good and the ugly stuff about luxury hotels because nothing beats experience.

3. Join online luxury vacation destination contests. Through these contests, you’ll be assured that you’ll be getting the best because luxury travel sites offer the best of their best on contests to boost loyalty and attract more clients.

Even if we have the priciest luxury products around, if we still feel empty, then there’s something missing and luxury is not measured by money, it is defined by the most positive experience.