A travel vlogger has listed his observations on major differences between five-star hotels in India and the UK. In a detailed Instagram post, Dipanshu Mishra broke down how hospitality, luxury and service differ sharply between the two countries — and why neither approach is necessarily wrong.
Using eight points, he explained how five-star hotels differ between India and the UK.
Hotel price shock
Mishra began with the cost-to-experience gap. He said paying £900 for a five-star hotel in the UK fetched him little more than a compact room, a bed, and “self-realisation”. In contrast, he noted that ₹25,000 in India often comes with an elaborate welcome — complete with garlands, tilak, welcome drinks and staff who “call you sir with emotion”.
For some context, £900 is well over ₹1 lakh. So according to Mishra, Indian hotels offer better hospitality at a quarter of the price.
Welcome experience
The welcome experience, he said, sets the tone. In the UK, check-in is quick and transactional — a simple “Name?” and the process is done. In India, he pointed out, guests are greeted warmly with folded hands and a heartfelt “Namaste sir, welcome to our property,” a gesture that feels personal rather than procedural.
Porter experience
Mishra also highlighted staffing differences. In UK hotels, the receptionist often doubles up as the porter, handling check-in and luggage before moving on. Indian hotels, he said, operate like a coordinated event, where “one person opens the door, one takes luggage, one escorts you”, making the experience feel ceremonial.
What luxury looks like
According to the travel vlogger, luxury means different things in each country. In the UK, it translates to minimalism — muted colours, silence and understated design. In India, luxury is theatrical, marked by chandeliers, marble floors and visible staff presence. As he put it, “India makes you feel rich. UK makes you feel efficient.”
The room size debate
Room size was another point of contrast. Mishra joked that “cozy” rooms in the UK often mean barely enough space to open a suitcase. In India, even budget hotels tend to reassure guests by saying, “Sir, this is our smallest room,” while still offering comparatively more space.
Food rules vs flexibility
Meal timings offered another stark contrast. Mishra noted that UK hotels strictly adhere to breakfast hours — miss it and “kitchen closed” is final. In India, staff are more accommodating, often saying, “Sir, aap late uth gaye? Koi baat nahi,” and arranging food, packing it for travel, and still offering tea.
In his post, the travel vlogger — who has visited nine countries so far and wants to travel to every country in the world — also spoke about how UK hospitality is professional and polite but maintains emotional distance, while in India “hospitality is built on emotion & generosity.”
His post ended with a line many found relatable: “UK hotels treat you like a guest. Indian hotels treat you like a relative who paid.” The observation has since sparked widespread debate online, with travellers sharing their own experiences from both sides of the world.
