Not so long ago, the best one could hope for in extraordinary hotel service was an unusually fluffy imported duvet, express dry cleaning and perhaps even fulfillment of a random late-night food craving. But as discerning travelers spend more extravagantly, they have become increasingly demanding. Luxury hotels are responding with all kinds of new, over-the-top amenities--from decadent sundaes dished up in guests' rooms to poolside tanning butlers or canine room service.
"Seasoned travelers have more expendable income than ever, and when they take a break from their hectic lives, they want to be totally catered to," says Joseph McInerney, president and...