What Do Hotel Star Ratings Mean?

We have all heard about hotels being rated with stars, but what do they really mean? Of course, 1 star suggests that only bare basics are provided and 5 stars represents that you will be pampered with luxury. So what is the difference between 1,2,3,4 and 5 stars? There is even a self proclaimed 7 stars-hotel in Dubai called the Burj Al Arab and 6 stars-hotel in Singapore called the Fullerton.

To start of, there is no common international standard for measuring hotel service levels and there are differences among countries. In America, the hotel ratings are managed by one of several bodies such as Mobil Travel Guides whereas in the United Kingdom, there is the English Tourist Board. There is a basic set of standards which must be maintained regardless of rating e.g. fire and electrical safety, 24 hour security, kitchens that must comply with health regulation standards etc. In addition to that, the people who give a hotel its rating will not warn the hotel management ahead of their inspection. They will just slip into the hotel just like any other ordinary traveler albeit on a mission. So let us look at some of the criteria that decide the number of stars a hotel gets.

One of the criteria is qualitative and aesthetic requirements which basically look at the function, color, aesthetics and ambiance of the furniture, space, light, decoration and other equipment in the hotel. Needless to say that the higher the rating, the better the quality and ¡®taste¡¯. In terms of room, the room size increases with the number of stars. However, the least you can expect from a room regardless of rating is a clean bed, linen, curtains, a waste bin, a cupboard and etc.

Services-wise, all you get at the front desk of a hotel with a rating of 1 star or 2 stars is the bare basics. Life only seriously begin at 3 stars-hotels with room services, luggage storage services, money exchange, 24 hour front desk, valet, safety boxes etc. The reception itself becomes ¡®well appointed¡¯ at 3 stars-hotels. Restaurant and bars often appear at hotels with a rating of 3 stars and above. Swimming pools can be found at hotels with 4 stars, although some hotels with ratings lower than that does provide swimming pools. Basically, most of the services that we tend to associate with hotels start at ratings of 3 stars as competition among hotels see them raising the quality bar. Creature comforts come in at 4 stars-hotels, while international standards come in at 5 stars-hotels.

Perhaps I can go on and on with the minute details of the rating but this is perhaps unnecessary as mentioned earlier, it depends where you are traveling to as each country has its own rating system. So to simplify, there is little difference between 1 and 2 stars-hotels and these are clearly the best choice for people who are unwilling to pay for what is deem unnecessary facilities and services as they just want a bed to sleep in. Graduation to a rating of 3 stars sees many differences mainly in terms of services provided. For a rating of 4 stars onwards, the hotels becomes a more viable recreational destination with swimming pools, health clubs, gym and wider range of restaurants to choose from.

Going from 4 to 5 stars-hotels see the final touches hit the level of luxury and excellence with beautiful decoration and high standards. On top of all these, a hotel needs however to reach a certain threshold to qualify for a rating although you will also see some hotels bill themselves as providing 4 or 5 stars services when in reality they¡¯re not officially rated as such. This is something which will not happen with international chains as they will have a reputation to uphold. Note that there are various other websites offering ratings in the United States such as American Automobile Association and not all are equal. As for the Mobil Travel Guide rating system, the determining factor is the quality of service. This means that a hotel can have top notch facilities and amenities but will not get 5 stars if only average services are offered.

So finally, plan your holiday well ahead, look up the more reliable websites that offers hotel rating in that particular country you are going too and perhaps read up some comments by travelers themselves in bogging websites on how the hotel faired. This should give you a rough idea which hotel you will like to check in to. Happy Holidays!