Hotel star rating

[jimmyjazz100]

How does a hotel get it's 'star' status. I.E. what's the difference between a 2 star and a 5 star except the price?

[Clanad]

Star rating:
One-star - Meets budget basic needs, economy, no-frills accommodations, simple accommodations
Two-star - Meets basic needs, value, clean, comfortable, affordable
Three-star - High service, additional amenities, quality, style, comfort, personalized service, mid-scale, convenience plus comfort
Four-star - Superior property, variety of amenities, upscale, high quality, comfort plus quality
Five-star - Luxury setting, flawless guest services, finest hotels, luxury, superlative service, highest comfort standards, first-class services, well equipped and state of the art facilities

Most travel authorities agree there isn't a standard for interpreting the Star system...

[Gef]

You will find all you need to know about the AA's rating system at http://www.theaa.com/staticdocs/pdf/travelandleisure/hot els/quality_standards_for_hotels.pdf

Remember though that hotels have to pay for their AA assessment.

Recently I have stayed in a four star hotel in Stirling where the level of service and standard of food was awful compared to many 2 and 3 star hotels I have stayed in. The AA rating covers the quality of service and not the standard of the food. AA rosettes are a better guide to the quality of the food.

[KebabMeister]

There's also a 7 star hotel in Dubai, but afaik there is no 6 star hotel.

I don't find a great deal of differences between 3 & 4 star, perhaps air-conditioning and a proper ironing board (rather than just trouser press) are often in 4 star hotels (well, the ones I've stayed in) ;)

[jno]

depends - different countries, different organisations (eg the AA or RAC) etc award stars according to their own criteria; there isn't any universally agreed one. Broadly, Clanad's list is excellent, but it might not tally with some particular classification systems.

[jno]

oh, crossed with the entire world there. The 7 stars of the Dubai hotel are self-awarded.

[mystress]

Having worked in a London 5* Hotel,I agree basically with Clanad,However in Europe and the UK the star system of Hotels(usually self awarded!) only reall indicates facilities,and not level of service;for that you have to check hotel reviews on the net.

Take an example:~

Richard Branson has a "boutique" hotel in Denya,Majorca that is stayed in by the Spanish Royal Family;and is probably one of best "small" hotels in the world.This would probably only be classed however as 3*,due to not having tons of extra facilties,and being small in size.

The Regent Palace (off of Piccadilly Circus) London has over 1,000 room and many facilities,so would probably be classed as 5 star(Not you notice 5*,which indicates de luxe).

I cannot agree enough with gef about the AA star systems,when it comes to 3 and 4 stars.They are often not quite good enough to be luxury,and not small enought to be quaint and charming.

I must say that having travelled (when I was younger) quite a lot,I have never found so many bad and overpriced,and badly serviced, hotels as I have done in the UK!

[suelees]

We stayed in a brilliantly unique hotel in the Algarve.  The owner told us she couldn't get many stars as she didn't have matching furniture, trouser presses etc. We'd stay the night before in a 4* hotel. It was c**p. All mod cons but queues for breakfast to collect your bread, plastic tubs of jam and butter and hard boiled egg and get your coffee out of one of those big flask type things.  It seems the corporate type hotels get the most stars as they  offer the most 'services' but this doesn't mean the services have to be good. And they are all so homogenized you could be anywhere once you enter the lobby.