Looking At The Stars: Understanding Hotel Standards

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A star rating outlines what guests can generally expect from hotels. In most countries, hotel classifications represent a system of ranking that evaluates the quality of a hotel in terms of amenities, luxury, and overall hospitality.

Typically, such systems are rated on a five star scale, with five indicating the height of luxury. Some of the basic determinants of a hotel’s rating include elements such as the hotel’s room sizes, bed sizes, pool size, restaurant quality, and Internet access.

To date, there is no existing international standard to classify hotels across globe. As an alternative, independent groups in each country such as the American Automobile Association (AAA) or travel websites give star ratings to hotels. In other countries like Portugal, Spain and Hungary, however, a single public standard is applied, with laws defining the hotel rating.

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Other than “star” ratings, the terms “grading” and “classification” are used to refer to the same concept. There is also a wide variety of rating schemes used by different organizations around the world. In some countries like Dubai, for example, some hotels have been advertised as seven star hotels.

Hotel standards are general guidelines and should not override consumer preference. These ratings only prove useful when determining the level of luxury of a hotel. Other factors such location, price, and activities on offer should also inform the choice of guests.

John Jefferis is a veteran hotelier who finds passion for hotel design. Follow this Twitter page for more articles about the hotel industry.