Seeing stars on hotel ratings
What’s the next step one takes after deciding where to go on a trip? Choose a hotel most likely… which means probably checking out various hotels in the planned area or destination of visit.
Most travelers look into a hotel’s classification before considering whether to book an overnight. They then, search for online reviews about the property, before making that final decision to buy. Star ratings are helpful for travelers to determine a hotel’s quality and price and form the first filter in a process of sifting through choices. Reviews are the consumers’ validation of the endorsed star rating - based upon experiences of those who stayed in a particular hotel.
Decades ago, a few companies and government tourism boards handed out stars – or diamonds, as the American Automobile Association (AAA) calls its ratings. Nowadays however, a plethora of guidebooks, websites and magazines issue them. In a galaxy of thousands of hotels, where one more star speaks volumes about the property’s quality, luxury and customer service, hotels have now begun to rate themselves in the public domain.
Hotel star ratings influence purchasing choices – be it budget-driven or if one belongs to that tribe of guests who refuse to stay in a hotel unless it is rated 5-stars. The problem arises when one encounters the same property listed with a different number of stars on different websites. The sheer number of organisations that award stars is thus simply not helping.
How baffling can it get? For example; Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands is listed as a 5-stars hotel on Booking.com, 4 -stars on Forbes Travel Guide and 3-stars as per Frommers. When a 4-star designated hotel in Europe provides a vastly different experience than a 4-star hotel in the US, It poses a vexing problem. It appears that all stars are not created equal where one cannot reliably compare the ratings of hotels located in the two continents.
A global survey of nearly 25,000 TripAdvisor users revealed that online reviews provided them the confidence to book. Users, it was discovered read an average of 9- reviews before making a decision, claiming that recent or the newest reviews are the ones that mattered most. Some say that online reviews have replaced star ratings in this internet era; others argue that it does not… since star ratings and reviews complement each other.
In the star rating system, 1-star is the lowest rating and 5-stars are the highest. A 1-star rating doesn’t mean a hotel is dirty, unkempt or located in a dodgy area. It simply denotes that one has a place to sleep. On the other end of the scale, a 5-star property is expected to deliver guest services in a state-of-the art facility and provide premium food and beverages options including luxury toiletries for guests. Hotels rated in-between, offer varying degrees of comfort, service quality, amenities and affordability – each one rising in value as they climb the ‘star’ ladder.
Then again, a 5-star rated hotel can disappoint with a 2-star level of service whereas a 3-star hotel can delight with 5-star quality service.
The general manager of Singapore’s iconic Capella Hotel, Yngvar Stray, describes a five-star hotel as one that is defined by three distinct characteristics, “If you want to be a true, high-end luxury five-star hotel, your physical product needs to be immaculate. It cannot be a cookie cutter hotel. You don’t win by that alone, but if you don’t have it, you’re not in play. Secondly, a true five-star hotel must employ people who understand that everything revolves around the guest; it’s not easy to work in a luxury hotel. It’s much easier to work in a more streamlined hotel because we demand so much more It’s about the old concierge’s kind of code, which is ‘The answer is yes’ … as long as it’s legal and morally correct. Lastly, a five-star hotel must reach guests on an emotional level; there are multiple aspects that we drive in order to allow for guests to have that extra feeling that says ‘Wow that was special. The emotional connection is what people will remember.”
Copy that and add a soon to descend, fourth distinction – a written sustainability policy that seriously addresses energy efficiency, water conservation and an inclination to support local trade and use environmentally friendly supplies.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier
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