We all know a 5 star hotel is fabulous, but do you know what is the difference between a 3 star and a 4 star hotel? How about a 4 star hotel in Europe vs a 5 star hotel in the US? Or the difference in 4 diamonds and 5 stars? Sophie-Claire Hoeller, with Business Insider shares her take about hotel star rating differences and shares our conclusion…. Stars don’t mean a thing!! We know, we know — there is a difference between 1 star and 5 star property – that’s obvious. However, the rest of the requirements are vague and inconsistent in our opinion. With the addition independent reviewers, such as Trip Advisor and other online resources, the process has become even more confusing. Do you agree? As planners, do you place a high value on hotel ratings?
So what is a planner to do? Besides partnering with an informed sourcing & site selection firm like Meeting Innovations, who has insight on the current status, service & quality of hotels – try sticking to one source for all your ratings. For example: Diamonds vs Stars or Forbes vs Expedia. In addition, look at hotel reviews on TripAdvisor.com. We find the travelers photos truly insightful… but remember, guests are more likely to post negative reviews, than to write in with accolades.
Let us know your thoughts on this topic, and here’s Ms. Hoeller’s insightful article which got us all thinking: http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-star-meaning-2015-9
