The Truth About Hotel Stars: Decoding Ratings, Reviews, and Reality

In my journeys as a travel advisor, I have had the pleasure of staying in some absolutely fabulous hotels. As a younger man, I have also stayed in some pretty dodgy places; I even ran away from one (with a number in its name) that was barely up to prison standards, though in retrospect the bullet-proof glass at the check-in desk should have been a clue. 

Searching for a hotel is a daunting prospect. The photos are always their best foot forward, but what you book on the discount sites is often not what you expected. Suddenly you realize, too late, that you’ve been catfished by a hotel, but are too tired to do anything and just sleep in your clothes, hoping that mold you spotted doesn’t come alive in the night. 

Knowing the carefully staged photos and overly wordsmithed descriptions are not always reliable, many people turn to reviews and ratings. But even these can be confusing. One person had a wonderful stay, another thought the property was the doorway to hell. One place is a “3-star” with decent reviews, another is a “5-star” with questionable feedback. How do you interpret all this information? 

Hotel Rating Systems Vary Across Regions & Raters

Alas, there is no single rating system for hotels. Luxury hotel standards depend on who’s doing the rating and where you are in the world. Different cultures have different expectations and standards for what makes something excellent. A 4-Star in one part of the world may be a 5-Star or 3-Star in another. Moreover, a property could be rated 4-Stars by Forbes but 5-Star by the Hotelstars Union, simply because the criteria focuses on different aspects of your stay. 

Americans may expect their 5-star room to be larger than their apartment, with an ice machine nearby, a clothes iron in the room, a luxurious California King-sized bed, and the air conditioning blasting a frigid 65° year-round. In Europe, the 500-year old buildings have smaller, charming rooms without A/C but still get a 5-Star rating based on a lot of other factors. 

Finding the right hotel is first about knowing what matters to you, and then about evaluating the services, reputation, and amenities of a particular property. The official hotel classification is a helpful indicator but not a definitive rating. 

Where Do Hotel Stars Come From?

Who’s doing the rating? In Europe, hotel stars are kind of a big deal, but even there the standards depend on what country you’re in—or even what region of a country. The Hotelstars Union is a voluntary attempt by some countries to follow one standard, but it doesn’t apply in Italy or Spain, where each region or city has its own legally-prescribed rating system.  On top of the government or quasi-legal systems, there are private organizations that do their own ratings like Forbes, AAA, or Michelin, and each system is looking at different criteria. 

When interpreting the ratings by these different organizations, it’s important to remember which question they’re actually answering: 

• Hotelstars Union (HSU) — Do you have the stuff? 

• Forbes Travel List — Do you pamper me? 

• Michelin Keys — Will I remember it? 

• AAA Diamonds — Is it safe, clean, and consistent? 

Hotelstars Union (HSU) - The Amenity-Focused Star System

The HSU is a quasi-governmental system that 21 European countries have opted into. The system focuses on the facilities and availability of services, rather than the degree of hospitality. The system has certain minimum requirements for each Star, and a system of points for 239 criteria that can boost a hotel’s score. There are 5-Stars plus a bonus “Superior” rating for each level, which is used when a property exceeds its minimum standard but is missing minimums for the next level up. 

Here’s an example of some of the criteria that are required for different Star ratings according to the HSU. 

Forbes Travel Guide Requirements

The Forbes Travel Guide started in 1958 (then as the Mobil Travel Guide) and is a well-respected mark of luxurious properties. The focus for Forbes in on service and hospitality, with 75% of their rating coming from the quality of the service rather than features and amenities.  There are three levels of ratings, and since Forbes is focused on luxury, none of them are basic: 

• Recommended - Excellent properties with consistently good service 

• 4-Star - Exceptional properties, with high levels of service and high-quality facilities. The service is described as gracious, professional, and attentive. 

• 5-Star - The highest offering for outstanding, iconic properties with flawless service and the finest amenities. The service here will be intuitive, engaging, and anticipatory. 

Forbes doesn’t use a point system per se but does have pretty exacting standards to meet in order to be rated highly. Here’s an example of some the criteria they’re looking for: 

• Staff is highly articulate and avoids slang and excessive use of phrase-fragments

• Guests are greeted curbside within 30 seconds of arriving

• Staff exhibits a genuine sense of interest and concern for the guest and/or demonstrates anticipatory service when appropriate and helpful

• Staff does not decline any request without offering appropriate alternatives

• Evening service is provided automatically

• End sheets of toilet tissue are neatly pointed or similarly cared for

• Menu and/or buffet provides an exceptional variety, including concept-driven specialty dishes; Portions are appropriate

• Looking back on the entire stay, the experience was naturally personalized, and you did not feel like one of many

Michelin Keys: The Newest Ratings Focused on Uniqueness

The newest hotel rating system is from Michelin, whom you’ve heard of for their restaurant ratings. Receiving a Michelin rating means your hotel or restaurant is the best of the best and offers something special and unique. Michelin awards 1, 2, or 3 Keys to remarkable properties. Michelin-rated properties aren’t necessarily “luxury,” it’s possible for budget-friendly properties to receive a Key if they are something special. Michelin doesn’t publish the specific criteria the use, but broadly speaking a hotel will receive a Key if: 

1. The hotel is an open door to the destination

2. It shows excellence in interior design and architecture

3. It is marked by quality and consistency in service, comfort and maintenance 

4. There is consistency between the level of experience and the price paid 

5. The property exudes individuality, reflecting personality and authenticity

It’s safe to say that any hotel with a Michelin key will be an exceptional experience, offering something that you can’t get at any other hotel. 

AAA Diamond Ratings: The North American Standard

The American Automobile Association (AAA) hotel ratings date back to 1937, and only rates hotel properties North America and the Caribbean, so you won’t find AAA Diamonds in Europe or Asia. Since they focus on American standards, the AAA Diamonds can’t necessarily be directly compared to HSU’s or Forbes’ Stars. After 2020, AAA replaced its 1- and 2-Diamond ratings with a pass/fail “AAA Approved” that ensures basic standards of cleanliness and safety. Additionally, during and after the Covid pandemic, AAA started using scientific methods to test cleanliness. 

When choosing a AAA Diamond Hotel, consider these guidelines: 

• Approved: Best for budget stays. It’ll be clean and safe, but no frills 

• 3-Diamond: Well-appointed amenities, decent style and comfortable. Best for Family Travel. 

• 4-Diamond: More upscale style and friendly service. Ideal for Romantic Getaways. 

• 5-Diamond: These are world-class properties, with indulgent amenities and superb experience. Best for those seeking luxurious relaxation. 

Are Hotel Reviews Reliable?

The rating systems described above are a great indication of a hotel’s quality, but don’t always tell the whole story. When searching online you’ll find every booking and review site, like TripAdvisor or Expedia, has its own rating system as well, sourced from travelers who supposedly have been there and show the pictures to prove it.  

These crowd-sourced ratings and reviews are helpful, but you should always consider crowd-sourced information with a grain of salt. Ratings are highly subjective, they can easily skew one way or another, and individual reviews can be polarized or polluted. What one person considers “cozy and historic,” with a 9 out of 10 rating, another person may call “cramped and old,” with a 4 out of 10 rating. 

Written reviews can give a general idea of a hotel’s quality, but there are key problems: 

• Age of the Review — a highly ranked review can be old, with problems long-since corrected or changes in management, but the review never goes away. 

• Personal Grudges — People are often more likely to write reviews when they are upset by something, and there’s never a good indication of whether they are upset for legitimate reasons or just because they are entitled and whiney. 

So while online reviews can be helpful, they almost never tell the whole story. 

Hire a Travel Advisor to Find the Perfect Hotel

Ratings and reviews are helpful, but no one knows how to find you the perfect hotel better than your travel advisor. We conduct “site inspections” regularly—a process where we dig into a property and learn everything we can about it, including what makes it special or which of our clients will most appreciate it. 

Beyond knowing how to interpret the rating systems, we assess the personality of any given hotel. The ratings can’t tell you if a hotel is romantic or a party scene. Even if there is a party scene, the ratings won’t tell you which rooms you should book to be part of it or away from it. 

These are all the personal touches that a travel advisor inherently knows. And because we know you, and work for you, our goal is to go beyond ratings and reviews and match you with the hotel that will make your travel experience exceptional. Plus, because of our relationships, we can often secure perks you can't get online—like complimentary daily breakfast, room upgrades, or resort credits—effectively elevating your 4-star booking into a 5-star experience.