Star Classification Sytems

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Hotel ratings

"5 star superior" rating at Hotel Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten, Munich, GermanyThe star classification system is a common one for rating hotels. Higher star ratings indicate more luxury.

The AAA and their affiliated bodies use diamonds instead of stars to express hotel and restaurant ratings levels.

Hotels are independently assessed in traditional systems and rest heavily on the facilities provided. Some consider this disadvantageous to smaller hotels whose quality of accommodation could fall into one class but the lack of an item such as an elevator would prevent it from reaching a higher categorization.[2]

[edit] Standards of hotel classification
Food services, entertainment, view, room variations such as size and additional amenities, spas and fitness centers and location may be considered in establishing a standard.

The more common classification systems include 'star' rating, letter grading, from 'A' to 'F', diamond or simply a 'satisfactory' or 'unsatisfactory' footnote to accommodation such as hostels and motels. Systems using terms such as Deluxe/ Luxury, First Class/ Superior, Tourist Class/ Standard, and Budget Class/ Economy are more widely accepted as hotel types, rather than hotel standards.

Some countries have rating by a single public standard - Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Hungary have laws defining the hotel rating. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the rating is defined by the respective hotel industry association using a 5-star system - the German classifications are Tourist (*), Standard (**), Comfort (***), First Class (****) and Luxus (*****) with the mark Superior to flag extras beyond the minimum defined in the standard. In France the rating is defined by the public tourist board of the department using a four star system (plus "L" for Luxus) which has changed to a 5-star system from 2009 on. In South Africa and Namibia the Tourism Grading Council has strict rules for a hotel types granting up to 5 stars.

[edit] World Hotel Rating
There is so far no international classification which has been adopted. There have been attempts at unifying the classification system so that it becomes an internationally recognized and reliable standard, but they all have failed.

Many consider that, as it has been the case in other areas (e.g. international accounting standards), hotel classification standards should result from a private and independent initiative. This may be the case of the World Hotel Rating (WHR) project, which notably aims to set international classification standards and rating criteria along the lines of a world star-rating system. It will also establish an information platform on the hotel industry which will be multilingual and multicultural. WHR intends to play a key role in the development of quality hotel services, as well as equitable and sustainable tourism, and the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage. In addition, WHR will develop labels to promote hotels distinguished by specific features, such as a family and child-friendly disposition. A test period is scheduled for 2010.

[edit] Hotel Classifications in Britain
In Britain hotels are rated from one star - five stars, like in many countries around the world. Unlike in America, diamonds are not used. The AA (Automobile Association) is one of the most trusted sites that rates hotels in the UK. Their criteria for classifying hotels is available freely on their website[3]. In addition to the usual black stars (ranging from one, the lowest to five, the highest) the AA awards gold stars to hotels which are 'highly commended' and red stars to the best hotels they review which are deemed 'inspectors choice'[4]. An example would be Cliveden Country House Hotel in Taplow which is rated as a 5 red star hotel[5].

[edit] Six star hotels
Some members of the hospitality industry have claimed a self-given six star rating for their operation. Two examples are the Crown Macau, on Taipa Island in the Chinese territory of Macau and the St. Regis Shanghai Hotel in China. Other examples include the Al Husn Hotel at Shangrila's Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa Hotel in Oman.[6] The Palazzo Versace[7] on the Gold Coast in Australia is described by Australian Traveller magazine as meriting "six star" rating though level of rating is not used in Australia.[8] The under development hotel Mansions of the World in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires has also been announced as a six star hotel project.[9]. Seoul Park Hyatt in South Korea is also a six star hotel.[citation needed] The hotel Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island also claims that title.

[edit] Seven star hotels
There are only three hotels in the world that are seven star hotels; the Town House Galleria in Milan was the first, followed by the Burj Al Arab[citation needed] in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[10] These ratings are merely to create a marketing hype as the highest official ratings in Dubai and Italy, for instance, are five stars [11]There are a few other seven star hotels under construction. These include the Laucala Island in Fiji, Morgan Plaza to be finished in Beijing, China, the Flower of the East under construction as well as the Solar Powered Hotel on Kish island, Iran.[12] The Centaurus Complex under construction in Islamabad, Pakistan[13], the Grand Chola in Chennai (India), a complex planned for Metro Manila and The Royalties Castle for Davao City in the Philippines.[14] Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India is also a seven star.

[edit] Controversy
This article's Criticism or Controversy section(s) may mean the article does not present a neutral point of view of the subject. It may be better to integrate the material in those sections into the article as a whole. (October 2009)

The expansion beyond the traditional "five star" rating has led to commentators questioning if it is simply mere puffery or sales hype.[15][16]

The UK's Culture minister Kim Howells said that he was considering establishing a Government-endorsed standard to replace the many rating systems, which he said were "shambolic" and confused the consumer.

Hamish Arthur of the Australian Hoteliers Association [ AHA ] said the current system was confusing for many consumers, and hotels were now reluctant to pay for an independent assessment when they could post equivalent self-ratings on accommodation websites.

Mr Arthur said consumers became confused when they saw two very different facilities rated the same - for example a serviced apartment and a hotel - and he thought some overseas visitors mistakenly booked 5-star facilities that didn't meet their expectations on arrival.

The World Hotel Rating (WHR) project, which will be tested in 2010, may provide a balanced solution as it will rely on objective criteria and guest satisfaction.