Is your hotel 4- or 5-stars? Here’s how to tell them apart

Ever notice that the same hotel can be rated three-, four- and even five-stars? That’s the case with Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands.

The reason is because companies — from guidebooks to websites — use different standards to evaluate hotels, with some relying solely on online reviews to set their star rating.

CNBC Travel sat down with Capella Singapore’s Yngvar Stray and HotelPlanner’s Tim Hentschel to talk about which star ratings matter, and what travelers can expect from a 1-star to a 5-star stay.

#CNBC #LuxuryHotel #Travel #Ratings

Clarification: Some star ratings are awarded by industry councils that work alongside government entities.

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[pjacobsen]

My standard is to only stay at 8-star hotels, but since they don't exist, I just stay home.

[crypticTV]

2:40 European different ratings
2:50 star rating meaning
5:04 other countries
8:05 some Singaporean guy says what matter
8:40 Dubai requirements

[weirdnomad]

During the pandemic I was able to stay in at two 5-star hotels due to the prices being lowered as a result of lack of travelers and it was AMAZING. The grounds were so large the staff used bicycles to get around and the bathtub was carved out of large piece of granite. Another one I had my own private pool in addition to the tub being carved out of a piece of granite. It was a truly amazing and indelible experience that's worth saving up for.

[nath-wpxp]

This is useful consumer advice during a cost of living crisis.

[lewizzrocks]

Absolutely it’s so easy to tell 4 vs 5 For my Mexico City stay I stayed at the JW Marriott, beautiful lobby pool and modern rooms with friendly staff. No complaints at all. However my stay at the Sofitel Reforma was special. They made the whole experience effortless. They even brought in a Staff member from a local clinic to administer my covid test in the hotel. Anyone who’s stays in Mexico City and has a more liberal budget should stay at the Sofitel.

[markb]

I think stars indicate expectations and user reviews show if those expectations are actually met or not. You can be incredibly satisfied with the amenities and service of a 2 star hotel, but you’d be horribly disappointed if you received the same care at a 5 star hotel.

Also, as a rough indicator, I view 1-3 star hotels as places where you go to stay, whereas 4-5 star hotels are destinations in their own right.

[hanssolos]

mar a lago is 9 stars cos the breakfast menu comes with government's classified notes with cream cheese bagel.

[dr.winstonsmith]

Eco-friendly is media gaslighting. If anything, eco-friendly for a hotel is a turn-off because it means low flow showerheads, less towels, and overall less amenities and luxury.

[axel]

To me 5 star hotel is anything that makes me question my finance

[ChangedNames]

The problem with standardized rating is that it just shows you the facilities.

For example you can find extremely high end hotels/resorts in muslim countries that arent ranked 5 Star because they dont serve alcohol.

If only there was a system that also ranks the quality of the services and facilities

[FinancialShinanigan]

My wallet appreciates 3-star hotels carrying similar amenities to 4-stars hotels

[One.Zero.One]

The mess of having to invent 7 stars is because people don't know how to use a scaling system. You're supposed to rate the best of the best as 5 stars but people rate average hotels as 5 stars. So if the scale is broken they need to add more stars, but that is just a temporary patchwork solution. As long as people don't know how to use the scale, you're gonna have to keep adding 8 stars and 9 stars in the future.

[baiservole]

I don’t know why this doesn’t come up more often when people talk about hotel ratings, but the most important “feeling” I want from the hotels is how clean it is. Not how TIDY it is, but how sanitary. It’s frustrating to pay extra for these 4/5 star hotels that have grand and beautiful spaces, but when you go into the room shower tiles are noticeably under cleaned, remote controls have stains on them, throws haven’t been replaced and cleaned in a while. Since hundreds of people a year live and sleep in these places, I wish there’s more highlight on how well it’s cleaned than wow look at our grand water fountain 😅

[j.trulyrandom]

Ultimately, customer reviews matter more as they reflect reality vs the rigid star system

[collarsncolours]

I too value echo-friendly hotels. The best experiences are always the ones where I get great acoustics when singing in the shower. If I can't wake up my neighbors to the tune of Ave Maria, I don't want to stay there

[Bash]

2:58 "Rooms are clean..." Yeah, that's a load of horse manure

[BluishHuntress]

4-star hotels are much better in terms of value compared to 5-star ones.

[i_am_acai]

I thought this would be a hotel tour but this video was more interesting and researched than I expected

[djr]

We just name our hotel "The Seven Star Hotel"

[DanyCesc]

For my family is mostly the privacy and peace of mind that 4 and 5 star hotels offer, they treat you better, there’s more attention, if you have kids they tend to go out of their way to assist you and make sure the experience is worth the money.