What makes a hotel star?

Basically, to be rated, the hotel needs to ensure standards of service, amenities, hygiene, location and price.

The star rating system for hotels is widely accepted as a way to determine the overall quality of a hotel. However, the ratings can vary greatly from country to country. Typically, each country has its own way of rating hotels from 1 to 5 stars, which is done by a tourism organization or government agency. Basically, to be rated, a hotel must meet certain standards of service, amenities, cleanliness, location, and price.

Rankings can vary widely between countries. Photo: Alamy.

In the UK, the star rating is primarily customer service, while in France, the focus is on rooms, corridors and facilities, as set by the French government. In 2007, four UK organisations decided to join forces to create a unified rating system for the UK: the Automobile Association, VisitBritain, VisitScotland and VisitWales. Hotels in Spain are rated regionally rather than nationally, while Italy places the highest demands on cleanliness across its entire system.

Basically, star hotels need to meet certain standards as follows:

1 star hotel

Only one type of room is available to guests. The hotel must be open seven days a week and during all seasons, there must be a staff member at the front desk to check guests in. Sometimes bathrooms may be shared, there is no restaurant but instead there are vending machines.

A 1-star hotel has only one type of room for guests. Photo: Alamy.

2 star hotel

The conditions are the same as a 1-star hotel, but the room must have a TV and telephone, a private bathroom, and a bar or restaurant in the hotel. In addition, the standards of cleanliness and service provided to guests are also higher and must always be maintained.

3 star hotel

In addition to a wide range of room types, there should be a restaurant, gym, conference room and shopping area. In the UK, to qualify as a 3-star hotel, guests must have access to services at all times of the day. Wifi must be available in rooms and public areas. Rooms should have a private bathroom and an internal telephone system linked to reception.

4 star hotel

Service quality requirements must be met in all departments, especially the service staff. There must be a variety of rooms for guests to choose from, including luxury rooms. There must be a large restaurant and bar, swimming pool and gym. Staff in these areas must be on duty day and night. In addition, room service must be available 24 hours a day, with refrigerators in the rooms serving food and drinks. Wifi is equipped in all rooms and bathrooms must also use high-end amenities.

5 star hotel

Both the bedrooms and the quality of service from the staff must be at an outstanding level. Cleanliness and hygiene are also of very high standards. In addition to the requirements of a 4-star hotel, a 5-star hotel must have a spa, valet parking, a private butler, 24/7 room service and thoughtful afternoon tea. In addition, rooms for long-term guests must have at least 3 separate rooms: bedroom, living room and bathroom, and must always be available for rent.

The 7-star hotel in Dubai. Photo: Alamy.

Recently, some exceptionally high-end hotels have been established, such as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which is recognized as a 7-star hotel but is still ranked 5-star in terms of standards. Basically, the star rating is gradually being voted on by hotel associations instead of management agencies as before.

According to VNE