Bunkhedena

The discussion about Expedia got me thinking about how hotels are rated. Most of the sites such as Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz, etc. rate hotels by stars. Even many of the official tourist sites set up by the governments (such as NYC official tourist website) seem to rate hotels by stars. Are there any standards that inform you what you can expect to get with different rated hotels? In other words, what benefits should I expect when I book a 4 star hotel that I won’t be getting if I book a 2 star hotel, and so on?

Also, do any of these sites tell you how these ratings are determined? Do they just rely on information provided by the hotel, or is something else done? I think AAA actually inspects the hotels. I don’t know whether anyone else does so.

Thanking you in advance for any info.

GoTravel

Hotel ratings are determined by each entity. Example, Expedia, Priceline, AAA, and Orbitz each have their own rating system.

However, hotels are rated on what amenities they have not by location, cleanliness, service etc.

Many times the only difference between a 3 Star and a 4 Star hotel is 24 hour room service. While each hotel has room service, the 3 Star only offers room service from 6AM to 2AM whereas the 4 Star offers room service the additional four hours.

gail

Agree with GoTravel - place could have homeless people sleeping in lobby, smelly rooms, and braindead staff, but if it has spa, pool, room service, concierge, etc. it gets a high rating.

I have read info on ratings in very fine print of various sites.

And don't make the mistake of thinking hotels are reviewed by a live person on-site - discussion here some week ago where mistake was made assuming AAA actually visited hotel. On their own website they state they have under 100 (forget actual number) of ratings people - they state they re-rate every few years, but that means they just look aat the list of amenities again. And that list is furnished by hotel, not an independent source. No way 100 people can inspect that many international hotels, even in a lifetime.

No_name

In AAA's website they explain how they rate something.
http://www.aaasouth.com/diamond_ratings.asp

No_name

http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stori..._Ratings04.asp

Bunkhedena

It is to the advantage of companies like Priceline to rate the hotels as high as possible, so they can rent the rooms for the highest possible price.

I assume that AAA is more independent in their evaluations. Is anyone aware of situations where a hotel has received a low rating from AAA but high ratings from Expedia, Priceline, etc?

No_name

From the article above - "Some online services are notorious for handing out stars liberally. A recent search on Orbitz for five-star properties in New York City turned up 13. By contrast, AAA gives five diamonds, its highest ranking, to just five hotels."

gail

If you Google "AAA ratings" + inspectors you will get a whole array of articles about how ratings are determined by various services - and some of the articles contradict each other as to whether or not individual companies (AAA, Expedia, etc.) actually visit properties and how often.

In various sources AAA states that they rate 30,000-50,000 properties and the number they state (65) of inspectors is consistent thruout AAA sources I have seen. I still dispute that they actually visit each property annually - some articles accessed thru Google search agree with me, some disagree.

I believe that a hotel must pay to be listed/rated by AAA and pay to be listed when one does a search on various hotel locator sites. Not necxessarily bad, but I would like a disclaimer.

Malesherbes

AAA absolutely, unequivocally, visits at least every 4 and 5 diamond hotel annually. That I guarantee. My DH has one of them. I don't know if 3 Diamonds are as well...the lowest level he's had is 4 diamond, so that is the extent of my knowledge as to which levels get it annually, but that I am absolutely certain of. Everyone is listed in their books. You do not pay for the listing. You pay for separate advertising in the book and pay a lot, and to use the AAA sign as well. Cleanliness is part of the rating as well.

Mobil also visits annually...at least the 3, 4 and 5 stars.

Priceline: they have a list of necessities for each star level and you determine which of those items you have and set your rating. The problem is, some of the things are very subjective, such as "updated decor" etc...and should not be left to the property. Furthermore, if you find yourself the only hotel at your star level in an area of the city, you are free to downgrade your star level to retain opacity if you wish. My DH initiated that process in his last hotel, then was talked out of it by Priceline...instead he raised the base rate at which he'd accept bids. Later another 4* came into his area and the problem was solved.

Expedia, Orbitz etc, I have no idea. I know if the hotels are visited they are never advised of results. I doubt seriously that they are.

GoTravel

Mobil redid their ratings system a couple of years ago and just about everyone dropped a star.

AAA visits every property at least once a year. I think AAAs rating are a little more comprehensive than most.

Hotwire, Expedia, Priceline, etc do not visit properties.

gail

I am willing to stand corrected if someone can give me some evidence from AAA that they visit each property each year. And how is that opssible with only 65 inspectors. Unable to find any statement on AAA website that they visit annually. With due respect to above poster who stated her husband used to do this, I would have thought if AAA actually did this they would highly advertise it on their website or in books.

BeachBoi

gail....here's a link
http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Defa...ContentID=105&

gail

If you read the info very carefully, it says nothing about properties being VISITED annually, merely states they are updated annually. I again think if they were actually visited, they would say so.

They also say they visit more properties more often than other rating services, but again do not say it is annual.

Malesherbes

Gail...My husband did not "used to do this". He is currently GM of a 4 diamond hotel, on his second year in this property. For 8 years prior to this one, he was GM of another 4 diamond property, same chain, in a different location, and for the 4 years prior to that, GM of another 4 diamond, same chain, another location. For 2 years prior to that location, he was resident manager in yet another 4 diamond, same chain. That's 16 years at the job where he's the one to chat with his inspectors after their inspections have been completed. AAA rates 4 and 5 diamonds every single year. Whether they do 3 diamonds I honestly cannot say, but I can say, absolutely, they do the 4 and 5's.

AAA discusses the results with the GMs following their visits. If there are areas that are problems, the issues are addressed and what steps will be mandatory to maintain the rating. One year it was size of TVs, another crown molding. Another the number of drawers in the armoire.

I asked specifically about payment to be included in the books because of the discussions here last time, and from him, I finally learned that no, hotels do NOT pay to be rated in AAA books--after reading the opposite stated here so many times that I believed it myself. If you go through their website, you'll find the statement as well. They pay for extra advertising in the book and they pay to use the logo. That's it.

Mobil does not discuss the results. You get a letter following the visit. His last hotel lost a star from 4 to 3 in the big shuffle GoTravel mentioned. They give no reason for the loss, not even on request. Their reply is...you know the standards. Well, yes, but they thought they had them covered. So be it. It was only slight consolation that 1/2 the others did as well.

No_name

"AAA’s Diamond Ratings is the only system that uses full-time, professionally trained evaluators to inspect each property on an annual basis."
This was in the link that Beach Boi gave.

BeachBoi

gail....this article is dated, but have a look anywayz.....
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/Pre...AAARating.html

GoTravel

Gail, they have 365 days a year to visit.

I can't tell you for certain about every single property in the world but the three different resorts I worked for as well as six other of my colleagues hotels were visited annually.

The same person would come down and spend a week rating about 30 hotels.

They don't have to stay in the hotels to rate them and rarely do. One inspector spent an entire week at my resort basing himself out of there to rate Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston area hotels.

TxTravelPro

Ironic then that AAA ratings are often some of the worst out there!
I think that one of the problems is that the inspectors see the 'show' room and not the crappy rooms that may make up a good chunk of the inventory.
Public space is not always a good indicator of sleeping rooms.

Malesherbes

Gads...my other note is way back after the edits! Please check up the list Gail for a response to yours.

They have always spent the night at our hotels, they get the room they book, which can be anything, and they rate everything from check-in to room service to dining rooms without anyone knowing who they are.

If they spent a week in GoTravel's hotel rating 30 others, you know they were checking out the 3 diamonds as there aren't that many 4 diamonds in that area. One, possibly two at the most.

It was some consolation to us that Mobil's credibility dropped with the downgrading of so many 4 and 5* properties. What that resulted in was a humongous 3* field with no correlation what-so-ever in quality among them.

TxTravelPro

My company pays AAA to use their rating data.
We have hotels that pay one amount to be "AAA Approved" and a higher amount to be rated.
Possibly they call it a marketing fee so they can say that hotels do not PAY for ratings but I know one thing for sure... no hotel is rated unless they PAY AAA something.
So possibly they bill it as and claim it is "Marketing" fees but unless you pay it, you are not rated.