Do standard hotel star-ratings matter anymore?

Today, many travelers turn to online user reviews when booking a hotel because others experiences often prove to be more revealing and truthful than any hotel description. Joining the trend, even hotels made their own star-rating systems based on former guests opinions.

Such being the facts, one might ask, do standard star ratings mean anything anymore?

Standard one-to-five star-ratings are set by objective inspectors who judge a hotel to accurately assess accommodations.

‘Website ratings are based on personal opinion and individual guest experience, whereas AA inspections are carried out using a set of quality standards by a highly experienced inspector,’ says Simon Numphud, head of hotel services at the British Automobile Association.

However, even though there is a standard to the five-stars rating system, this standard is different from one country to another. Such being the case, a three stars hotel in India is different from a hotel in the US with the same rating.

On the other side, internet reviews can also be subject of truth manipulation in advertising purposes.

But, nonetheless, the bottom line is that people still prefer online reviews for the simple fact that these offer more information about the actual experience of staying in a certain place.

For many, the star-rating system is too rigid and impersonal and does not communicate the information that they seek.