Understanding the Five-Star Hotel Rating System
The meaning of a five-star hotel rating varies depending on the source, with standards differing from country to country and even hotel to hotel in the same city.
A five-star rating is not solely based on the quality of the room, but also on other factors such as room service and luxury linens, which contribute to the overall luxury experience.
The five-star rating system originally debuted in 1960 when the Mobil Oil Corporation, now known as ExxonMobil, published a guide to different hotels and ranked them with stars to show the different tiers of amenities.
To standardize the rating system, several organizations have stepped in to measure and verify that a hotel meets the required standards for a five-star luxury status.
Author's summary: Five-star hotel ratings vary in meaning and standards.