Hotel Star Ratings

On a long luxurious holiday or a quick budget trip, you want your hotel stay to be pleasant and suitable for your purpose, but how do you know which hotel to choose? The easiest answer is to look at the star ratings.  Stars (or diamonds), which hotels display on their publicity, are awarded by several UK agencies, including the AA and Visit Britain.

Knowing what they mean might seem confusing, but these organisations have made their systems compatible, and they are actually based on very simple, clear criteria. Ratings range from one star up to five stars. Accommodation is also categorised as either hotel, guest house or budget hotel, so your hotel is judged alongside other similar establishments. The number of stars refers to not just how ‘good’ the hotel is, but to its facilities. With a one star rating for instance, a hotel would usually be small and privately-owned, with limited services and facilities. Furniture would be simple and practical and most rooms would be en-suite.

Three stars or more would mean a more formal service, perhaps including a staffed reception desk, and a hotel that is likely to be larger, with a greater range of facilities and services. These would include offering dinner, snacks and drinks, and a laundry service.

The highest rating of five stars indicates a luxurious hotel, with large rooms which contain good quality furniture and are all en-suite. It shows well-trained staff, exceptional levels of service and excellent facilities. The highest quality of food would also be offered round the clock.

If a percentage appears beside the stars, this is the AA’s merit score. This is awarded following a more in-depth inspection of the hotel and the quality of its services. To get AA hotel recognition the hotel must score at least 50%, making it a reliable indication of quality.

The AA also has a scheme of rosettes for hotels with restaurants, where one rosette indicates a good quality restaurant, and five rosettes denotes the very highest quality restaurants, on a par with the best in the world. Only 10% of UK restaurants would be able to meet standard of just one rosette, so the system is a good marker of quality.