I hear it all the time when I am asking my clients what they are looking for in a resort, "it has to be at least 4 stars". But what do those 4 or 5 stars really mean? They don't just mean the quality of the resort, there are other factors that go into it.
There is no standard international star rating system and so every country has its own standards. Also, tour operators or companies will determine stars based on their own criteria, so all in all they can be pretty subjective. A lot of people think the star rating is completely based on the quality of the cleanliness, service, and food, or how luxurious a resort will be, but there is so much more to it than that.
One or Two stars don't necessarily mean a place is a dive. they can still be extremely clean with fantastic service, but maybe your room will have a shared bathroom, and there won't be a restaurant or bar available at the property.
A three-star resort may have a choice of room categories, but maybe only one restaurant. I have seen plenty of really small, beautiful, boutique hotels that are three-star and get overlooked all the time because they don't have as many amenities like a bar, multiple restaurants, or a gym and so they don't get that 4-star rating.
Four-star properties will have multiple room categories, a gym, multiple restaurants, at least one bar, and the list can go on.
Most people think of a 5-star hotel as being the ultimate in luxury and pampering but that is not always the case. A five-star rating can be given for something as simple as having a combination of all the things mentioned above. Some five-star properties will have suites or larger rooms than a typical room, and some will have a gourmet, star chef. Some will be dirty and lack service but still get that rating.
In some countries, there are even 6 or 7 star resorts, and then AMA has their 4 Diamond resorts.
So this all makes it clear as mud, right? It comes down to this, a resort might be 5 star and could be somewhere you wouldn't let your dog stay but have lots of amenities, or a resort could be a 3 star and be a little hidden gem. How do you know for sure? Consult with your travel agent, we travel specifically to find these things out. When I travel for work I can sometimes visit 25 - 30 resorts in a week, even when I travel for vacation I quite often take a day or two and go visit a few resorts. I love being able to provide my clients with that first-hand knowledge. We also do a ton of research, send multiple clients to different resorts on a regular basis, and get current feedback. Plus I work with a network of about 900 agents at my host agency alone, plus have made a ton of other agent friends, and we all help one another out. If I haven't traveled somewhere myself I can guarantee I know other agents that have and will provide me with honest feedback to share with my clients.
If you're looking to work with an agent and get professional recommendations to book your vacation contact me: toesinthesand@tpi.ca or 403-348-1644
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