Why booking a 3-star hotel could be better than a 5-star especially abroad in Spain
Hotel star ratings don't actually come from one place.
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Instead, there are a myriad of companies and bodies that give out stars, which means the hotel you're staying in can technically have more than one rating.
And then things get even more complicated when you head to Europe, as hotels there are rated differently between countries.
We explain what this means for your trip - and how a three-star hotel could end up being much better than a five-star.
UK
According to Which?, the UK's rating system has common standards and hotels must have an overnight inspection by the local tourism board and pay a fee each year.
Inspections are conducted by the AA Hotel and Hospitality Services, Visit England, Visit Wales and other partner bodies.
Since 2006, these bodies have all worked under Common Quality Standards, which means they all award the same ratings to the same hotels.
Previously, to even get one star, a hotel had to offer breakfast and have a TV in every bedroom, although the AA Hotel and Hospitality Services no longer give one and two star ratings.
Instead, hotels sign up to a scheme that rates them towards three stars and up to five stars - or if not achieved, they receive a 'Quality Assessed' award.
Under this scheme, hotels have a full inspection with all the accommodations ' offerings tested. If they meet all quality standards, they will get a minimum of a 'Quality Assessed' award.
In addition to this scheme, there is an entry-level alternative called 'Visitor Ready'.
Avoid these common holiday booking mistakes for a stress-free vacation
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This scheme allows hotels to display a 'Visitor Ready' digital badge to show that they have met all the mandatory legal requirements and that it is a safe and trusted destination.
The requirements for the AA Hotel and Hospitality Services' three-star hotels include a minimum of five bedrooms as well as a self-service breakfast buffet, and on-request luggage assistance and ironing facilities.
Here are some of the other requirements fora three-star hotel:
Good customer service with a good number of staff for efficient service
Simple booking system (online and via phone)
Guests clearly directed to their room and told about the hotel's other facilities
Access to both side of the bed if double occupancy
Guests informed when they book, if dining is not available
Dietary requirements catered for
Sufficient restaurant staff to ensure efficient service
Restaurant staff have good levels of food, beverage and wine product knowledge and service skills
For four-star hotels, all of the above are needed as well as:
Very good social skills and customer service
Booking confirmation via email/text/letter
Luggage assistance offered on arrival and advertised for departure
Laundry services provided, with advertised prices
Polite restaurant staff with very good levels of food, drink and wine knowledge and service
Restaurant s taff with proactive service
All bedrooms with more space than 3-star
Room service provided and delivered to the room if needed
On request:
- Table service advertised and available on request at breakfast
And it is the same for five star hotels, with all of the above and:
Staff should anticipate guests' needs and be presented 'impeccably'
Multilingual staff
Able to make a prompt and effective booking, 24 hours a day
Guests shown to their room
Hotel staff handle guest luggage on arrival
24-hour return laundry service
At least one restaurant open to residents for all meals during hotel opening hours seven days a week with space around tables and highly-knowledge, proactive staff
Table service proactively offered at breakfast and full table service for all dinner courses
A broad range of dishes at dinner of outstanding quality
24-hour room service of hot and cold snacks and drinks including alcoholic drinks available
Majority of bedrooms very spacious and at least one permanent luxury suite (with at least three separate rooms)
Beds for double occupancy to be at least 153cm (5ft) in width
Air conditioning
How star ratings are different elsewhere
However, Europe has a different system to the UK.
Since 2009, hotels in 21 countries have signed up to the same rating system known as Hotelstars.
Hotelstars' standards are similar to the British system, but there are some differences worth noting.
In Europe, hotels in any of the 21 countries signed up to the scheme must have shower/WCs or bathtub/WCs in all rooms to get one-star.
For two-stars, hotels must have a reading light in each room.
For three-stars, hotels must offer laundry and ironing services.
Then, four-star hotels must provide bathrobes and slippers for their guests when asked.
To be at the top end of the ratings and gain five-stars, hotels should offer personalised greetings for each guest, fresh flowers or a gift in the room and a turndown service.
Yet despite this, the hotels are only ranked by what they offer, as opposed to things like service.
This means while a five-star hotel might offer all the amenities, a smaller boutique hotel might be better for service that isn't a five-star resort.
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Hotelstars has a useful interactive guide on what should be in hotels with each star rating, which can be found on their website.
But there are some popular holiday destinations that are not part of the scheme.
Notably, France uses its own criteria based on the size of the hotel's rooms and reception areas.
For example, double bedrooms must be a minimum of nine square metres for a one-star and 24 square metres for a five-star.
This system is mainly based on physical factors, rather than opinions like reviews.
Then in Italy, 14-square-metres is required per bedroom but private bathrooms aren't.
Spain then works on a region-by-region basis - making it even more confusing.
Referred to as the 'regional compulsory hotel classification system', each of Spain's 17 regions adopts different standards, which is then regulated by the government tourism authority.
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The criteria are similar to the UK's, and the more stars typically means the more amenities and services an accommodation offers.
But Benidorm Seriously explains that the different star ratings don't say anything about things such as room decor, location or the helpfulness of the staff.
Hence, a four-star may actually be less welcoming than a two-star hotel.
And to add to this confusion, different holiday companies also have their own rating systems.
For example, TUI rates accommodation between one and five 'Ts'.
The 'Ts' are awarded for facilities, location and customer feedback.
However, TUI does also show official ratings from local tourism boards on its site too.
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Six and seven-star hotels
Officially, there is no such thing as a six or seven-star hotels, despite some claiming to be.
For example, hotels like the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental market themselves as 'seven-star'.
These hotels are known for their lavish style, world-class amenities and top class service.
The higher-than-usual star ratings are then mainly used as a marketing ploy to advertise this.
While hotels advertising themselves as six or seven-star may have their own ranking system, there is no universal or internationally recognised standard for these high ratings.
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How to pick a good hotel
With so many different rating schemes to remember, it might be easier to look at reviews for each hotel you are considering staying at.
On Tripadvisor for example, you can search reviews based on your personal requirements.
This could be 'family-friendly' to see the reviews that mention if the accommodation is suitable for families and what is on offer.
Alternatively, you could search 'facilities' to understand what different things there are to do at the hotel - such as a spa or fitness suite.
Google Maps can help you see the location of a hotel and will also show reviews.
Publications are also a great source for discovering top hotels.
For example, The Sun has a check-in, check-out column in the paper, printed at the weekend as well as our online hotel review section.
Pictures on each hotel's website can also help you see the size of rooms and understand what each room has in them in terms of facilities, such as tea and coffee supplies.
In the mean time, Tripadvisor has revealed its best UK hotels – including a huge ship, old train station, safari park and a prison.
Plus, the UK's best hotels for £100 and under.
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