Twinkle Twinkle little star…

Have you ever arrived at your accommodation and been majorly disappointed? “But they said it is a “5 star” … I cannot believe we paid this much for this!”

The star rating system has for years been the bane of every travel agent’s existence. After 24 years in the travel industry I have learned that a star is never a star!

So what is in a star you ask? Well it really depends on what country you are in. As of right now there is no standard international rating that is consistent for all accommodations across the world. It would be a lot easier if there was because then every country would be rated in the same way.

Each country has their own rating system and in some countries it is not done by stars but a diamond rating. The majority of the time, a rating involves many things, not just how the room looks. What amenities does it have? Does it have 24 hour room service, a restaurant on site, a safe in the room, parking?  All of these things and more make up a star rating. Each country generally has their own administrative body that issues the ratings. Star ratings usually range from 1 to 5, with the higher number being the so called better accommodation. Recently there have been a few hotels advertising that they are a 6 or 7 star, there is no actual rating for this level, so please do not be fooled.

Our standards in North America are very different to many other countries in the world. For example a hotel in Fiji may advertise as a 5 star, but we in North America may only have given it a 3.5 star rating.

A rule of thumb that I apply is to always drop them down by a star. If the star reading says 5 star, then think of it as probably a 4 star, this way when you arrive you will either be satisfied or very surprised.

When booking hotels in Australia and New Zealand,  you can rest assured that the staff at GoWalkabout Travel  have probably stayed in or inspected the properties you will stay in. We will give you our opinion on “real star ratings” of the property taking into consideration North American standards as well as your personal preference and experience.