Here is a question that seems to vex many people (from my vantage point BEHIND the desk): what is a 2 star hotel?
I found an answer that hits the nail right on the head and I offer it here, titled: Navigating the Hotel Star System. Many people are and have long been confused by 'Diamond' Star ratings, AAA ratings, Expedia and other Third Party ratings and often the confusion is over ratings of reviews and not hotel star ratings. As the article points out, hotel star ratings are not all that complicated (except for the differences found in different countries) but I suspect many people thought that the "3.5" rating they saw on Hotels.com or Travelocity was the hotel rating and not the rating (average) of the reviews.
In simple terms (as the article says) amenities is what makes for higher ratings. You can have a first class boutique hotel/motel but you cannot get more than 2 stars if your property does not have a restaurant on site. Having one means you can go up to 3 stars but just because you get 3 stars does not mean you are a cut above certain 2 star rated hotels - especially when there are plenty of restaurants within 2 blocks of the 2 star rated property.
So check out the star ratings article if you are or ever have been confused by star ratings.


