How to choose a hotel without a star system?

Back in 1905, members of the British Automobile Association came up with a room rating system, according to which a good hotel for the middle class received 3 stars (hotels for the low-income strata of the population are 1 and 2 stars, and luxury and expensive apartments with a high level of service 4 and 5).

 

This system turned out to be quite convenient and soon it began to be used all over the world. Indeed, it is convenient when all hotels are classified according to a certain criterion. This allows you to quickly navigate a huge variety of rooms.

 

However, in reality, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Many luxury hotels that provide first-class services do not have five stars on the signboard. The highest category, for example, may not be given for the absence of a restaurant or spa complex, but there are reasons why the hotel simply cannot physically equip a spa or something similar (for example, geographical location or a small area). At the same time, hotels with less quality service, but with a spa, receive five stars.

 

 

 

Pitfalls that a traveler may encounter when choosing a home can wait with chain hotels. In different countries (and even cities) rooms in chain hotels can vary dramatically in quality. So, for example, the Sheraton hotel in Macau really corresponds to its status and looks quite presentable, while the Sheraton in Uganda is more like a Soviet boarding house on the Black Sea.

 

 

 

 

In addition, in some countries, the usual star system is absent. So what do we do? How to find the hotel that is right for you?

 

 

No rating will help you as much as the impressions of ordinary travelers and tourists. Reviews are better read on independent travel portals or on booking sites – there they are more objective. Do not trust reviews on the official website of the hotel, because everyone knows how to remove negative comments and wind up positive (and bad hoteliers, especially).

 

Don’t believe professional photos either. Remember: a good angle + Photoshop, and even from the student dorm will get Ritz-Carlton. Look for photos taken by guests on a regular smartphone. They are publicly available on Instagram (can be found by geolocation or hashtag) or TripAdvisor and similar sites.

 

 

 

 

I will tell you right away, this does not always work, but in most cases. You should understand that miracles do not happen and in the conditional super-expensive developed country Z you can not find a good hotel for $ 20-30 (unless it is a bed in a hostel). Look at the average cost of rooms that are rented in country Z and start from it.

 

 

In many countries, where there is no familiar star system, there is a rating system for hotels.

 

For example, the UK has a crown system. And to go to a star system, you need to take one crown from the total number of crowns.

 

The literal classification system of hotels is common in Greece. There are four categories in this system: A, B, C, D. The highest category of hotels is de luxe, then category A, and the lowest category is D.

 

In Italy and Spain, hotels are divided into categories, from the first (most prestigious) to the third.

 

 

 

 

If you want your vacation to be remembered for a long time, choose hotels with a twist, of which there are quite a lot lately. So, in Turkey you can stay in a room-cave, in Sweden in a hotel-plane, and in Belgium you can live (sorry) in the rectum. Such non-standard hotels do not need stars, as they attract completely different ones, and if you are tired of the same type of network rooms, this option is for you.

 

Choosing a hotel is really important, but if you do a little research, your trip will be great.

 

Text: Anna Zhukova

Photos: booking