Hotel Star Ratings

[SarahS]

When you're choosing a hotel, do you put your faith in guidebook reviews and star/diamond rating systems from the experts -- or would you rather trust the ratings and reviews of travelers like you? Vote in our poll!

Related Story
Star Quality: What's in a Hotel Rating?

[Metravellongtime]

I am a TripAdvisor addict -- I always check before I book a hotel room.

I think there's nothing like getting feedback from real people who have stayed at a hotel recently. You never know how old "expert" reviews are or whether or not they're accurate. But you can gauge the accuracy of member reviews through the amount of reviews (if 50 of 55 reviews report roaches -- I take it as fact!).

[soliteyah]

I voted for three of the four. I don't really care that much about star or diamond ratings because I'm a budget traveler and I don't care that much about luxury. I'm almost always going to end up in one- or two-star places, and the difference doesn't matter that much to me.

I am a TripAdvisor addict too, and I generally use those reviews compared against guidebook reviews to make my final choice.

[dhammer53]

The ratings are a good start.
Tripadvisor is good.
So are my travel friends at www.flyertalk.com I check the hotel forums.

[Miket61]

I think the best way to do use the ratings is to use the "official" rating to determine the amenities, and the traveler rating to determine the quality of those amenities.

A tiny hotel in New York with shared baths would get one star officially, but if it's clean, the staff are friendly, and the location is good it might get five stars from the travelers. But five traveler stars doesn't make it the Four Seasons.

I always read the bad reviews; if there are consistent themes about poor service or cleanliness then the hotel probably has something lacking. I do find a lot of negative reviews for luxury hotels that indicate that the property is a bad fit for the guest - if you complain about the bustle of the lobby at the Waldorf-Astoria, or the formality of the Ritz-Carlton, or the stodgy gentility of the Carlyle, then what you think is a bad review might actually be helpful for someone who sees those things as a positive.