How Hotels get a Five-Star Rating

How Hotels Get A Five-Star Rating

January 15, 2017
by Sebastian Lang

Winning the coveted rating is no easy feat. Only 58 hotels in the U.S. were awarded the Forbes Five-Star recognition this year report the LA Times.

Hotel owners vie for the Forbes distinction because it enables them to charge much higher rates. For example, the four-star Beverly Hilton recently posted average daily rates of $245 to $325, while the five-star rated Beverly Hills Hotel posted rates of $510 to $540.

With Forbes, the difference between a four- and five-star hotel is primarily the level of service offered by the staff.

“Graciousness, courtesy and thoughtfulness — it’s much harder to get that right,” said Mike Cascone, president of Forbes Travel Guide, formerly known as the Mobile Travel Guide.

Among other guidelines for Forbes five-star hotels:
– Arriving guests are greeted and assisted curbside within 60 seconds of arriving.
– Wake-up calls are delivered within two minutes of the requested time.
– Refills at restaurants are offered within 30 seconds of the guest’s beverage being empty.
– No telephone call is left on hold longer than 30 seconds without being offered a call back.