Hotel Rates

There are rating systems French, the British rating systems, odds of Italians, not to mention the Michelin Guides and others. Two or three star hotel in a country is not the same thing two or three stars in another hotel.

Evaluation systems of hotels vary from country to country. Thus, for example, hotels with two French stars may be adequate, then you should not settle for less than 3 stars in Italy.

In most countries, guesthouses and B-and-B are judged by different standards than hotels. If you're driving on the road and you see something that is a 4 star, you need to watch to see if it's a guesthouse or hotel. The amenities will be different. Sure, you can still watch the room and see if it fits your needs.

Although you can count on paying less for a 1 or a 2 star hotel up for a 4 or 5 star place, you can not always assume you'll pay less for fewer stars. Minimum price overlap, so a nice 3 star hotel can cost more than a four star hotel.

Another problem with most systems of hotel, the number of stars is that they are based on facilities and services provided. They have nothing to do with room decorations, the ambience and charm. The hotels are not more stars for being helpful and friendly staff or to have great views and good location.

Small hotels can be blocked with only a couple of stars because they have their reception area in the pub next door or because they have an outside staircase. They could have big rooms and be whatever you want ... but you could not stop know because they have only one or two stars.

Guide books have their own criteria for awarding stars. If you're accustomed to their rating system, you may be able to find some consistency from country to country.

But if you are looking for a hotel using the Internet? Things are not too much better for the hotel star rating system either. There are odds internet Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotels.com, and other PlacesToStay.

Sometimes, the same property is assessed differently by each of these websites. And we're not just talking a star to quibble about. A hotel can be rated 5 stars by only one and three stars by another.

Accommodation of all sizes want to have the word hotel in their name because it will generate the greatest number of searches, which also disrupts the issue. You can drive to the hotel you have booked to see that it really is a small guest house. This is not necessarily a bad thing ... if that's what you wanted.

So what can you do? If you book online, visit more than one travel site. Go to the forums and see what kind of comments and testimonials from other users have posted. Look at the pictures of rooms, and check a map to see where the hotel.

If you drive along, hoping the stars in hotel rating system will help you find a good room for the night, do not let a cute place with stars only 1 or 2. Stop, look in a room, it might be something you could never find in a guide because he did not have enough stars. Take this cute little room.

Forget that confusing "official" hotel star rating system, you can assign your own stars.