5 surprising facts about hotel star ratings!
How much do know about star hotel rating?
In the age of social media, all our decisions are based on ratings and user opinions. The hotel industry is among the few businesses that have always used ratings and benchmarks to help patrons make their decisions. Now we�re all aware of the star ratings. Some of us even know a thing or two about how these ratings work. But we seldom see how much attention ratings pay to the minutest of details.
Here are five things you probably never knew about star ratings and surely they will make you proud of the benchmarks the hospitality industry pursues!
#1 The 800+ Point Checklist
While star rating criteria differ across the world, a common checklist with over 800 points largely determines what star a hotel property manages to attain. This checklist consists of points to do with the property itself, the facilities, adherence to local laws, and most importantly customer service.
#2 Customer Service First
Over 70% of the factors that determine a hotel�s rating are related to quality in customer service. Surprisingly, most people believe that the it�s the property that matters more to a rating, but for the hospitality industry customer service is what comes first always.
#3 Bathrooms Matter
5-star hotels are typically associated with luxury and rightly so. But what is surprising is that one of the biggest indicators of luxury is the number of bathroom fixtures. 5-star hotels must have at least 5 bathroom fixtures. Generally including two sinks, a bath, a standalone shower, and a toilet. Many hotels even add bidets and climate control to go the extra distance in building glamorous bathrooms!
#4 News is Critical
Not many people know of this, but a newspaper can make or break hotel rating aspirations. While 3-star hotels need to at least have a reading stand with newspapers for guests to read.�4-star hotels must deliver a daily newspaper to all guest rooms. But to be able to get to a 5-star rating, hotels must offer a minimum of two choices of international newspapers and one local newspaper to each guest.
#5 Because Swimming Induces Thirst
This is one of those really lofty standards, but 5-star hotels are mandated to have a swimming pool equipped with poolside service on their premises. The poolside service must also provide complimentary refreshments to guests for every 90 minutes spent at the pool. So if a guest spends three hours at the pool, failing to offer refreshments twice could jeopardize hotel ratings.
Endnote
While most guests tend not to notice most of the intricacies of hotel ratings, hotels work tirelessly to exceed the high benchmarks set for them. At Jindal School of Hotel Management, we groom aspiring hospitality professionals to understand customer service values. The same values that define the hospitality industry. These imbued values help JSHMites to become industry leaders. Practical teaching pedagogy and world-class facilities mean that our students learn the practical aspects of working in a hotel.� No wonder that JSHMites are �customer service� ready from day one.