This summer, several tens of thousands of Russians were unable to have a peaceful vacation. Some didn't have a return ticket, some found their hotel unpaid, and many never even flew anywhere. All these people had purchased tours from travel agencies that, in the midst of the season, went ahead and declared bankruptcy. According to Gazeta.Ru, Neva, Expo-Tour, Rosa Vetrov, Labyrinth, IntAir, Veter Stranstvy, and Etude, many tour operators left their clients abroad without help or support. Well, this is a good reason to learn to plan a vacation on your own. The biggest problem here is choosing a hotel.
WHAT ARE 5 STARS
It is commonly believed that the quality of a hotel is determined by the number of stars assigned to it. That's true. But not entirely. "The star system is just one of the classifications of hotels accepted in the world," says Andre Manning, head of PR for the booking site Booking.com. "In different countries, hotels with the same number of stars can differ significantly from each other.
This is because there is no single international classification standard. Moreover, while in European countries star ratings are assigned by a commission that checks the hotel's compliance with certain classification criteria, in some Asian and African countries, the hotel independently determines its level by paying a certain fee."
This is confirmed by Anastasia Belyakova, senior director of the representative office of The Leading Hotels of the World: "Speaking of requirements for hotel star ratings, many countries have their own legally established hotel classifications, and they must annually undergo certification of goods and services. But not all countries in the world officially have five-star hotels. For example, until recently, the highest hotel category in France was considered 4* Deluxe, and only recently a new, highest category – Palace – was introduced, awarded to only a few.
The concept of 'five-star' is, in essence, simply a definition that everyone understands."
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST
So what exactly do stars determine? In theory – room size, the presence of certain furnishings, cleanliness, the range of services you can get, the availability of a restaurant, and the variety of breakfast options. However, you may find that online booking services themselves assign different star ratings to the same hotels!
For example, take the first hotel that comes up in Barcelona. On Agoda.ru, it has 3 stars, a rating of 8.1 from visitors, and a nice photo; on Kayak.com, it has 2 stars, no photo, but the price is half as much; while Booking.com provides comprehensive information about the hotel's services but does not indicate the number of stars. "Accommodation properties – from small family hotels to apartments and suites in five-star hotels – themselves provide information on prices, availability, and the number of stars assigned to them," explains Andre Manning.
At the same time, compliance with general requirements essentially says nothing. For example, the standard assumes what the room size should be and what should be in the bathroom, but the furniture may be old, and the window may draft – and none of this will be reflected in any rating. But reviews on the sites where you book the hotel will reflect it: as a rule, they are written by real users. Just be careful if you see extremely radical statements: you shouldn't trust outright negative or overly enthusiastic reviews.
STANDARDS AND TRADITIONS
Quality control is another matter. As a rule, attention is paid to it in luxury hotels that value their reputation. But even there, evaluation criteria vary. "There are criteria for five-star status," explains Anastasia Belyakova. "This includes minimum room area, list of services (concierge service 24 hours a day, for example), presence of a fine dining restaurant, room and bathroom furnishings (set of toiletries, number of towels), which can vary depending on the country."
Don't expect hotels of the same category to be similar to each other. For example, the minimum room area of a five-star hotel in London is much smaller than in Singapore, because London is older and hotels are often located in historic buildings.
The same goes for the number of service staff: for example, at the Maia Luxury Resort & Spa in the Seychelles, there are ten staff members per guest: a gardener, maids, cooks, a personal butler, and others. In New York or Paris, this cannot happen – simply because it's not needed.
Even hotels of the same chain differ in different countries: "We have the concept of 'scenography,' unique to each hotel, which reflects the features of local culture and history," says Mark Neikom, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton in Moscow. "For example, the scenography of the Moscow hotel is Russian culture and art.
This is reflected in the architecture of the building and interior design (Russian classicism), signature services (greeting with bread and salt, tasting of Russian wines, etc.).
At the same time, the set of amenities in the room and basic services, staff attitude, and problem-solving principles do not change from hotel to hotel."
WELCOMING VALUED GUESTS
What certificates do not take into account is the special atmosphere that hotels emphasize – or do not emphasize. As a rule, making guests feel comfortable is again a concern in expensive hotels. That's not surprising: there aren't that many people in the world willing to pay for luxury (including human interaction), so hotels have to fight to make guests come back again and again.
"The level of a hotel is still determined by the quality of service. Building or renovating a hotel is relatively easy. But even if everything in it is new and beautiful, if the staff does not know how to serve guests elegantly, caringly and unobtrusively, the number of stars on the facade no longer matters. Moreover, it is irritating," says Anastasia Belyakova.
"The main thing that creates a hotel is the people who work in it, not items with logos," confirms Mark Neikom. "Our hotel's motto is: 'We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen,' so we attach great importance to selecting talented employees. When you stay at a hotel, you are not coming to marble columns and elegant furniture; you are coming to the people who work there, you are their guest. And whether they can make your stay pleasant and memorable determines whether you will want to return to this hotel."