What Does a Five-star Hotel Rating Actually Mean?

Understanding the Five-Star Hotel Rating

The meaning of a five-star hotel rating varies depending on who you ask. Booking a five-star hotel often implies a high level of quality, with amenities like delicious room service and luxury linens, evoking feelings of rest and relaxation.

However, the standards for a five-star rating can differ from country to country and even from hotel to hotel in the same city. To address this uncertainty, several organizations have developed systems to measure and verify a hotel's luxury status.

Interestingly, a hotel's five-star designation may not be solely based on the quality of its rooms. Instead, it can be influenced by various factors.

Origin of the Five-Star Rating System

The five-star rating system was first introduced in 1960 by the Mobil Oil Corporation, now known as ExxonMobil. The company published a guide to hotels, ranking them with stars to indicate different tiers of amenities.

The five-star rating system originally debuted in 1960 when the Mobil Oil Corporation, now known as ExxonMobil, published a guide to different hotels and ranked them with stars to show the different tiers of amenities.

Avid travelers should be aware of the origins and meaning behind hotel star ratings to make informed decisions when booking their accommodations.

Author's summary: Five-star hotel ratings vary in meaning and standards.

more

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure — 2025-10-14