- When it comes to hotels, "luxury" is usually synonymous with "5 Stars." However, what a 5-Star rating actually means can vary depending on where you are, and there may be no official standards at all. Most European countries do have a standardized review and ratings system, usually administered by their tourism officials. This is not always the case however: in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the system is standardized, but administered by the national hotel association and not a government agency. In the United States, star ratings are issued by multiple groupings, and sometimes simply self-declared by the hotel itself. Despite the lack of international standardization, and sometimes the lack of standardization within countries, meriting a 5-Star rating means high marks for the hotel restaurant and other food services, entertainment availability that includes a classy night club or bar, the area view, room variations and decor, having spas and fitness facilities, and the desirability of the hotel's location.
- Reflecting the lack of international standards for awarding hotel ratings, it has recently come into fashion for certain luxury hotels to award themselves more than 5 Stars. Examples include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Crown Macau in China. Australia's Palazzo Versace was reviewed as a 6-Star Hotel by Australian Traveller magazine, and therefore received the accolade from an outside sponsor.
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The Burj al-Arab of DubaiContinuing with the game of one-upsmanship in hotel luxury ratings are the handful of hotels that have claimed 7-Star status. The first to do this was the Burj al-Arab in Dubai, UAE. The Burj al-Arab was followed by the Town House Galleria of Milan, Italy, and the Grace Internatonal of Bangkok. That the 7-Star rating started by the Burj al-Arab is even more dubious than the preceeding 6-Star rating is symbolized by the Burj's own stand on the matter: they alternate between calling themselves "the world's first 7-Star hotel" and being a "5-Star Deluxe hotel." Rooms at the Burj al-Arab are not cheap, starting at $1,000 per night. - One way to sidestep the doubt about just how luxurious your luxury hotel may be is to go with a chain. Even if there might be no reliable ratings standards for hotels, there are reliable standards within a hospitality corporation. For example, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel of Bangkok is the shining jewel of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, which has hotels around the world. Others include, but are not limited to, the Ritz Carlton hotels of the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton Group, Sofitel, the Starwood Group and the Four Seasons Group.
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The Le Royal of Phnom PenhOutside the star rating systems are classic, grand hotels that offer plenty of comfort and charm. For example, the Raffles Hotel Le Royal of Phnom Penh in Cambodia is a solid 5-Star facility, but it is also a historic colonial institution dating from 1929. It's sister in Singapore is just as much of a classic, great hotel.
