What kind of stars are these?
Publisher Bedeker - the inventor of pocket guides in their modern form - apparently borrowed this idea from the directories for travelers John Murray. One or two stars were used in red "bedekerah" to evaluate the hotels and restaurants recommended to travelers as far back as the 18th century. Since then, the hospitality industry has significantly changed - and to describe the level of service offered by hotels, there are not enough five stars.
What is the meaning of these stars?
The number of stars reflects the set of services. In essence, this classification primarily takes into account the service, and in the second - luxury. One star or two stars is a basic set of services: from the presence of a bathroom in the room to the obligatory daily cleaning of rooms. Three stars mean a restaurant for breakfast, a business center or a conference room, a fitness machine, its own laundry, the ability to order a wake up call and other useful functions like an electrical substation in the event of a local power grid accident. In the case of four stars, a 24-hour room service is added. And five stars assume maximum comfort for the guests - a concierge service, a spa, a hotel car park, a presidential suite with a personal butler and the like.
And this classification is uniform all over the world?
No, it depends on the country. In Europe, they use asterisks, in England they generally give crowns, and in America - diamonds. Some large hotel chains have their own symbolism.
And who is distributing these awards?
This question is difficult to answer briefly. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the number of stars is determined by national associations of hotels. In the UK and France, the ratings are headed by ministries and tourism offices. In Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the classification of hotels is regulated by law. In parallel, there are respected independent ratings such as Forbes and paradoxical organizations that distribute on the "Seven Stars and Stripes". And while the Dubai hotel sail with gilded cutlery and a helipad calls itself seven-star, hoteliers in France, due to tradition and some taxation features, tend to keep the status of 4 * with a de Luxe or 4 * Palace (there have been no five in the country for a long time stars).
That is, there are no clear criteria?
There is. According to the criteria of the Swiss hotel association, valid until 2020, the breakfast buffet provides 2 points, a buffet breakfast with menus and waiters - 8 points, and a breakfast menu and an option for ordering breakfast in the room - another 5. The pool in the street - 10 points, the pool under the roof - 15 points. And all in that spirit. To get one star, a Swiss hotel should score at least 90 points. For five stars - more than 600 points. But in ratings above three stars, additional assessment mechanisms are included. There are more or less obvious circumstances, such as the presence of an elevator, for example: without it, an objectively luxurious hotel in Lausanne can not be considered five-star. And there are less tangible: say, the Forbes rating prescribes the employees of the reception in a five-star hotel to answer the phone calls of the guests in less than 30 seconds, and to wake up with a phone call two minutes before the appointed time. Even for four- and five-star hotels, location is important - either in a strategically important location in a large resort, or in a picturesque area or in the historic center of the city.
In Russia there are real five-star hotels?
There is. Large hotel chains often themselves certify their Russian hotels in an understandable Western world standards. And the participation of domestic hotels in the race for the stars until recently remained at the discretion of the owners. But in January this year, the president signed a decree on mandatory certification - from July 1, 2019 the new law will affect hotels larger than 50 rooms. And from January 1, 2021, uncertified hotels will not be able to function at all.
So, the stars obtained earlier are not real?
Why is that? Mandatory certification in Russia appeared in 2011, although it was connected with the beginning of the Olympic construction and only touched on hotels in Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana. But already at the end of the Games-2014 the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation approved a rather detailed procedure for classifying objects of the tourist industry.
What is the difference between three and four stars in Russia? Can you give a concrete example?
Yes. Let's look at the difference between three stars from four, based on the example of Tulip Inn Rosa Khutor 3 * and Golden Tulip Rosa Khutor 4 *, together with whom we made these cards. For example, a 24-hour room service and an open 24/7 lobby bar are available only at Golden Tulip. Since it is four-star, it also has more spacious rooms - from 27 square meters to 21-25 square meters in the Tulip Inn. And in Golden Tulip twice as many suites (almost 100-meter in area). Safes, tea sets and bathrobes are in all rooms of the hotel 4 *, but in 3 * bathrobes are only for the residents of the suites.