It takes more than blue water to make a five-star resort.
Once upon a time, people who published star ratings for hotels and restaurants were professionals who applied strict and consistent standards to the establishments they reviewed. But no more.
It used to be that a hotel without a restaurant (or elevator, or bellman) had no hope of achieving a five-star rating. But today, on most travel websites, no such standards exist. A restaurant in Rome might be evaluated by travelers on the basis of its menu prices, or whether it serves hamburgers to those who miss bad food back home. However, travelers with higher expectations, such as finding an establishment with a good pastry chef, a robust wine list, or an excellent culinary specialty, are often out of luck for reliable online advice. (Present blog excepted.)
Today, inexperienced travelers invent their own amateur ratings and post them willy-nilly, all over the Internet. Thus, a hotel near a train station, which a professional would warn against using, earns a five-star rating on a big travel website from a visitor who loves the price — under $50 per night.
I recently read one such amateur rating, fueled principally by the traveler’s personal budgetary relief rather than any particular experience at identifying a good hotel. And another five-star review was given to a “city hotel” — we would have put it in the motel category — because his room was next to the vending machine, making it easy for the visitor to feed his family without going to a restaurant.
Five stars for this? Really? Equal to the Paris Ritz? The Hong Kong Peninsula? The St. Regis New York?
The sad part of these online reviews is what comes next. Subsequent travelers choose these same hotels based on the good reviews left by their identity-cloaked predecessors, then deeply regret the experience. One poor soul found herself caught in the combo-platter-from-hell: A rude staff, a dirty room, broken bathroom plumbing, a bed that had been occupied without a change of sheets, street noise all night long, and an unforgettable stench. Sadly, this is how she will remember Rome, thanks to the guy who gave this hotel a five-star rating.
“Never again in a million years,” she vowed.
The point is, avoid such problems by first identifying the type of traveler you are, and then seek QUALIFIED advice for that travel style before you make your plans.
If you’re a budget traveler, please go to Amazon.com and spend $20 online for a guidebook that specializes in low-dollar travel and that can advise you about the cheaper hostels and neighborhood food sources. Choose one that also steers you away from the nasty spots which can populate that price range. These books are written by people who have visited most of the inexpensive inns and diners and use an established scale to rate them. Try to avoid one-star properties if you can. Once in awhile treat yourself to a three-star property (upper reaches of the budget range) if possible.
For travel at the mainstream level — above budget class — it’s definitely worth your time to consult both a mainstream guidebook and a qualified brand-name travel agency where someone on staff has experience in the country and the price level that matches your plans. Even if you love traveling independently, a bit of qualified advice for the most expensive cities on your route can save you from costly or time-consuming disappointments. You may have a three-star hotel budget if you like to spend your travel dollars on events and restaurants, but with careful planning you can find three-plus accommodations, and possibly even four-star in less dense areas, within your price range. Also, rely on seasonal special offers from large hotel chains.
And if you have a taste for deluxe or luxury travel, such as four- and five-star hotels or private accommodations, then please realize the typical mainstream guide book is not written for you, and the average travel agency is likely to view you as a payday rather than as a person. In such cases you’d be mad not to rely on a resource such as our Passport Newsletter, as well as the advice of an acknowledged specialist in upscale travel who will listen carefully to your interests and have the resources to fulfill your requests. (And who, in many cases, also reads Passport Newsletter.)
Next time you’re doing research online, remember this: The chance that a stranger has the same taste as you do is probably less than one percent, so take those anonymous online reviews with a pound or two of salt.
If you want high-quality experiences during your trip, rely on experts who specialize in your style of travel. Otherwise, the advice you receive could be the opposite of what you seek, and one thing is sure: You can never get back any lost days spent in the wrong place … or in the case of the woman we mentioned earlier, the opportunity to love your first night in Rome.
