The meaning of a five-star hotel rating varies depending on the source. A five-star booking typically 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 significantly from one country to another, and even between hotels 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. Several factors contribute to a hotel's rating.
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.
Author's summary: Five-star hotel ratings vary in meaning and standards.