Six-star baloney - Flying With Kaleel Sakakeeny

A lot of jaws dropped when word got out that several hotels were boasting a six-star rating. Six stars! Whoever heard of six stars?

Apparently no one before the current trend to inflate hotel ratings and standards. Advertising hype, we grumble, but these six-star wonders are springing up in places like Hong Kong, Oman and even China. Some say the U.S. is next. Is the public being scammed?

Probably, says Shane O’Flaherty of Mobil Travel Guide. “In our world when you achieve five stars that’s perfection.”

We hear that one so-called six-star wannabe, in a bid to provide the ultimate service, has a pool-side valet to polish guests’ sunglasses.

Truth is, there’s much less here than meets the eye. Travel sleuths who checked out the so-called six-star properties found many of them didn’t warrant four or five stars.

Keep in mind, though, there’s no international standard to rate a five-star hotel, or any kind of hotel. So, the only way to keep a property honest and fight rating inflation is to demand that a property meet or exceed its claims. Then go ahead, and ask the management exactly what their posted stars mean. Be fun to watch the reaction.

What do you think? Is there a place for six-star ratings? Would you be “taken in” by the category?
Let us know.

Kaleel Sakakeeny is a national print and broadcast travel journalist. Read more of his work at www.gotravelupdates.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Cheap Flight News