WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A HOTEL IS DESIGNATED AS A "FODOR'S PICK" AND GETS A RED STAR NEXT TO IT?

I think you need to go back to school, dear -- and for a VERY long time!!!

PICK stands for "particularly inferior comfort kategory" and obviously the red star means that it is run by Communists. Not to be rude, but what the hell do you think "fodor's pick" could mean and what could a red star next to it possibly mean?

To the 2 posters above-Fran asked a legitimate question, you don't need to be rude or sarcastic! Why don't you 2 trolls crawl back under your rock..

Fran-It means the hotel has been designated a preferred or superior property by Fodor's.

Gee, Gina, thanks. I never would think of that! Wow, you must be smart!
I'm with you Jane and Smart Alec. C'mon Fran and Gina, that question really was a no-brainer!

Come on you guys. I often wondered myself how Fodor's picks the hotels. Do they pick Econolodges, Hiltons, or W's. What do they base their picks on?

Although the "Fodor's Choice" picks can be a helpful guide, I strongly suggest doing adidtional research. It appears that either they don't do new reviews very often or pay no attention to the "rants and raves" section of this forum. Case in point: The Gershwin Hotel has 5 strongly negative user reviews out of a total of 6 reviews posted (one of them being mine). Its ranking on a scale of 5 is one of the lowest for any NYC hotel in the listings yet it is STILL listed with a red star as a "Fodro's Choice".

Hey DUH-Blow it out your ass you moron!

Notwithstanding the nagging impression that the original question was a half-baked attempt at satire or spoofing, there is the basis for a legitimate question here. That being, what method does Fodors use to determine which properties will be surveyed, how they will be rated and how often they will revisit to see if the red star status should be maintained. My past experience with Fodors guides and their recommendations is generally positive. However, It was an interesting exercise to look at the hotels and restaurants where I live (a resort destination) to see how they fared. I found a number of recommendations I couldn't agree with based on personal experience. And other more superior properties omitted completely that savvy travelers would regard as "finds." I think it would be fun if posters scrutinized the Fodors red star locations in their home areas and offered opinions about the accuracy of the ratings on this forum.

Michael,
Nice positive response.
I have often thought the same regarding "how" these qualifications were attained...and, how some do indeed slip through the cracks. I prefer personal experiences to rely on. I imagine there must be only so many hotels Fodor's can get around to inspecting/rating. Indeed, more variety and imput from patrons would be very helpful in the "Rants and Raves" area where I (believe) Fodorites can apply their own rating of a hotel.