Luxury Travellers: How much is that extra half star worth to you when booking a hotel???
Aug 1st, 2003, 04:22 PM
#21
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Funny you should ask, GoTravel!! Lots of people were extremely upset--shocked, him included. It caused quite an uproar for a while with some b-i-i-ig names tumbling. You know the reason behind it right--to make themselves the elite of the rating industry? Plenty of places took tumbles that weren't expected: 5?s to 4?s, 4?s to 3?s, and dh was no exception, going from 4 to a 3* at just the same time that it was announced we'd become a Grand and completed a 10 mil renovation!! Go figure. Nor will Mobil address the issue(s?) which caused it, instead give the response, "you know our guidelines". We think...but will never know for sure, stupidly, that it was solely because turndown is ?by request? on all but Regency Club level now, rather than standard as mandated.. (Ask me if I was tempted to mail them a cut and paste of some of the pro and con discussions here on the subject! 
So...you shrug and go on, but initially he was livid and now he thinks they've diluted the significance of their product. I've known of places that have asked not to be rated rather than accept it! As many hotels as there are in the state of Florida, only 15 now have a 4* status, and none of them are in the Tampa Bay area. We have maintained our AAA 4 diamond, thank heavens. These Mobil statistics are telling: for the entire state of FL, there are 3 (5*) hotels, 15 (4*), 286 (3*), 272 (2*), and 318 (1*). In view of this GoTravel, perhaps you are right--their 4's are AAA's 5's! (I've never pulled these up and looked at them like this!)
Still, when I speak of *'s I adhere to Mobil's system, the true star ratings, but certainly "star" is becoming a generic term for whatever icon a system is using. What has resulted is the creme de la creme in the 5* category with pinpoint accuracy, those who just missed in the 4* as well as a few other hardy souls, but then an absolutely enormous 3* category which encompasses everything from the Grand Cypress, us, Coconut Point and the Don CeSar on down to Embassy Suites or Crowne Plaza! Ludicrous. The 3* category now tells you virtually nothing about the quality of a place but you could look at 4 and 5 stars with magnifying glass to see differences in some cases. As I think about it, it probably leaves AAA as being the most accurate overall, but the drawback to that is that you have to pay to be included in their system and some (perhaps Plaza Athenee?) choose not to.
At least with these two systems, hotels are being rated anonymously, not rating themselves as they do for PL, but certainly even with PL, although plenty of places rate themselves accurately?you can?t always depend on that.
I know you are in the business too, GoTravel. What do you think of what Mobil has done and how it?s impacted the validity of their ratings--and what will happen with it?
So...you shrug and go on, but initially he was livid and now he thinks they've diluted the significance of their product. I've known of places that have asked not to be rated rather than accept it! As many hotels as there are in the state of Florida, only 15 now have a 4* status, and none of them are in the Tampa Bay area. We have maintained our AAA 4 diamond, thank heavens. These Mobil statistics are telling: for the entire state of FL, there are 3 (5*) hotels, 15 (4*), 286 (3*), 272 (2*), and 318 (1*). In view of this GoTravel, perhaps you are right--their 4's are AAA's 5's! (I've never pulled these up and looked at them like this!)Still, when I speak of *'s I adhere to Mobil's system, the true star ratings, but certainly "star" is becoming a generic term for whatever icon a system is using. What has resulted is the creme de la creme in the 5* category with pinpoint accuracy, those who just missed in the 4* as well as a few other hardy souls, but then an absolutely enormous 3* category which encompasses everything from the Grand Cypress, us, Coconut Point and the Don CeSar on down to Embassy Suites or Crowne Plaza! Ludicrous. The 3* category now tells you virtually nothing about the quality of a place but you could look at 4 and 5 stars with magnifying glass to see differences in some cases. As I think about it, it probably leaves AAA as being the most accurate overall, but the drawback to that is that you have to pay to be included in their system and some (perhaps Plaza Athenee?) choose not to.
At least with these two systems, hotels are being rated anonymously, not rating themselves as they do for PL, but certainly even with PL, although plenty of places rate themselves accurately?you can?t always depend on that.
I know you are in the business too, GoTravel. What do you think of what Mobil has done and how it?s impacted the validity of their ratings--and what will happen with it?
Aug 1st, 2003, 04:32 PM
#22
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In a nutshell? I think it is a load of crap that will end up hurting Mobil. In an effort to distinguish themselves from AAA, I think they may have signed their own deathnell.
People who aren't in the business do not have any idea that Mobil revamped their ratings criteria. What you will have are people that will think the hotel has slipped.
My resort got knocked down to a two star so we certainly will not display the ratings. I'm sure we are not the only resort to do this.
I don't agree with changing the rules in the middle of the game.
Wonder how many complaints Mobil has gotten from the industry?
People who aren't in the business do not have any idea that Mobil revamped their ratings criteria. What you will have are people that will think the hotel has slipped.
My resort got knocked down to a two star so we certainly will not display the ratings. I'm sure we are not the only resort to do this.
I don't agree with changing the rules in the middle of the game.
Wonder how many complaints Mobil has gotten from the industry?
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