Hotel Chains Trading Stars for Cash
Aug 25
News, Places to Stay economy, Five Diamond, Five Star, hotels, meeting industry No Comments
The latest casualty of the struggling hospitality industry is the rating system itself.
Bloomberg.com reports many luxury hotel brands have begun cutting ratings to save costs.
The AAA and Mobil rating systems identify specific service requirements for hotels to receive a five-diamond or five-star rating. These services can be quite costly for the hotels.
According to the Mobil Travel Guide, if the hotel has a pool, guests arriving for a swim should be escorted to their chairs and offered refreshment. Welcome gifts and thoughtful items on pillows at turn down service are expected. Ice buckets must be glass, metal or stone, and tongs must also be provided.
The Bloomberg.com article quotes Stephen Bollenbach, former chief executive officer of Hilton Hotels Corp.:
“Ratings aren’t based on making good returns on your investment.”
If the trend of hotels cutting back on services and lowering ratings continues, will rating systems become irrelevant? Are they outdated?
As a guest, how important is the AAA or Mobil rating in your booking decision? Can hotels survive on reputation alone?
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