Pre and after cruise Hotels - 4-5 star worth it?

[Sylve1]

Just re read original post and they want to use points so airbnb and vrbo wouldn't be suitable but maybe keep in mind for another time.

[Bruin Steve]

It becomes readily apparent reading the many posts in this and other similar thread that most people think they have an idea as to what a "4-star" or "5-star" hotel rating means...but in truth, very few people understand the rating system.

 

In fact, there are different rating systems used in different countries. In some countries, it is a government tourist agency while in others, it's a hotel industry association or, in many the "auto club"...

 

Rating systems vary country to country...

 

People assume that the rating is one for "quality", but how does one measure that in an objective manner?

 

Truth be told, most rating systems are heavily weighted on the amenities provided...So, an otherwise excellent hotel, but a smaller one, without a full restaurant or perhaps without a front desk clerk on duty 24 hours, will get a lower rating than a mediocre large hotel with restaurant, bar, 24 hour clerk etc.

 

Just as an example, this is the criteria for a 3-star rating vs. a 4-star rating vs. a 5-star rating from the European Hotelstars Union:

 

3 star:

Reception opened 14 hours, accessible by phone 24 hours from inside and outside, bilingual staff (e.g. German/English)

Three piece suite at the reception, luggage service

Beverage offer in the room

Telephone in the room

Internet access in the room or in the public area

Heating facility in the bathroom, hair-dryer, cleansing tissue

Dressing mirror, place to put the luggage/suitcase

Sewing kit, shoe polish utensils, laundry and ironing service

Additional pillow and additional blanket on demand

Systematic complaint management system

 

4 star:

Reception opened 18 hours, accessible by phone 24 hours from inside and outside

Lobby with seats and beverage service

Breakfast buffet or breakfast menu card via room service

Minibar or 24 hours beverages via room service

Upholstered chair/couch with side table

Bath robe and slippers on demand

Cosmetic products (e.g. shower cap, nail file, cotton swabs), vanity mirror, tray of a large scale in the bathroom

Internet access and internet terminal

"À la carte"-restaurant

 

5-star:

Reception opened 24 hours, multilingual staff

Doorman-service or valet parking

Concierge, page boy

Spacious reception hall with several seats and beverage service

Personalized greeting for each guest with fresh flowers or a present in the room

Minibar and food and beverage offer via room service during 24 hours

Personal care products in flacons

Internet-PC in the room

Safe in the room

Ironing service (return within 1 hour), shoe polish service

Turndown service in the evening

 

All three might be very nice, very clean, very acceptable hotels...but, one without a doorman, minibar, turndown service and a bathroom scale might only get a 3-star rating...and, of course, a lower star rating doesn't mean it doesn't have some of those things...

 

And, really, it's important to research the amenities provided at each individual hotel rather than relying on the overall rating anyway...

 

I, personally, have stayed in some VERY NICE 3-star hotels...Often they are smaller "boutique" hotels...for example, the 17-room Anastasia just off Piazza San Marco in Venice. With only 17 rooms, the front desk clerk was not at the desk 24 hours...but, all that was required was to ring a bell. They also had a very nice little breakfast buffet--but no full service restaurant. Of course, there were numerous restaurant choices within a couple of blocks. No doorman, no turndown service...So, they only rated 3 stars...OTOH, they did have an elevator, charming well appointed rooms and were extremely convenient to the sights of Venice and to the Vaporetti. Would anyone NOT stay there because they didn't rate 4 or 5 stars? If you think that way, you'd be foolish.

 

Ask yourself what you NEED in the way of a hotel. READ THE REVIEWS and read the hotel website. Get recommendations here and on TripAdvisor from those who have actually stayed there.

 

Do not rely too heavily on those star ratings...

[marazul]

We average 4 stars - that is, mostly 4s with some 5s and some 3s. The most important feature is location. A tie breaker for us is whether or not there is a safe in the room.

[marco]

I totally agree that if you going to be in the city for a few days the location of the hotel is the most important consideration. We've found most of the river cruise company pre/post add-ons are pricy. We did our homework, made all of our own arrangements for a post cruise stay and paid only $50 more to have our return air changed to coincide with our self planned add-on stay. Doing this saved us several hundred $$$$$. On another note, one post cruise add-on we saw was for 4 days and we thought it pricy. We went to that city this past September for 9 days (not in conjunction with a cruise) and paid only a couple of hundred $$$$ more and it INCLUDED the trans-Atlantic air.