Hotel star ratings

Searching for a hotel, reading numerous reviews, checking the location, facilities and price can almost become a full time job and extremely time consuming. I should know I spend many hours a week doing just that. Even when I am away on a trip I pop into hotels that look nice from the outside to get the business card/ brochure and have a quick look around the lobby,even maybe a peep into the bar or dining room. First impressions do count in my book and if the place looks really nice, with a great view or roaring log fire I will return for an evening drink or dinner.
This is a great way to find new places to stay without resorting to a long Internet search and reading reviews that may not always be true.
Hotel Star rating classifications change from country to country and city to city. High Star or Diamond ratings should indicate more luxury and more facilities, but this is not always the case.
I have fallen foul of relying on the “5***** costs $$$$$” only to be disappointed, and in some instances I have even checked out of the hotel. A few reasons for me to take such drastic action has been, uncleanliness, broken aircon, sagging mattress, paper thin walls,dark,damp and moldy.

Italy is one of my favorite destinations and I know I need to be careful of where I stay if I want to have a great sleep. All that is needed in Italy for a hotel to have a high star rating is a 24hr reception desk and a receptionist that can speak 3 languages.
Last week I checked out of a hotel in Venice at 6 am, the 24 hrs receptionist was there,,,,sleeping in the hallway right outside the elevator! I almost stepped on him. In hindsight I think he may have been there to stop any guests trying to leave early without paying. Still this was highly unusual.

I have devised my own star rating 1-5 based on what i find is important to me when staying at a hotel or residence and if I would return or recommend to a friend. I will rate the hotels I have stayed at with the following star rating based on the following:

Location, cleanliness, staff helpfulness, facilities, bedroom size, bed comfort, quality of bedding/pillows/towels, shower/bathroom cleanliness, furnishings, pool size,comfortable sun loungers, breakfast offered, free Wi-Fi, surroundings.

5***** Just as advertised on the website, will return, will recommend, loved everything.

4**** as advertised, will return,will recommend, very happy with stay.

3*** comfortable, adequate for a few nights stay, may recommend.

2** Adequate for a night or two, would not return or recommend.

1* Below standard, not as advertised,disappointed, will not return or recommend.

I have kept a list of the hotels I have stayed at in the last 5 yrs. up to the end of 2012 and what a great year of travel I had and I stayed in some fantastic locations and super hotels.

Raffles hotel Le Royal, Phnom penh *****

Park Royal Penang ***

C151 luxury villa bali, *

Nikko spa resort Bali, *****

Dust Thani Phuket, x2****

Madison Hotel Milan, x2*

Bauer Hotel Venice, *****

lotte Hotel, Seoul, Korea , ***

Hotel Degli orafi, Florence *****

Park Hyatt Saigon Vietnam ****

Peninsula hotel, Manila *****

Hotel Modigliani, Rome x4****

Cycil Hotel, Rome***

Lebua state tower, Bangkok ****

Grand Centre point, Bangkok x2****

Intercontinental hotel, Bangkok x10*****

Holiday Inn, Bangkok***

Intercontinental hotel, K.L*****

Mantra Hindmarch hotel, Adelaide **

B&B Barrossa Valley, Adelaide****

B&B Glasgow Scotland****

B&B Tarbet Loch Lomond, Scotland*****

Hotel Eugenia, Bangkok x2****

Pullman King Power, Bangkok x5****

Mandarin KL x6*****

Mandarin Tokyo*****

Ritz Carlton Tokyo *****

ANA, Intercontinental Tokyo *****

Peninsula hotel *****

Garden Hotel Ginza x2 ****

The Royal Phuket Yacht club Phuket ****

Evason resort and Spa Phuket x2*****

Evason resort and spa Hua Hin x2****

AKA reort pool villa Hua Hin x2****

Devandara pool villa Hua Hin***

Marriott resort Hua Hin ***

Emporium suites Bangkok x6****

Ritz. Carlton suite KL*****

Raffles Phnom Penh x3*****

Intercontinental Hanoi*****

Metropole hotel Hanoi x2*****

Sentosa resort and spa Singapore*****

Hyatt Singapore x2****

Fullerton hotel Singapore x5****

Traders Hotel Singapore****

Sun Sea sand resort pattaya****

Dust Thani pattaya***

Shangrila Jakarta*****

Ritz Carlton Beijing*****

Intercontinental Singapore X3*****

Ritz Carlton Singaporex4*****

Intercontinental Sydney x2****

Shangrila hotel Sydney***

Holiday Inn surfers paradise Gold Coast**

Pavilion Phnom Penh ****

Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi****

Taj Rambagh Palace Jaipur India****

Gateway Hotel Agra India****

Conrad Hotel Bangkok****

Kempinski Hotel Bangkok x2 *****

Nikko hotel Kuala Lumpur ****

Langham hotel Auckland NZ***

Heritage Auckland NZ***

Cranberry court apartments Queenstown NZ. X2*****

Las Vegas Hilton USA***

Las Vegas Comfort Inn **

Eden Hotel Amsterdam ***

Hotel Eureka Amsterdam **

Waldorf Astoria NYC ***

Alex Hotel, NYC****

Sun, sea, sand villa, **** near Pattaya

Marriott Pattaya****

Hotel dragimannni Venice ****

Evason Resort & Spa, Phuket *****

Park hotel Tokyo *****

Monte Carlo, Las Vegas ****

Peninsula hotel Beijing *****

Hilda residence Florence *****

Locarno hotel Rome *

Nusa Dua beach resort Bali ****

Intercontinental hotel, Jimbaran bay Bali *****

Ahimsa pool villa Seminyak, Bali **

Hotel Casa Verardo Residenza,Venice, Italy ***

Intercontinental Le Grand Paris *****

Paris best lodge apartment 134 Rue de Temple Maris Paris ****

New Otani hotel Tokyo, ****

Grand Copthorne hotel Singapore ***

Holiday Inn city hotel, quingdao china ****

I am really looking forward to adding to this list for 2013, my New Years resolution is to travel more and stay at great hotels around the world!

My first trip in 2013 was to Chiang Mai in Thailand.

Shangri-La hotel Chiangmai ****

Venice, Italy

Isle of Wight, UK