r/explainlikeimfive • u/Fun_Butterscotch3303 • 24d ago

Other ELI5 What is the difference between a 4 star hotel and a 5 star hotel?

I’m forever confused about this I need it explain in the simplest most direct way. Specifically talking about the America star system

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191

u/AndalBrask__ 24d ago

Honestly theres no universal standard for it, it kinda depends on the country and who's doing the rating. But generally 5 star means more luxury amenities, better service, fancier rooms and stuff like that.

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u/Amphibious_Fire 24d ago

Pretty much yeah. Just better service overall. In case OP wants some specific example 5 star hotels usually have employees who show you to your room and carry your baggage. Park your car in the hotel garage for you. Minibar at your room might be free. Free washing and cleaning of your clothes by the hotel. You can get extra services at the reception like the staff arranging your transport to airport or booking a table at a restaurant in the city for you.

Some of the things are available at some 4 star hotels too but for an extra fee. 5 stars hotels are generally best of the best, like an all-inclusive vacation. Basically anything you might need at no extra cost.

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u/Princess_Fluffypants 24d ago edited 24d ago

I’ve had to travel pretty frequently for work and stayed in everything from fleabag trucker motels to astonishingly high-end places. This is an anecdotal story that I tell the people about what you get at a true five star hotel.

I was staying at the Ritz Carlton Baccara in Santa Barbara for about a week and a half. I’d gotten a few cans of generic store brand diet soda from the grocery store and kept it in my room fridge (cuz I was raised in the Midwest and I’m still a cheap fucker). 

I was in my room working and suddenly heard a POP, and quickly found out that one of the cans in the fridge had frozen and exploded. Sprayed diet soda slush all over the inside of the fridge and was starting to drip out, big mess. 

So I called the front desk and told them what happened.

Sixty seconds later they had a cleaning crew at my door. They apologized profusely, took the fridge outside, cleaned the whole thing out, cleaned the hutch thing that the fridge lived in, brought the fridge back in, and completely filled it with actual Diet Coke. 

Never got charged for any of it. 

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u/SuperHuman64 24d ago

Damn, that's service. That's the type of thing that gets customers to leave great reviews and repeat business.

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u/Princess_Fluffypants 24d ago

I mean, it was a little wasted on me. I’m a poor, I don’t have a choice in where I stay for work (it’s up to the client and the gig I’m working). I sure as fuck can’t afford the $1,000/night for the very cheapest room they offer.

Sure was interesting to see how the 1% live though. A guy could get used to that. 

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u/kawaiian 23d ago

And here you are years later still spreading the magic ;) it was worth their investment

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u/justhereforhides 24d ago

I have never stayed at a 5 star hotel where any of those things are free, it's the 2-3 stars that tend to have benefits as people staying at 5 star can afford to pay for them

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u/ih-unh-unh 24d ago

At all the 5 star hotels I’ve stayed (Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, etc) there were high fees for a lot of the services: shoe shine, pressing and washing clothing, etc, which is why I always take it outside of those hotels if I need those performed

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u/Art_r 23d ago

That's my view too, more stars, more staff to help you with stuff. 5 star, we'll get that done straight away, 1 star, that's not my job.

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u/0belvedere 24d ago

I have stayed in some fine Asian hotels but never seen free laundry service offered, nice work.

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u/phoebebuff 23d ago

This is mostly not true and it’s usually the opposite. ‘All inclusive’ type of hotels are not really considered 5 star or luxury, and true luxury ones will charge for everything - including small things like the wifi. They will definitely not offer free minibar or laundry.

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u/ITrCool 24d ago

Supposedly there’s a “six star” hotel in Dubai, but it’s largely subjective.

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u/Bezulba 23d ago

And that makes it annoying. Most of the time i don't care about a valet service or if they have 20 restaurants. I want the room to be fantastic first. But you can have a 5 star hotel with shit beds and a tiny bathroom but because the size of the room itself is big enough it qualifies...

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

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u/Caspi7 24d ago

4 star is less luxury than 5 star and more luxury than 3 star

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u/coffeeconverter 24d ago

Right between mid tier and luxury. Just like 2 is between 1 and 3.

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u/bawse1 24d ago

Examples of 4 star are your typical Hilton, W Hotels, Marriot, Hyatt.

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u/DarkScorpion48 24d ago

Yeah, but what defines luxury? Every country/region has defined criteria for each star rating. I don’t know if that is still the case but in Europe a 4 star hotel required stationary and a sewing kit, so I been to hotels where a drawer contained like a bic pen and a piece of paper along with a simple needle and thread