You’re likely to spend more time in your hotel than anywhere else, so picking a luxury hotel can be well worth the cost. When we think ‘luxury’, we often think ‘five star’, but not everyone knows what this star rating actually means.
Read on for our explanation of what five stars means in Australia and overseas, as well as where to find the best five-star hotels in the world.
What does a five star hotel rating mean?
A five star hotel in Australia can be very different to a five star hotel anywhere else in the world. Simply put, each country or region has its own rating system. As a general rule, to get five stars your hotel has to tick off a certain list of amenities and features rather than it being a rating of comfort or quality.
Some countries, such as Australia, have several rating options. Here, Star Ratings Australia is the most comprehensive ranking system. Only 39 hotels have the coveted five star rating, including The Langham in Melbourne and Radisson Blu Plaza in Sydney. However, as participation is by request and hotels have to pay to be included, this is by no means a definitive list of the best hotels in Australia.
Nonetheless, Star Ratings Australia has strict rules. Each hotel is ranked on more than 200 factors, such as the opening hours and the length of the mirror.
What does a five star hotel in Europe look like?
While many countries have their own rating system, in Europe there is a bit more consistency.
Fifteen countries in the EU (including Austria, Germany and Sweden) have agreed to work by the same ranking system, making travel around the continent a lot easier to plan. The ranking system is still a bit more extreme than most travellers would expect – five star hotels in Europe include a personalised greeting with flowers or chocolate and an hour-long ironing service included in the room rate.
To make matters a little more complicated the UK, as always, has to be different from continental Europe. Ratings there are not in line with the likes of Germany and, often, they’re not in line with others in the country. Various tourist boards offer the chance to display five stars, each with its own requirements.
What makes a five star hotel better than a four star hotel?
As is clear by now, this answer changes depending on where you travel, but the message is clear: stars do not necessarily mean better quality, they mean better service and amenities.
Sometimes, hotels get credit for the smallest things – a valance on the bottom of a bed, brand name toiletries or a certain number of coat hangers in the wardrobe – which can move them from one tier to the next.
What are the best five star hotels in Australia?
While rating the best hotels is completely subjective, Star Ratings Australia compiles a Gold List of the top-rated five star hotels in Australia every year. This is based on customer feedback rather than judges, so suggests a high quality of service year-round.
1. The New Incholm Hotel & Suites (QLD)
Address: 73 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000.
Set in a 1920s building, Ovolo Incholm was rated as the best five star hotel in all of Australia.
The owners of the Incholm say they love the ‘f word’ – ‘free’. Included in your room rate is free Wi-Fi, breakfast, laundry and minibar. You can also use the 24-hour gym, grab snacks or join in the social happy hour without spending a cent.
Rooms range from ‘medium’ through ‘extra large’ into the territory of lofts and suites. As well as king size beds, look forward to floor-to-ceiling windows, motorised drapes and large LED televisions throughout your living space.
The New Incholm is within easy walking distance of Central station and the Brisbane River, making it easy to get to the hotspots around the city.
2. Avenue Hotel Canberra (ACT)
Address: 80 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, ACT 2612.
In second place came Avenue Hotel in Canberra, close to parliament and major attractions like the capital’s fantastic museums.
Avenue is larger than The New Incholm, with more than 200 rooms available for visitors. Call ahead for a complimentary airport pickup, enjoy craft beers and wines from some of the country’s best vineyards and make your stay extra comfortable by ordering from the pillow menu.
If you want to save on your stay, book more than 28 days in advance for a 20% reduction in cost and save 30% on breakfast by ordering ahead.
The Provincial Ballarat (VIC)
Address: 121 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat, Victoria 3350.
Although third on the list, The Provincial Ballarat is housed in the most impressive building of the lot. This five star hotel is found in a Heritage Victoria listed building dating back to 1909, with all the mod cons of that you’d expect from a 2015 upgrade.
Found on Ballarat’s historic Lydiard Street, The Provincial is the epitomy of class and splendour found in a town that surprises many for its grandeur, built as it was in the heydays of the Victorian gold rush.
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