A primer on hotel categories and star ratings

17.05.12

Ever marvel at why the same hotel gets four stars from one website and three stars from another? What’s the difference between a bed-and-breakfast and an inn? What exactly is a boutique inn, and what do you get when you stay at a resort?

Here’s a primer on hotel rating systems, categories and definitions.

BED-AND-BREAKFAST: An proprietor-occupied property with no more than 10 or 15 guest rooms, plus common areas. Breakfast is included in scope rates.

INN: Usually an independently owned property with more than 10 rooms but fewer than 50; often the possessor lives onsite. Some inns include dinner and breakfast in room rates; some have full-service restaurants altruistic to the public.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL: Characterized by unique, stylish or even quirky decor and interior intentions, offering a stark alternative in appearance and experience to chain brands where furnishings may be identical in every laying. Boutique hotels were originally independently owned, but today there are boutique hotel chains, such as Kimpton hotels and Starwood’s Ws. Marriott is launching a boutique manufacturer called Edition.

Source: The Tennessean