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Q: Is the hotel star rating in China the same as in Europe?
...or does it work differently?
How does a hotel go about getting their 'stars'?
If it's an international hotel the rating is the same, if you're speaking about Chinese hotels than they do work a little different. You can bet that if you stay at Holiday Inn or the Renissance, they are good 4 and 5 star hotels with about the same price as you would see in the Western Countries
They fake everything in China. Don't be surprised to find a 1 star hotel with 5 stars. In Europe there are strict controls; in China no one cares. Even if you did go to a real 5 star hotel you would find that the Chinese have no concept of service and they will treat you like other Chinese people. The staff will ignore you or laugh at you if you don't accept what you are given.
george:
I would totally reject your claim to be able to find a 1 star hotel with 5 star rating in China. The award of 5 star hotels in China are very strictly controlled and the quality of 5 star hotels is generally higher than many 5 star hotels in the west especially those in some of the European countries. Many hotels in europe with 3 stars or 4 stars are no more than a dormitory really.
crimochina:
i actually agree with golden: because there are supposed to be standards such as western toilets . but i have found a 3 star hotel with no western toilets but many "unapproved" hotels with western toilets
skater:
crimochina, golden's point is you can find 1 star hotel with 5 star rating in China which is different from what you try to reason about.
GoldenBoy:
It was (I thought) clear, that my comment, an exaggeration to prove a point. I spent 4 months this year travelling around China. I've stayed in 5 star hotels to -5 star hotels. I find the service better in -5 star hotels and the people friendly and helpful. I find the whole Chinese 5 star to be way off mark from service to quality. It seems the only requirement to be a 5 star hotel is to have a big face building monument or concrete park within the ground. -5 stars was another exaggeration, by the way.
It must mean something. By law, foreigner cannot stay in less than a 3 star hotel in Shanghai.
I don't know how those horrible hostels get away with it...
There is no such law that foreigners must stay in hotels of 3 star or higher ! There is a definition and requirement for Tourist Hotels, usually meaning hotels that can accept foreigners, that the signage, menu and flyers must be in Chinese and English at least, the front desk people and restaurant staff must be able to communicate in English etc. Torusit hotels can be any thing from 1 to 5 stars in China but needs to be reviewed and approved by tourism bureau. A hostel meeting above requirement can be approved as a toruist hotel and can take foreigners. Why they shouldn't take foreign travellers when you know many foreign students want to find a bed costing 50 kuai or less per night?!
Diaphane:
The law actually does prohibit foreign tourists to stay in less than 3 star hotels. But those are the tourists that come with a tour group. The tour company is required to put them in a nice hotel to make sure that they get good service. While everyone who travels solo (such as backpackers or frequent visitors) can stay wherever the hell they want.
crimochina:
every foreigner cant stay in a hotel below 3 stars they say it is for "safety" but that just means it's for anything but safety reasons
For international hotels such as Westin, Hilton, Hyatt, etc, you will definitely get quality 5 star hotels that meets that international rating standards. Sometimes even better service.
I don't agree with what GoldenBoy said.
GoldenBoy:
There are definitely real 5 star hotels in China. I didn't say otherwise. I only commented on the fact that some are most definitely fake. Something which you seem to not have understood.
Diaphane:
I understood you, what I don't agree with was your claim of "Even if you did go to a real 5 star hotel you would find that the Chinese have no concept of service and they will treat you like other Chinese people. The staff will ignore you or laugh at you if you don't accept what you are given."
GoldenBoy:
Just how many hotels have you been to in China? If the service here is acceptable most probably you are accustomed to such lamentable treatment back home.
Diaphane:
I've stayed in enough hotel here to know that they give good service. I come from a country which tourism is a big part of the economy so I understand what good service means.
Well if you are talking about international hotel chains yes they have international standards and if you are talking about local chains than they have local bodies to asess the standards but i had stayed too many time in local chains they are also good.
I stayed in a major hotel in Beijing a few months ago. It was extremely expensive (my dad paid) and rated as a 5 star western style hotel. It was nice by Chinese standards, but I found it similar to some US hotels I've stayed in that didn't have any rating at all.
On top of that, they thought it was appropriate to come ask us about our room arrangement at 5:30 in the morning when we were scheduled to check out at around 1pm. Needless to say, they woke us up and we were not pleased.
Even if its a 5 star facility, its still China. Don't expect a western level or service and courtesy.
This summer I stayed in a 5 star hotel. It looked beautiful from a distance but when I approached I started to notice the broken stone chairs, the flaking paint and the waterfall that led to a lake with no fish or water, just full of whatever the wind had blown in to it and trash. That was just the outside. The reception was a huge cold stone room with huge over sized couches and chairs. There were 10 people who shouted welcome to me when I entered, no one smiled, they all stared at me for all the time I was there. The next day they bought cameras and took photos of me without permission. No one in the hotel spoke English. Forget about anyone carrying your bags to your room. The elevator had a shabby and dirty rug inside. One hotel room door was broken and locked with a bike lock. The hotel did not have wireless nor did it have computers you could use, unless you paid for a room that came with a computer. The swimming pool was tiny and the area around it was unclean. The hotel had a ktv and a bar which both closed a 9pm. They were not able to sell me beer after 9pm and before 9pm I had to go to the bar because they could not bring it to my room. They told me I could buy beer at a shop. There was no 24h room service either. The room had blown light bulbs, they didn't change the towels, some service buttons did not work nor did the door bell. Everything in the hotel was extremely expensive. That is when I realized that Chinese mainland 5 star Hotels are for Chinese people with money who are on face building exercises. The Chinese have no idea about service nor quality. To them the fact you pay more money makes the hotel better. In the future I will go to international hostels which tend to have friendlier people who speak English, wifi, beer when I want it among so many other things I have failed to mention. I declare that some international hostels in Xi'an are better than Chinese mainland 5 star hotels.
Diaphane:
May I know the name of the hotel? Just for future reference and to know what to avoid.
GoldenBoy:
Fortunately for me someone else took care of the expense. I cant remember the name but it was just outside Handan. I was assured it was a place frequented by government officials which seemed to be the case. After 2 days there the place was swarming with police for one night.
HOTELS ABROAD FROM CHINA ARE GIVEN "STARS" BASED ON THE SERVICES PROVIDED AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE.
IN CHINA, HOTELS ARE GIVEN "STARS" BASED SOLELY ON THE PRICE THEY CHARGE ON A ROOM PER NIGHT. HIGH PRICES HOTELS ( OVER $ 200 USA DOLLARS PER NIGHT) ARE RATED 5 STARS, BUT THEIR SERVICE COULD BE LOUSY.
HOTELS IN THE $ 20 TO $ 30 DOLLARS RANGE WILL BE GIVEN ONE OR TWO STARS IN CHINA.
AGAIN, QUALITY OF SERVICES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR GUESTS BEAR NO RELATIONSHIP WHAT SO EVER WITH PRICES IN CHINA.
