5-Star Hotel Room
This article covers the following questions: What is a 5-star hotel room? What does it look like? What are the criteria and requirements?
The hotel industry worldwide has yet to have a single rating system. Even within the US, Forbes Travel Guide gives star ratings (but only 4 or 5 to the very best), while AAA (American Automobile Association) classifies hotels with diamonds (one to five, just like the stars).
In Europe, there isn't a universal rating system, and each country has a different standard. For example, a four-starred property in one country could have the same standard as a two-starred property in another.
But no matter which organization evaluates the hotels, five stars or five diamonds are always the most luxurious.
While one star stands for basic things like clean sheets and towels that are changed between guests, the expectation of five stars is much more.
AAA describes the highest standards as the "ultimate luxury, sophistication and comfort with extraordinary physical attributes, meticulous personalized service, extensive amenities and impeccable standard of excellence."
Here is a simple explanation of the star and diamond rating systems:
★★★★★ Luxury
★★★★ First Class (Upper Upscale)
★★★ Comfort (Upscale)
★★ Standard (Midscale)
★ Tourist (Economy)
⟡⟡⟡⟡⟡ Ultimate Luxury (Five Diamond Award)
⟡⟡⟡⟡ Refined
⟡⟡⟡ Distinguished
⟡⟡ Enhanced
⟡ Budget-Oriented
One Diamond - A bargain accommodation offering the basics to sleep Two Diamonds - A casual, no-fuss setting focusing on affordability Three Diamonds - Home-like comfort Four Diamonds - Splurge for a special occasion Five Diamonds - The crown jewel
Only 0.4% of all AAA properties get the highest Five Diamonds rating. Although the Five-Stars and Five-Diamonds categorizations often overlap, there can be differences when one organization believes a place is Four Diamonds and the other is that it's Five-Stars.
If all these stars weren't confusing enough, there are (self-proclaimed) 7-star hotels, a zero-star hotel in Switzerland, and no-star hotels that have no official ratings or refuse to have one.
So, now that we covered everything from zero to seven stars let's jump to what we know about 5-star rooms.
5 Star Hotel Room Requirements
Equipment:
▷ Dressing mirror (full body length) with light
▷ Smart flat-screen TV with international channels and streaming services
▷ Multiple plugs and sockets to charge guests' equipment
▷ Fully-stocked minibar
▷ Daily newspaper
▷ Individual night lights
▷ High-speed Wifi
▷ Digital room key
▷ Digital safe
▷ Laundry bags
▷ Travel adaptors
▷ High thread count sheets
▷ Pillow menu
▷ Blackout shades
▷ Luxury toiletries and large fluffy towels
▷ Fancy bathrobes and slippers
▷ Night lighting in walking areas and bathrooms
▷ Triple pane windows for noise isolation from the outside world
Pictured below is J Hotel Shanghai's 5-star room.
Spaciousness
The room's floor area needs to have abundant space — plenty of room for comfort and relaxation. The interior must be filled with natural light, so you can expect large windows. Although there isn't one rule for every country, generally, 5-star rooms should be at least 200 square feet (19 square meters) minus the bathroom.
The Maybourne Riviera's Sea View Junior Suite is a couple of sizes above the average (1,023 square feet / 95 square meters), but it's a great representation of what luxurious space means.
Floor
Luxury starts with the highest-grade materials like wood, marble, and upscale stone. Five-star interiors will have one of these covering every step of the way, frequently with a layer of high-density carpets.
Furniture
A thorough glance at the furniture is one of the easiest ways to distinguish ordinariness from high class. A Five-Star/Diamond property will have expensive-looking handcrafted/designer/vintage furniture handpicked for every premise. Apart from the visual appeal, every chair, sofa, and bed offers the highest comfort level using luxurious materials.
Hotel de la Coupole's Presidential Suite is a prime example of how furniture choice can change one's perception of interior design. This five-star hotel in Vietnam has sourced antique furniture and handcrafted items from the local hill tribes and even original storefronts from Paris. The result? Vibrant opulence.
Seating Layout
The room/suite has to provide soft seating, dining, and working spaces for (minimum) three guests — a sofa or two chairs plus a desk chair as a minimum.
Signiel Seoul's Deluxe Suite Room has a great example of a dedicated working desk with its own lamp and comfortable chair. And because it's on one of the top floors of South Korea's tallest skyscraper (Lotte World Tower), it offers insanely good views of Seoul.
Illumination
Leading-edge technology provides superbly lit areas and a transition between day and night light. Dimmers, multiple switches, and remote controls are standard.
So Sofitel Bangkok's Water Element Suite pushes the limits of five-star luxury with its walk-in Jacuzzi, which overlooks Thailand's capital through its wall-sized window. Looking closely, you will spot important details of high-class interior illumination.
The bathroom has strong, integrated LED spotlights, while the whirlpool's edge is scattered with cozy candle lamps. The living room's T-shaped standing lamp offers a similar function to enhance the interior's atmosphere during nighttime.
Decorations
Marble, granite, quality wood baseboards, and stucco decorate the edges where the floor and ceiling meet the walls. Oversized headboards protect and embellish bed endings, which often come with a similarly styled footboard for aesthetic balance.
A curated collection of premium artworks can adorn the walls. While stunning marble surfaces or 19th-century paintings are not a must to receive a five-star rating, using the highest-grade materials and selecting the most fitting artworks is.
Hotel Imperial's building in Vienna was built in an Italian Neo-Renaissance style, and its interior reflects its architectural splendor. Ornate marble, hand-carved statues, crystal chandeliers, high stucco ceilings, and gold-framed paintings characterize the nineteenth-century Viennese elegance. You can feel like royalty in Palais Württemberg (the building's original name).
Details, Details, Details
It cannot be stressed enough that attention to detail makes five-star hotel rooms stand out. From the smallest to the most obvious, wherever you look, a luxurious establishment of the highest class will make sure that anything obtrusive for your eyes is hidden. At the same time, materials, colors, shapes, and everything you see and touch are of the best quality.
The minimalist suite of the five-starred Amanemu overlooks Japan's Ago Bay. The simple yet elegant design is based on the aesthetics of traditional ryokans and Japan's Minka architecture. Even though its interior lacks decorations and works with unpretentious materials, this room still exudes luxury. It's the fine details and harmony of each element.
