These comments are intended as a response to an excellent article in the January 2011 Consumer Reports, entitled “How reliable are hotel ratings?” I do not consider this a rebuttal because I would not presume to critique or question the author’s observations; I would only suggest a view of this matter from another perspective.

By the way, the answer to this question can vary widely, and often depends on several elements, like whom you ask and when you ask.  If you ask an operator who just got the rating he or she wanted, or retained the rating they believe they deserve, there is a good chance you will get a very positive reply.  Pose the same question to the owner or GM whose rating has just been lowered, and you maybe should duck or at least step back a pace or two.

I wish I had been able to identify the writer; I would have liked to offer my congratulations on what I consider an excellent inquiry into the complex world of hotel ratings and thank them for their contribution.   One of the writers’ sources is indentified as (Dr?) Bjorn Hanson, a dean and professor of New York University’s Tisch Center for Hospitality. The writer quotes the professor  on several points.

These reviews have little credibility and even less influence on any”official” rating system.  They do not contribute significantly to the storehouse of knowledge; neither do they do any great damage.  Why do they do it?  For whose benefit are these “reviews” written?  To whom are they sent?  I have no idea.  It could be the price we pay for freedom of the press.  Give one of us self-appointed “industry experts” the ability to do desk-top publishing and access to the Internet, and immediately we think we are Shakespeare, Ralph Nader, and Will Rogers combined into one.

I devote a few lines to this point only to emphasize the need for a standardized, clearly defined, and bilaterally accepted vocabulary.

In addition to the vocabulary, we need to address a few other points before we can really fathom the whole complex world of hotel ratings and have an intelligent and meaningful discussion.  Some examples: purpose of the rating, target audience, are the physical and service standards widely accepted? are they consistent with prevailing industry standards?    Most important: Who is paying for the evaluation, the report, and all the other expense?

Once we answer these questions and agree on a few vocabulary terms, we can begin that discussion.   I hope to make it a true discussion by soliciting your input here and now.  Your comments and questions are the key to making this a multilateral discussion.  

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