Star ratings are a type of rating scale using a star glyph or similar typographical symbol. It is used by reviewers for ranking things such as films, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, a system of one to five stars is commonly used in hotel ratings, with five stars being the highest rating.
"Five-star superior" rating at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich, Germany
Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial purpose of informing travellers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experience as a whole. Today the terms 'grading', 'rating', and 'classification' are used to generally refer to the same concept, that is to categorize hotels.
"Five-star Superior" rating at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich, Germany
Findings from European Commission research that looked into the importance of the online hotel reviews vs. star classification