“Four Diamond” Hotels - Diamonds Are Four Ever?
Posted on | March 5, 2009 |
I recently stayed at a hotel in the southern part of the United States. At the check-in desk there were notices that indicated that it was rated a “four diamond” hotel. What makes a hotel so highly rated? Somebody once told me that it is the staff to guest ratio. If so it must be true because there certainly was a lot of staff presence throughout the hotel during my stay.
Is that really all that matters in a good rating? The food wasn’t too bad. I say it this way because I eat a lot of catered food. A lot of folks that don’t travel or eat out very often will generally rank banquet food highly because it isn’t food that they normally eat. If it is a ’smorgasboard’ even with a high fat and sodium content, then for that fleeting moment in their dining experience, anything different is labeled as being good, all nutrition aside.
- Image by istolethetv via Flickrgood,
Does a four diamond hotels rating really end there, the staff and the food? I found the hotel to be intolerable as far as breathing comfort goes. You couldn’t get a clear breath of unscented air anywhere in this hotel. If it wasn’t the vomit smell in the carpet of the ballroom from the wedding the night before, it was the overly scented cleaning fluids that were used everywhere, in the public restrooms, the hallways, and the guestrooms. Walking through the spa to get to the fitness center was no joy either. I think the odor there was cinnamon spice. It kind of sucked. I had to go home and wash every bit of clothing that I brought with me that I didn’t even wear.
Still, where does the four diamond hotels rating come from? At this hotel it may have been from the cleanliness of the rooms. Let me tell you, they were adamant about cleaning every room every day. If they couldn’t get into your room they left a very strongly worded letter exclaiming that, “to no avail”, they tried to clean your room. What a trip.
It is my belief that they wanted to clean my room so badly that the “do not disturb” sign was removed from my door. Now, I have no exact proof of this. It was just my gut instinct that told me this. Later, It became confirmed in my mind that this was true when a member of our traveling party when exiting his room was cornered by a housekeeper. She asked him to sign a document for the supervisor stating that he did not want his room cleaned. He too had the “do not disturb” sign prominently displayed.
When I requested that a new do not disturb sign be brought to my room, you can bet that they were told of my suspicions. Is this the behavior of four diamond hotels or is it just a rogue head of housekeeping that manages that department with fear and deodorizer?
Without looking it up I can’t personally tell you what make a hotel highly rated. If you leave that rating up to the guests to create then I am sure that the ratings would be more realistic and reflect the true attitude or experience of a visit. You could just read their comments, sometimes between the lines, to gauge just what is in store for you at a hotel, four diamond or not.
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Tags: 'do not disburb' > cinnamon spice > cleanliness > food > Hotel > rogue housekeeping
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