Originally Posted by
christianj
Do you really think that maters to most people? If you do your due diligence and book according to reputation and reviews I wouldn't think a downgrade to AAA 4-Diamond would impact them that much. In sure many people have stayed at some pretty highly rated hotels that turned out to be not so great and some lower rated ones that were great. Ratings should be taken with a grain of salt....just look at LH getting a 5 star Skytrax rating when their business class isn't as good as half the other airlines in the world.
Most people? Nope. But, I honestly think it matters to the type of clientele that AAA 5-Diamond properties wish to attract.
If you want to stay at the "best" hotel, you'll probably look to an established ratings system (AAA, Mobil, Forbes) and not Trip Advisor. Those "official" ratings systems are based on actual criteria. So while they do still require that grain of salt, at least they aren't polluted by people who think that a full-service hotel should get a one-star rating because it doesn't provide free breakfast like a Hampton Inn.