Re: Rating the propeties -do they deserve 5 stars?
I don't know where the original "star" rating concept came from. Nowadays, very two-bit organization gives out a rating. As any travel agent will tell you, ratings vary widely amonst the raters and need to be considered suspiciously. Even trip reports about the some property, posted here on the web, vary from "it's the best" to "it's the worst, never again." That's why the reports that go on to give details and say why are the best. I may not care that the front desk doesn't followup to see that service requests were completed or that the red wine selection at the buffet was limited.
I remember sitting next to a couple from Belgium at the Bavaro Beach Palace. They were very disappointed with the 5-star rated resort. They told me that in Belgium, if one visits a place and everything is perfect, they are awarded 1 star and it goes up from there, and that only 2 restaurants in the entire country have ever been awarded 5 stars. In his mind, the resort deserved 0 stars. While I think that might be a little overkill, I'd like 5 stars to be the limit and should be applied only, as I said earlier, when every detail is beyond perfect, approaching extraordinary.
To be honest, I've receive higher quality service, attention to detail, and concern for a happy customer from a visit to McDonalds Hamburgers and Motel 6 in the USA than some "5 star rated" resorts. It seems a lot of people in the Dominican Republic think an awesome looking lobby, a big pool, and white table cloths mean the property should get 5 stars.
It continues to baffle me how a resort can, with good conscience, rate one of their restaurants as 5 stars, yet allow guests to sit through half of their meal waiting for their drinks to arrive or never having had somebody pass by the table to see if everything is all right.
I think it is worse to raise an expectation and not deliver than to have never placed the expectation to begin with. I can easily live with what I've experienced vactioning in the Dominican Republic. It's great. Just don't lie to me telling me it's something it isn't.
Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM