While many people think the hotel rating is based on what their previous guests rated the hotel, it is actually an overall rating based on the amenities and services provided. The star rating of hotels, motels and resorts gives you a quick guide as to what amenities that hotel might offer. While a 1 or 2-star hotel has the bare minimum, a 4 or 5-star hotel will have room service or a full-service spa. If you're wondering what exactly a 5-star hotel offers, here is a quick rundown.

Guest Room Amenities

The first difference you will notice in a 5-star hotel, as opposed to those with lower ratings, is the amount of luxury in the guest rooms. They will have very high thread-count sheets, offer a variety of options for pillows, and nearly always have plush, pillow top mattresses. They also go above and beyond with the amenities in the guest rooms, such as sinking bathtubs with jets, quality drinking materials, surround sound stereo systems, and fresh flowers placed in the room each day. These hotels also frequently have monogrammed bath robes and soft slippers.

Guest Request and Services

While there are minimal requests you can make in a 3-star hotel, guests at a 5-star hotels get almost anything they ask for. If you prefer a certain color of sheets or a rare type of fruit for your room, you are more likely to get it from the guest services desk. While this does vary based on the hotel, most 5-star hotels want to treat their guests and make their stay outstanding, since that is what they are paying for.

Hotel Services and Features

The actual features and services provided by the hotel are also of very high quality. Five-star hotels often have not just full-service spas and salons, but stylists and massage therapists that will come right to your room to give you a massage or manicure. They offer room service of gourmet dining cuisine instead of the typical room service offered in lower-rated hotels. Business services, swimming pools and fitness centers are also found at 3 and 4-star hotels, but they will have extra features at a 5-star hotel, such as more equipment in the fitness center, or multiple swimming pools inside and outside.

You can also expect more services provided by the staff at 5-star hotels, such as dog walkers, pet sitters, babysitters that come right to your room, or personal butlers to prepare a private meal.

It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the difference between a 4 and 5-star hotel. In general, the 5-star hotel has just about everything you can imagine with extra or higher quality features than their lower-rated counterparts.

Keep this information in mind as you check out local hotels, like Clarion Suites.