“First Class hotels throughout,” trumpets a typical tour ad. If you buy that tour, does the brochure promise you’ll be staying at a top hotel in each city you visit? Not by a long shot. In the system the travel industry uses most widely to rate hotels, First Class is in the middle of the rating spectrum. There’s nothing wrong, so long as you know what you’re getting. But travelers who think First Class is at the top may be surprised.
When you examine a tour brochure, chances are the hotel ratings are based on a system developed and used by the Official Hotel Guide, a worldwide hotel reference published mainly for travel agencies. The OHG has nine main ratings, from the top down: Superior Deluxe, Deluxe, Moderate Deluxe, Superior First Class, First Class, Moderate First Class, Superior Tourist Class, Tourist Class and Moderate Tourist Class. A 10th, Limited-Service First Class, recently was created to describe the growing number of hotels with outstanding rooms but limited public facilities.
If you want the best in hotels-the equivalent of First Class on an airline-you want a Deluxe category, where you’ll find hotels in the top big-name chains. Of the few famous spots travel writers rate “best in the world,” most are Superior Deluxe.
So what do you get in the First Class category? Sound, basic accommodation, with no major flaws. But all too often, First Class means an ordinary “tour-group” hotel, with cookie-cutter rooms, drab furnishings and a lobby full of activity desks. OHG says a travel agent safely may recommend a First Class hotel to a client who isn’t expecting Deluxe facilities or special services.
I’m not suggesting that you avoid First Class hotels. I’ve stayed in plenty, and in my share of Tourist lodgings, and sometimes have been pleasantly surprised. The point is simply that First Class doesn’t have the same meaning for hotels as it does for airlines. When you sign up for a tour with First Class hotels, you’ll be signing up for safe mediocrity. Be realistic in your expectations, and you’ll be fine.
