What is a 7-star hotel? An unofficial label, and how to read it

A journalist's phrase: how seven stars entered the language

Wikipedia's article on hotel rating says a Dubai hotel that opened in the late 1990s with a butler for every room was the first hotel widely described as a seven-star property. The hotel says the label comes from an unnamed British journalist on a press visit, and that it neither encourages the term nor uses it in its advertising.

Wikipedia's separate article on the hotel gives a similar account: a British journalist who toured it before its opening informally called it seven-star, and management says it has never used the term itself. A travel article from Blacklane adds that a journalist reportedly coined the term around the time of the hotel's opening, and that marketers quickly adopted it.

So, on these sources, the best-known seven-star claim did not come from the hotel. It began with a journalist and was taken up by marketers.

Where the official scales stop: five stars, five diamonds, three Keys

Every scheme described in the sources tops out well below seven. The Hotelstars Union, covering a group of European countries, has five levels, from Tourist (one star) to Luxury (five stars), with a Superior marker for hotels that meet all mandatory criteria and offer exceptional service. The AA in the United Kingdom rates hotels from three to five black stars. Visit England's top level is five stars, described as luxury and extra amenities. Forbes Travel Guide awards four or five stars or a recommended rating, and the AAA uses a one-to-five diamond scale.

Michelin Keys run from one to three Keys, according to Wikipedia. Blacklane, in its explainer on the topic, says plainly that there is no such classification as seven stars.

Wikipedia's wording is five-star deluxe for the top of the scale, not a sixth step.

Seven-star claims set against the official record

It helps to put each well-known claim beside what the sources say about the official position. The table uses only what Wikipedia and Blacklane report. In every case the formal rating is five stars or lower, and the seven-star wording comes from a journalist, a promoter or a private certificate.

Wikipedia's article on the Dubai hotel records that Forbes Travel Guide awards it its top rating of five stars and that Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism also gives it five stars. Of the Abu Dhabi property sometimes called seven-star, Wikipedia's hotel rating article says the hotel uses only a five-star rating. Of the Milan property that claims a seven-star certificate from SGS Italy, it says the certifier is not the official tourism agency and lists five stars in its general hotel categorisation.

Why journalists and marketers reach past five stars

A scale with a ceiling invites a word that goes through it. When a hotel feels different in kind from a typical five-star property, the number cannot say so, and an extra star is an easy shorthand. Blacklane quotes a former Starwood executive, Vikram Pradhan, as saying a seven-star hotel only exists in the marketer's brilliant gimmick sense.

The Dubai hotel shows what people are reaching for. Wikipedia says the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a dhow, stands on an artificial island 280 metres from the beach, is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge, and has an architectural height of 321 metres. It adds that each suite has dedicated staff and a 24-hour butler service. Those are features of design and service, not entries in a rating scheme.

The same observation holds for any property that wants to stand apart. The honest comparison is on what the hotel provides, which is what the five-star criteria and independent guides try to capture.

Reading a seven-star claim in a listing, step by step

When you see seven stars, or six, in an advert or on a booking page, a few quick checks tell you what it is worth. None needs special knowledge, and all of them also help with ordinary star claims.

A private certificate is not the same as a classification. Wikipedia notes that the SGS Italy listing for the Milan property shows five stars, not seven. A certificate from a company can be genuine and still not be a government or industry star rating.

• Look for the body behind the rating: a government, a union such as Hotelstars, a national association, or a guide.
• Check whether the listing also shows an official star count. If it says five, the extra stars are the seller's wording.
• Look for Superior, which the Hotelstars Union gives to hotels that meet every mandatory criterion and deliver exceptional service.
• Check independent guides, such as Forbes Travel Guide, the AAA diamonds or Michelin Keys, which use their own methods.
• Read what the property actually lists: reception hours, room service, turndown, spa and restaurants.

What to use instead of extra stars, including apartments

If luxury is the aim, the useful measures are the ones described in how aparthotels are classified and rated and what is a 5-star hotel: the scheme, the checklist, the independent view. Smaller properties can be excellent without fitting a checklist, as what is a boutique hotel explains, and a destination resort can be a trip in itself; see what is a resort.

If what you want is space, a kitchen and a quiet base in a famous city, no star count will tell you. Compare luxury stays in Dubai or luxury stays in Milan with what a hotel room offers, and see aparthotel versus hotel for the trade-off.