These are things travelers may think of when they hear the term – five-star hotel.

這些都是旅行者聽到這個詞時可能想到的東西--五星級酒店。

But Marina Bay Sands — one of the most iconic landmarks here in Singapore

但濱海灣金沙--新加坡這裡最具標誌性的地標建築之一

has all those things yet is rated only four stars.

擁有所有這些東西，卻只被評為四星級。

Or is it?

或者是嗎？

On Booking.com, MBS is a five-star hotel.

在Booking.com上，MBS是一家五星級酒店。

And guests on Tripadvisor think it deserves even more.

而Tripadvisor上的客人認為它應該得到更多。

But travel guide Frommers only gives it three stars.

但旅遊指南《Frommers》只給了它三顆星。

What is going on here?

這裡發生了什麼事？

How can one hotel have so many different star ratings?

一家酒店怎麼會有這麼多不同的星級？

And what do these ratings really mean?

而這些評級的真正含義是什麼？

To find out, we've got to go back to 1958.

為了找到答案，我們必須回到1958年。

Five-star hotel ratings in the United States are said to have roots — not with a travel company

美國的五星級酒店評級據說有根源--不是與一家旅遊公司有關

— but with the oil and gas corporation Mobil, now part of ExxonMobil.

- 但與石油和天然氣公司美孚，現在是埃克森美孚的一部分。

Employees traveling around the U.S. devised a system to rate hotels while on the road.

在美國各地旅行的員工設計了一個系統，在旅途中對酒店進行評分。

The ratings became a guidebook, which through time would become what is now

這些評級成為一本指南，隨著時間的推移，它將成為現在的

the Forbes Travel Guide.

福布斯旅遊指南》。

Fast forward to today, and there are countless magazines, guidebooks

今天，有無數的雜誌、旅遊指南和書籍。

and websites that rate hotels.

和為酒店評級的網站。

And in places like Australia, India and Dubai, stars are awarded by governments

而在澳洲、印度和迪拜等地，明星是由政府頒發的。

and tourism boards.

和旅遊委員會。

The problem is, each has its own rating system.

問題是，每個人都有自己的評級系統。

Remember Frommer's three-star rating for Marina Bay Sands?

還記得Frommer對濱海灣金沙的三星級評價嗎？

That's because the company only rates hotels from one to three stars.

這是因為該公司只對一到三星級的酒店進行評級。

And if that wasn't confusing enough, there's the American Automobile Association,

如果這還不夠令人困惑，還有美國汽車協會。

which uses diamonds rather than stars.

它使用鑽石而不是星星。

So, can the stars be aligned?

那麼，星星能不能對齊呢？

There was a lot of buzz about a project called “World Hotel Rating,” which was set to unify

一個名為 "世界酒店評級 "的項目引起了很多人的關注，該項目將統一

hotel standards around the globe.

全球的酒店標準。

But that was more than a decade ago, and nothing has materialized yet.

但那是十多年前的事了，現在還沒有任何成果。

Confusion over hotel stars has led to some bad press.

對酒店星級的混淆導致了一些不好的新聞。

Some say they are useless, while others simply want to know:

有些人說它們是無用的，而其他人只是想知道。

Do hotel star ratings mean anything anymore?

酒店的星級評定是否有任何意義？

Yes, says Tim Hentschel, CEO of the travel technology company HotelPlanner.

是的，旅遊技術公司HotelPlanner的CEO Tim Hentschel說。

I caught up with him to learn more.

我趕上了他，以瞭解更多情況。

We actually find that star ratings are quite valuable to our customers.

實際上，我們發現星級評價對我們的客戶相當有價值。

When you go to pick your dates and your destination city within a hotel search,

當你去挑選你的日期和你的目的地城市的酒店搜索內。

typically the first filter set is the star rating.

通常情況下，第一個過濾器設置是星級評價。

In the United Kingdom, the two main organizations that award hotels stars —

在英國，授予酒店星級的兩個主要組織 --

the AA motoring association and the tourism board Visit England — award stars using the same criteria.

AA汽車協會和旅遊局英格蘭旅遊局--採用相同的標準授予星級。

They also display their ratings on one website.

他們還在一個網站上顯示他們的評級。

The non-profit organization Hotelstars Union has gone a step further.

非營利組織Hotelstars Union更進一步。

It uses common criteria to unify star ratings across Europe.

它使用共同的標準來統一整個歐洲的星級評定。

So far, 20 countries have signed on, and more than 22,000 hotels have been classified.

到目前為止，已有20個國家簽署了協議，22,000多家酒店被分類。

But Europe's most popular countries to visit have not.

但歐洲最受歡迎的訪問國家卻沒有。

France, Spain and Italy each have their own rating systems,

法國、西班牙和意大利都有自己的評級系統。

which are run by national or regional governments.

這些都是由國家或地區政府管理的。

But despite all the hotel star rating variations, Tim assured me there are

但是，儘管所有的酒店星級不同，蒂姆向我保證有

some commonalities between them that people can rely on.

他們之間有一些共同點，人們可以信賴。

At a one-star hotel, Triple A says travelers can expect a bed, pillow and a bargain.

在一家一星級酒店，Triple A說，旅客可以期待一張床、一個枕頭和一個便宜貨。

Rooms are clean, but basic.

房間很乾淨，但很基本。

Two-star hotels also lack frills,

二星級酒店也缺乏裝飾。

but they usually have private bathrooms, phones, televisions

但他們通常有私人浴室、電話、電視

and perhaps, continental breakfast.

也許，還有歐式早餐。

Hotels with three stars are a noticeable step up in comfort, often with restaurants,

三星級的酒店在舒適度上有明顯的提升，通常有餐廳。

room service and gyms.

客房服務和健身房。

Youth sports team travelers want a three star and because they love the free breakfast,

青年運動隊的旅客想要一個三星級的，而且因為他們喜歡免費的早餐。

they know that these three stars come with a pool that's family friendly,

他們知道，這些三星級酒店都有一個適合家庭使用的游泳池。

and they don't need something like 24/7 room service

而且他們不需要像24/7的客房服務這樣的東西

because you put the kids to sleep by nine o'clock.

因為你在九點前讓孩子們入睡。

At the four-star level, everything from rooms to lobbies to pools is bigger.

在四星級，從房間到大堂到游泳池的一切都更大。

There are often bellhops, valet parking attendants

通常有侍者、代客泊車服務員

and a concierge team to help guests enjoy their stay.

和一個禮賓團隊，幫助客人享受他們的住宿。

Research shows about a third of travelers won't consider hotels

研究顯示約三分之一的旅客不會考慮酒店

with fewer than four stars.

含有少於四顆星的。

At the top of the list is the five-star hotel, the ultimate luxury stay with plush bedding,

排名第一的是五星級酒店，是擁有毛絨被褥的終極豪華住宿。

fine dining restaurants and opulent spas.

精緻的餐廳和奢華的水療中心。

But Yngvar Stray, the general manager of Capella Singapore,

但新加坡嘉佩樂酒店的總經理Yngvar Stray。

says those things alone aren't enough.

說，僅有這些東西是不夠的。

If you want to be a true, high-end luxury five-star hotel,

如果你想成為一個真正的、高端的豪華五星級酒店。

your physical product needs to be immaculate.

你的實體產品需要完美無瑕。

It cannot be a cookie cutter hotel.

它不能是一個餅乾切割器的酒店。

it needs to be uniquely special.

它需要有獨特的特殊性。

The people that have to have a passion for coming here.

必須對來這裡的人有熱情。

Not to work,

不去工作。

but coming here for excellence.

但來到這裡是為了追求卓越。

Everything revolves around the guest.

一切都圍繞著客人。

But Yngvar says the biggest difference between a 4- and 5-star hotel is a feeling.

但Yngvar說，四星級和五星級酒店之間最大的區別是一種感覺。

That extra feeling that says Wow, that was special because the emotional connection

那種額外的感覺是：哇，這很特別，因為情感的聯繫

is what people will remember in the long term.

是人們將長期記住的東西。

Capella Singapore is one of only three hotels in the country

新加坡卡佩拉酒店是該國僅有的三家酒店之一

to be awarded five stars by Forbes Travel Guide.

被《福布斯旅遊指南》評為五星級。

It's a quiet escape built inside 30 acres of rainforest on the island of Sentosa,

這是一個建在聖淘沙島30英畝雨林內的安靜的避風港。

off Singapore's southern coast.

在新加坡南部海岸附近。

Guests check into the hotel in a restored colonial-era house built in the 1880s,

客人入住的酒店是一棟建於19世紀80年代的殖民時代的修復房屋。

while the 112 rooms and suites and cascading trio of pools

而112間客房和套房以及層層疊疊的三層泳池

date to the hotel's opening in 2009.

迄今為止，該酒店已於2009年開業。

In London, a five-star hotel looks like this: The Langham, which was named London's

在倫敦，一家五星級酒店是這樣的。朗廷酒店，被評為倫敦的

“Best Hotel for Business Travelers” by CNBC in 2022.

2022年被CNBC評為 "最適合商務旅行者的酒店"。

Its marble columns and paneled walls lead to one-bedroom suites,

它的大理石柱和鑲板牆通向一室一廳的套房。

which come with separate lounge areas and a bottle of Champagne.

其中有獨立的休息區和一瓶香檳。

The Langham is famous for its afternoon tea, which is said to have been served

朗廷酒店以其下午茶而聞名，據說其下午茶是由

since the hotel first opened in 1865.

自1865年酒店首次開張以來。

Over in Dubai, five stars looks like the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

在迪拜，五星級酒店看起來像位於朱美拉海灘的迪拜四季度假村。

It has a beautifully decorated lobby, wide corridors, temperature-controlled pools,

它有一個裝飾精美的大廳，寬闊的走廊，溫控的游泳池。

and a luxurious spa with separate areas for men and women,

和一個豪華的水療中心，有男性和女性的獨立區域。

all which are on Dubai's 41-page five-star hotel checklist.

所有這些都在迪拜41頁的五星級酒店檢查表上。

The list also requires rooms to come with hangers that are not affixed to the rail,

該清單還要求房間要有不貼在軌道上的衣架。

and bathrobes made of at least 90% natural fibers.

和至少由90%天然纖維製成的浴袍。

And what about Dubai's Burj Al Arab, and other hotels that have been dubbed

那麼，迪拜的阿拉伯塔和其他被稱為 "中國 "的酒店呢？

quote “seven-star hotels?”

引用 "七星級酒店？"

I think it came from an inflation of people rating a mid-scale or upper mid-scale hotel

我認為這來自於人們對中等規模或中上規模酒店的評價的膨脹

a five-star hotel, while luxury and ultra-luxury hotel have same rating but being a very different experience.

一個五星級酒店，而豪華和超豪華酒店有相同的評級，但卻是一個非常不同的體驗。

So it was to create a differentiation from the masses.

所以是為了創造一個與大眾的差異化。

It's all self-proclaimed. There's no verification, there's no guidelines,

這都是自稱的。沒有核實，沒有準則。

there's no authority that gives these types of ratings or classifications at all.

根本就沒有權威機構給出這些類型的評級或分類。

To move up an entire star rating, you'd have to put a property on the moon,

要提高一整個星級，你必須把一個房產放在月球上。

you'd have to put a property underwater,

你必須把一個財產放在水下。

something that has never really been done before.

這是以前從未真正做過的事情。

There's still one more problem with the system of diamonds and stars.

鑽石和星星的系統還有一個問題。

Travelers are increasingly turning to a more modern method

旅行者正越來越多地轉向更現代的方法

to evaluate a potential hotel stay: online reviews.

來評估一個潛在的酒店住宿：在線評論。

In a global survey of more than 23,000 Tripadvisor users,

在對超過23000名Tripadvisor用戶的全球調查中。

86% said online reviews made them feel more confident to book.

86%的人說網上評論使他們更有信心預訂。

Users read an average of nine reviews before making a decision,

用戶在做出決定之前，平均閱讀9條評論。

saying recent reviews matter to them the most.

說最近的評論對他們來說最重要。

Why do travelers rely, or trust, online reviews more than the star rating systems?

為什麼旅行者更依賴或信任在線評論，而不是星級評定系統？

That's inherent in the way we live and breathe today.

這是我們今天的生活和呼吸方式所固有的。

And it is about having the interest, the inquisitee of reading about other's people's experiences.

它是關於有興趣，閱讀其他人的經驗的探究者。

People like to have verification, they like to have enforcement

人們喜歡核查，他們喜歡執行

that I'm buying the right product.

我正在購買正確的產品。

Reviews are the pot of gold behind the star rating,

評論是星級評定背後的金子。

and every online travel agency publishes both.

而每個在線旅行社都會發布這兩方面的資訊。

But online reviews can be problematic, too.

但是，網上評論也可能是有問題的。

Hotels deal with fake and misleading reviews, written by travelers, and occasionally competitors.

酒店要處理虛假和誤導性的評論，這些評論是由旅行者寫的，偶爾也有競爭對手。

There is no real vetting process.

沒有真正的審查過程。

People can write whatever they like.

人們可以寫他們喜歡的任何東西。

Most of the time, by all means, they are genuine expressions of their feeling of the stay.

大多數時候，無論如何，它們都是真實地表達了他們對住宿的感受。

So where does that leave star ratings?

那麼，這樣一來，星級評定又在哪裡呢？

If travelers can see reviews, photographs and prices with a few clicks of a mouse,

如果旅行者只需點擊幾下滑鼠就能看到評論、照片和價格。

are hotel stars still relevant in the age of the internet?

在互聯網時代，酒店明星是否仍有意義？

Yngvar says yes, if that is they are awarded by agencies that use specific standards

Yngvar說是的，如果是這樣的話，他們是由使用特定標準的機構授予的。

and professional inspectors.

和專業檢查員。

However he added online reviews matter too, as do readers' choice awards

不過他補充說，網上評論也很重要，讀者選擇獎也很重要。

from publications like Conde Nast Traveler.

來自《Conde Nast Traveler》等出版品。

There are other ways today that people determine what makes a great hotel.

今天，人們還有其他的方式來確定什麼是一個偉大的酒店。

Star ratings may remain important for an entirely new reason.

星級評定可能因一個全新的原因而仍然重要。

Surveys show travelers increasingly want hotels to be eco-friendly.

調查顯示，旅行者越來越希望酒店是生態友好的。

And right now, many hotels are relying on third-party certifications to prove they are doing this.

而現在，許多酒店正在依靠第三方認證來證明他們正在這樣做。

But to earn five stars in Dubai, a hotel must have a written sustainability policy

但要在迪拜獲得五星級，酒店必須有書面的可持續發展政策

that addresses energy efficiency, water conservation

解決能源效率、節水問題

and a preference for local, fair-trade and environmentally friendly goods.

以及對在地、公平貿易和環境友好型商品的偏愛。

Could you foresee in the future that in order to have, keep or acquire a five-star rating

你能否預見在未來，為了擁有、保持或獲得五星級的評價

with one of the big legacy star rating providers,

與一個大的傳統星級評定供應商合作。

that you would need to demonstrate sustainability and eco-friendly policies?

你需要證明可持續性和生態友好政策？

That is actually not something of the future, that is actually very current.

這實際上不是未來的東西，這實際上是非常當前的。

And it's not necessarily because a third party rater says it,

而且，這不一定是因為第三方評價者的說法。

it is because of guests require it,

這是由於客人的要求。

and the younger generation more than anybody else.

和年輕一代比任何人都更多。