© Leonardo

For travelers who use the Internet to plan trips, hotel ratings have become seriously suspect. All major travel Web sites offer ratings that appear to help consumers find hotels that meets their requirements. In reality these ratings are intended to help sell hotel rooms, not to provide a consumer unbiased, information that they can trust. Comparisons of Web sites' ratings reveal wild fluctuations that can only be described as confusing (at best) or misleading (at worst). For online travelers, be careful which ratings you trust!

There is, however, a proven, time-tested gold standard for hotel rating systems, and we invented it. For nearly a half-century, Forbes Travel Guide has provided travelers with the most objective, most disciplined ratings for hotels and restaurants in North America. Hospitality and travel industry professionals respect and revere the Forbes Star rating and certification system, and consumers have put their faith in it for 50 years as they determine where to stay, dine or play.

© Bellagio

Whether it's a Forbes One-Star rating or a Forbes Five-Star Award certification, each designation reflects the best in hospitality excellence. The Forbes Star ratings and certifications provide travelers with trustworthy recommendation supported by actual physical inspections. Our field staff inspects thousands of properties each year on your behalf. During each hotel or restaurant inspection, hundreds of criteria are considered. When it comes to ratings, our aim is to provide with confidence, recommendations that our customers can trust.

Today, in North America, there are approximately 50,000 hotels, of which Forbes Travel Guide recommends about 8,000. So whether you are seeking clean, reliable, roadside accommodations or a destination resort experience that will provide a lifetime of memories, you can trust our Stars to guide your way.

Here is what nationally recognized independent observers say about the online ratings confusion and the usefulness of Forbes Travel Guide's Star ratings:

"Travel websites are rife with complaints from travelers who feel they are misled about the quality of a hotel. Frequently ratings conflict to the point of being nonsense ... Forbes Travel Guide is the gold standard in the United States." ... The Wall Street Journal, January 2004 56% of all leisure travelers agree that "hotel guide ratings such as those provided by Forbes Travel Guide and AAA are important when selecting hotel accommodations."

- YPB&R/Yankelovich Partners, 2004 National Leisure Travel Monitor