Daylight was disappearing in Midtown Manhattan, even though the honks and toots of cars 25 floors below my room at the Royal Sonesta Benjamin New York signaled that the night was far from over. Taking it as a cue to relax, I settled back onto my king-size bed, slid open a box of caramel corn, and from my bedside table pulled out the menu—for pillows. Was I a back sleeper? Stomach sleeper? Side sleeper? Did I want an anti-snore pillow, or perhaps one that would play a lullaby as I drifted off to sleep? I decided on a five-foot body pillow to reduce back pain. Five minutes later, a smiling bellman brought it to my door, handing it over gently as he wished me a good night’s sleep.
Unlike at the ultra-luxurious Aman New York nearby, this butler was not personal, and my pillows would not be fluffed and prepared for turndown service—that part I had to do myself. But it did have all the support of a full-service hotel, with everything from in-house dining to the aforementioned pillow menu and excellent customer service. The Benjamin was also recently given a revamp: Its lobby was refreshed to resemble a cigar box (think warm leather, dark wood, an onyx backdrop). The hotel’s 209 residential-style rooms and signature suites, replete with kitchenettes, were also reworked, and now also feature herringbone floors, angled headboards, lounge seating, and sleeper sofas. And at a starting rate of $458 per night—cheap compared to New York City’s over-the-top luxury options (a hotel nearby was $1,860 the same evening)—a hotel like the Benjamin was big bang for my buck.
While I love over-the-top hotel experiences, I’m not the only one thinking about the price tag of luxury travel these days. In the past five years, luxury hotel room rates have soared due to demand, supply chain issues, and labor costs, and value is becoming a bigger concern even among affluent travelers as prices shoot through the roof. And while on some trips I am indeed a luxury traveler who wants all the trappings of a five-star stay (I’m looking at you, Hoshinoya Kyoto), there are other trips where I want something nice—but not overwhelmingly nice. (I’m not going to be in my hotel much this visit, after all.)
The four-star hotel category is experiencing a renaissance. Per a 2018 study from Hotelchamp, which helps hotels boost their online bookings, four-star stays have the highest conversion rates, nearly double that of five-star hotels (conversion means the percentage of visitors to the website who complete a booking). But what exactly makes a four-star hotel—and when is it better than a five-star?
Contrary to popular belief, no single independent body oversees hotel rating systems; countries worldwide have their own versions, which is why a four-star hotel in Marrakech may look different than one in Munich. As Mark Ellwood wrote for Afar in 2023, “Think of them as the travel world’s answer to the Golden Globes: starry and compelling but open to abuse.” Put more simply: There are several systems shaped by different factors.
In the United States, the two most widely used rating systems are the AAA Diamonds and the Forbes Travel Guide, five-star rating systems focused on luxury properties. When the latter debuted in 1958, it was known as the Mobil Travel Guide, developed for drivers on the road. At the time, it was the first five-star hospitality rating in the United States. In April 2024, another entrant into the space, Michelin, unveiled its Key rating system, of one, two, or three Keys; online travel agents like Expedia and Booking also have their own rating systems based on reviews.
While on some trips I am a luxury traveler who wants all the trappings of a five-star stay, there are other trips where I want something nice—but not overwhelmingly nice.
In February 2024, Forbes released its 66th annual Star Awards. Out of more than 2,000 properties worldwide, 340 were awarded five stars, while 600 were given four stars—more than any other category—and 503 were “Recommended,” or three stars. To determine star levels, an official Forbes inspector visits anonymously and considers 900 criteria across service, facility, and “guest experiences,” investigating a series of questions across categories including efficiency, courtesy and manners, sense of personalized service, and staff appearance. (Facilities and service comprise nearly 75 percent of a rating.) The score obtained is then translated to a composite score. Five-star hotels must have received a rating of 90 or higher, and they deliver “outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customized level of service.” Four-star hotels have a rating of 82 or higher and are considered “exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.”
“Exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match” is all well and good in hotel speak. But what does this mean in practice? Typically, four-star hotels—known as “upper upscale” or superior hotels—have sizable rooms and include upscale bath products, high-quality bedding, bathrobes, minibars, slippers, and speedy Wi-Fi; 24-hour room service is common, as are spas and excellent on-site dining options, pools, and classes. (Put another way: A guest should ideally be able to get everything they need at a four-star hotel.) Location is usually premium, close to a city’s major attractions. Prices, of course, depend on myriad factors including market rates, room sizes, the season, and the spate of experiences.
But Chekitan Dev, a professor of management at Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration, says ratings have gotten even muddier in the past decade, citing an “amenity creep” that has begun to proliferate at all-star levels. “One starts to look like two, four starts to look like five,” Dev says. “This is further complicated by boutique hotels, typically mostly four-star, that defy the lockstep classification of the standard systems as they create their own service and amenity mix.”
As an example, Kelly Grumbach, senior vice president of Quintessentially Travel, a luxury travel agency, points to New York City’s boutique Nine Orchard as an example of what she calls “four-star deluxe.” The differentiator, she says, is in the food and beverage options, which include Corner Bar and the Swan Room, housed in a former bank-teller room; they’re buzzy, chic, and filled with locals, which helps travelers feel more like they’re part of a city. Says Grumbach, “If we recommend a four-star hotel to our five-star clients, there must be a compelling reason outside of just the favorable price point and room—like a memorable and experiential component.” Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotels, for example, has a collaboration with the photography museum Fotografiska and hosts artists in residence to produce original works displayed at museums and hotels around the world.
Jake Wurzak, CEO of Wurzak Hotel Group and the owner of Moxy St. Pete, says he’s also considering that component when determining what to offer guests. “There’s a booming demand for three- to four-star hotels that offer not just a stay, but an immersive experience, and the response has been phenomenal,” he says, citing the brand’s rooftop bar and podcast studio, designed to draw guests out of their rooms and into livelier communal areas. Brian Jaymont, Moxy Hotels’ global brand leader, agrees, saying the four-star brand, part of Marriott’s portfolio, has “challenged the status quo on traditional and transactional hotel stays.”
Says Grumbach, “Four-star hotels are not all created equal.”
Check out Afar’s list of the top four-star hotels in New York City.
