The government is not in control of ratings, resulting in multiple methods. Traditionally, the two most prominent rankers have been AAA, with its diamonds, and Mobil (now Forbes Travel Guide), with its stars. The latter is focused specifically on luxury hotels, with 1,276 rated hotels in 74 countries.

Unlike many other industries, there is no single global authority that decides hotel star ratings; instead, the system is a patchwork of national, regional, and private entities. In European countries like France or Spain, the government or national tourism boards set strict legal criteria for each star level. In the United States, private organizations like AAA (which uses Diamonds) and Forbes Travel Guide (which uses Stars) are the most prestigious arbiters, sending anonymous inspectors to evaluate hundreds of data points ranging from the quality of the linens to the speed of room service. In many other parts of the world, hotels "self-rate" based on industry standards, though this can lead to inconsistency. Furthermore, modern travelers often look to "user-generated" ratings on platforms like TripAdvisor or Google, which reflect the "crowdsourced" guest experience rather than an official checklist. In 2026, the Hotelstars Union has unified the criteria for many European nations, ensuring that a 4-star rating in Germany means roughly the same thing as one in Sweden or Greece.