So Toronto ONLY has 2, five star hotels. What happened to The Hazelton, The Ritz and The Shangri-La? Weren't they all supposed to be 5 star too? I guess it's not as easy as they expected. We only have The Four Seasons as another 5 star hotel but no 5 star restaurants or spas. We need to change that.
 
So Toronto ONLY has 2, five star hotels. What happened to The Hazelton, The Ritz and The Shangri-La? Weren't they all supposed to be 5 star too? I guess it's not as easy as they expected. We only have The Four Seasons as another 5 star hotel but no 5 star restaurants or spas. We need to change that.

That's according to Forbes. Since when are they the official arbiters of what constitutes five stars in the hospitality industry?
 
It's a process. We are changing that. I don't recall 5 star hotels in Toronto 10 years ago. So it's a big deal to have them now. Be patient, because it's our time now.
 
So Toronto ONLY has 2, five star hotels. What happened to The Hazelton, The Ritz and The Shangri-La? Weren't they all supposed to be 5 star too? I guess it's not as easy as they expected. We only have The Four Seasons as another 5 star hotel but no 5 star restaurants or spas. We need to change that.

Correction. Toronto only has two hotels with the Forbes Five Star Award. That does not mean we only have two five star hotels. According to websites like Expedia and TripAdvisor (I am not referring to their customer rankings, by the way), Toronto has 7 five-star hotels.

Trump
Four Seasons
Ritz Carlton
Hazelton
Windsor Arms
Shangri La
Thompson

Many companies rate these hotels as 5-star. They are all beautiful and will impress. There is no unified star rating system. According the AAA Diamond rating, only the Ritz and Four Seasons are five star. That is just one company's ranking system. The hotel in Dubai that is self-claimed to be a 7-star is really only a 5-star when you look online at booking websites.
 
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CAA/AAA Diamond awards are most popular when it comes to ratings in the hospitality industry. I always found their ratings pretty darn accurate too.
 
CAA/AAA Diamond awards are most popular when it comes to ratings in the hospitality industry. I always found their ratings pretty darn accurate too.

Yes, they are extremely accurate. Every hotel that they rate as a 5-star undoubtably is. However, those which are not ranked as 5-star by them can still be considered 5-star by many. The Hazelton has been considered a 5-star for years, that does not change simply because we have even nicer hotels now. The Ritz, Trump, and FS are unarguably 5-star hotels. As is the Shangri-La, among others.
 
so we can't call it "trum tower" anymore? that's no fun

True, however, the tower on the exterior still looks so bad, such as mismatched glass panes, awkward-placed ventilation panels on the east side, the crows-nest issue at the top plus the malfunctioning light, amongst other concerns, that we will always be able to make fun of this tower's exterior. (Yes, i know the interiors are nice but the exterior is so bad that it absolutely deserves to be mocked.)
 
Yes, they are extremely accurate. Every hotel that they rate as a 5-star undoubtably is. However, those which are not ranked as 5-star by them can still be considered 5-star by many. The Hazelton has been considered a 5-star for years, that does not change simply because we have even nicer hotels now. The Ritz, Trump, and FS are unarguably 5-star hotels. As is the Shangri-La, among others.

Agree with Gabe and as well as this. That being said, CAA/AAA ratings came out and both the Four Seasons and Ritz both are 5-star. A glimpse into what it takes:

The inspectors go through EVERYTHING when they rate a hotel. The guy I tailed along with for a day examined behind toilets and opened microwaves to see if spaghetti sauce had been splattered on the roof and not cleaned up. He looked at how beds were made and looked behind desks and dressers for dust bunnies. He also counted coat hangers, because a five-diamond property needs a certain number. And they can’t be wire like the ones most of us use. And they have to have at least a couple, as I recall, that have padding for delicate fabrics.
They also look at the quality of furnishings and floor tiles in the bathroom and even at how the hair dryers are stored. If they’re mounted on a wall, you’re staying in a hotel that doesn’t trust its customers and has no chance at a five-diamond rating. If they’re in the drawer, that’s better. But if they’re in a closet in a silk bag with the hotel’s name on it, that’s a home run.

Also, there is this, sorry 'trumptoronto'

There are a ton of four-star properties across Toronto and Ontario; too many to mention. But among them are the Shangri-La and the Trump Toronto, both of which I’m sure have been hoping for five-diamond status. Especially Trump. And everyone raise your hand who feels sorry for The Donald.
Yeah, I thought so.

Obviously S-L and Trump are 5 star by most peoples standards, but if there is one publication you'd want to boast about being claimed 5 star it'd be AAA, not Forbes. But I guess you'll take what you can given what a @#$ this project has been.

Full article:

http://www.thestar.com/life/travel_..._the_four_seasons_toronto_joins_the_club.html
 
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CAA/AAA use a "diamonds" rating system. Five-diamonds is tough to achieve, but they are a little more generous. The Forbes (formerly "Mobil") star-system is a little more stringent in handing out 5-star designations. The Forbes Five-Star system is the rating that hotels strive for the most and is the most respected. It's very difficult to earn a five-star rating from them. And I'm very proud of the team at Trump Toronto for all of their hard work.

With two five-star hotels being recognized in Toronto, we should simply be proud! Now having two five-star rated hotels, it tells the world elite that Toronto belongs and should be mentioned as one of top cities in the world. I love the city.

For some of you, it seems no matter what Trump Toronto accomplishes, you will always wish to trash it in any way you can. It's been going on since we launched the project 10 years ago. And yet, the building sold and it got built. The hotel opened. And now, it is rated five-star, just as we said it would be all along. I'm not ignoring some of the outstanding issues to be resolved, but simply, give credit where credit is due. Be proud of the accomplishment. And be proud of the attention that five-star ratings brings to the city.
 
In North America CAA/AAA rating is more respected than Mobil. Trump Chicago got Five Diamonds for BOTH it's hotel and restaurant. Better luck next year Trump Toronto :)
 

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