Perception, some claim, is everything. Confronted by the comfortable familiarity of, say, a restaurant displaying a Michelin star or a luxury hotel sporting a 5-diamond AAA rating, a prospective customer assumes a certain level of trust. Along with this trust comes anticipation — and the legitimate expectation of a dazzling experience. But even if you number among the travelers who confidently assume that stars, diamonds, rosettes and first-place accolades are always a matter of quantity ensuring quality, making sense of the plethora of ratings systems in use may just leave you too exhausted to eat or sleep.

Nevertheless, when it comes to dining, consistently reliable sources include establishments that have earned Michelin stars or which boast a chef who’s been the recipient of a prestigious industry award from the James Beard Foundation or the Bocuse d’Or. Fine-dining devotees understand such prestige comes not only from the difficulty of achieving but also maintaining consistently high levels of performance. Rigorous evaluations and judging systems offer clear guideposts for diners, leading them to a fully vetted dining experience that they can feel confident will deliver the level of culinary encounter they seek. Now, for instance, that Atera in New York City has been newly anointed with two Michelin stars, and Spain’s Azurmendi has three, diners will feel an added sense of both confidence and excitement upon arrival of their amuse-bouche.

Along with their awareness of awards, astute travelers tend to develop an individual methodology for selecting restaurants and hotels, rarely depending on a single system.

“When booking travel to a new city, I follow slightly different approaches for restaurants and lodging,” offers Adam Coyne, vice president of communications at Mathematica Policy Research. “I begin both, however, with personal recommendations from people I know and trust, or find interesting choices in major travel publications or newspapers such as The New York Times. That being said, I often Google ‘best restaurants’ in a specific location, and then drill down using a combination of Yelp, Zagat and Urbanspoon.”

While Coyne acknowledges that traditional guidebooks, such as Michelin, will direct him to a certain kind of dining experience, he’s often looking for what he describes as more along the lines of hidden gem, local favorite or unique experience. That goal is often met through social review tools such as Urbanspoon or Zagat, which he says help him to better understand the “wisdom of the proverbial crowd.”

Considering the astronomical number of restaurant choices available across the planet, few travelers would demur at the prospect of a little guidance. Since information is essential to making wise decisions, ratings from respected sources can be particularly significant. But when it comes to hotel ratings, things quickly grow murky. While a multitude of ratings are available from a corresponding multitude of sources, there is no universal, standardized system to consult. A recent trend report published by leading hotel industry data tracking firm STR Global totes up 13.4 million hotels worldwide — that’s a lot to choose from, even when narrowed down to a specific category.

Though some progress has been made in the quest to establish global ratings, with the Belgium-based organization World Hotel Rating working to standardize a system, the overabundance of ranking schemes currently in existence can lead to confusion and, in some cases, disappointment.

A growing number of hotels — including the Burj Al Arab in Dubai — have gone super-nova, assigning themselves ratings of six, seven and eight stars, outside traditionally accepted industry scales.

Consumers may wonder if the next step is the assignment of entire constellations. These otherworldly ratings have no basis in an independent assessment, which is where social media and the concept of critical mass have proven to be especially valuable.

“The rise of the trends — TripAdvisor, Yelp and similar sites — have added more information to the system,” says Darren Dahl, professor of marketing at Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, “and that’s useful to the consumer. It means that they have more data points to use when making a decision and can therefore be more comfortable with that decision. While it may, to some degree, be possible to manipulate these systems, I would think it rare. If you have 8,000 people rating the same thing, not just two or three, you can assume a level of reliability. Simply put, once you have mass, you have credibility.”

Lesley Carlin, spokesperson for TripAdvisor — pioneers of the online traveler review paradigm — says the value of social media when applied to reviews is that extraneous content is filtered out. The immediate feedback from travelers translates to instant karma for properties not living up to their claims. Authenticity, says Carlin, is paramount. TripAdvisor has investigators, along with a team of academics and professionals, who constantly filter information.

“TripAdvisor is more than a website,” says Carlin. “It’s a community with a very active travel forum where you can find information that is immediate and up to date. There’s an average of 60 new contributions coming in every minute.”

If a highly rated restaurant has just lost its star chef or a hotel has suddenly decided to renovate its lobby, repave the parking lot or paint the pool, that information is quickly available to travelers as they’re making plans. Where such information may be less effective is with consumers who have formed strong attachments to a particular chef, restaurant or hotel brand. Brand loyalty can, in fact, be so powerful that even spongy fusilli bucati or underdone ostrich can be overlooked if it’s served in a favorite restaurant. At least, overlooked up to a point.

Boaz Mourad, CEO of New York-based Insight Strategy, a research firm focused on the travel industry, is also a professor of psychology at New York University who specializes in the psychology of decision-making.

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“If, for instance, a particular hotel brand has come to represent a standard in your mind, and you have one event that deviates, you might be willing to dismiss it as an anomaly and give them the benefit of your doubt,” explains Mourad. “But then they’re on probation, and if you later go to the brand’s Paris property and it’s not great either, your relationship to the brand will weaken.”

If you’ve paid top rates for a suite or for a table at a highly regarded restaurant, there’s both conscious and subconscious pressure to find an acceptable excuse for a less-than-stellar experience.

“This is cognitive dissonance, the need to justify a decision or choice,” Mourad elaborates. “People have a need to say, ‘Yes, it’s really good, because I paid a lot.’ You’ll do it to the extent that you can, but repeated disappointments will make you abandon the brand entirely. If something really unpleasant occurs that you can’t justify — an atrocious meal or unclean room that disrupts your experience — then the spell is broken, and you actually become very critical of the entire brand.”

The experts say that being extremely annoyed or being exceptionally pleased with a travel experience is exactly what motivates a consumer to take the step of voicing a written opinion on an online travel review platform.

“All of these information systems have their skeptics and detractors, and you tend to get the two ends of the spectrum,” admits Dahl. “But if you can triangulate your information — Yelp says the restaurant is a 4.5, it has a Michelin star, and Expedia says these things — then you as a consumer can say, okay this information averages out to this number, and that’s information I can believe.”

Ratings, whether in a guidebook, displayed on a door or found online, needn’t be mutually exclusive, nor should one detract from another. Michael Petrone, director, Tourism Information Development, American Automobile Association, believes consumers appear to be more confused than ever by individuals who purport to be experts. This, he says, may explain the appeal of input from other travelers, especially when that input appears to be unmotivated by any self-interest.

“The key questions,” says Petrone, “are which ratings are accurate and reliable, and what is their basis? At AAA, professional inspectors use published criteria based on our members’ perspective, along with the latest industry trends. We’ve employed full-time inspectors since 1937. Since the purpose of ratings is to help travelers make informed decisions, it is very important that rating authorities are transparent — disclosing their meaning and how they are determined. The fact is that very few systems are based on substance and expert opinion. There is also the matter of unclear rating definitions.”

The concept of guides offering recommendations is nothing new. As the 20th century began to unfold, so did a growing love affair with the automobile and the freedom to wander long and winding roads. Advancements in highway and road construction made car travel inviting, and holiday explorers were no longer limited to inns clustered around train and livery stations. Printed guides became a valuable tool in trip planning. But in today’s world of instant feedback, do they still carry the same cachet?

“Far from being outdated, traditional ratings systems should be thought of as an essential complement to user reviews,” offers Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director of Fodor’s Travel. “[At Fodor’s,] professionals evaluating hotels and restaurants visit many each year, giving them a unique and informed perspective to assess properties in comparison to one another. Reviewers often visit a property multiple times to get the most accurate picture, which is rarely the case in user-generated reviews, as travelers typically stay or eat at any given property only once during a vacation.”

What user reviews do offer, says Bowen, is a personal perspective that gives insight into how other travelers experienced a particular property at a specific moment in time.

“They are subjective by nature,” says Bowen, “and may not take into consideration all the factors an expert reviewer looks for, such as how the property compares to others in the area, or all the services and amenities offered to guests. Combined, these two ratings systems merge objective criteria with real-time personal experiences to provide an excellent overview of how properties stack up. To this end, Fodors.com displays recent TripAdvisor ratings and reviews alongside our expert hotel reviews wherever possible.”

User reviews are unlikely to entirely replace traditional guides any time soon, and the sheer volume of online reviews will continue to be off-putting to many people. In Mourad’s words, the volume can be hard to “waddle through.”

“Is there room,” Insight Strategy’s Mourad asks, “for Michelin guides and other reliable sources to help people break through the clutter and get a point of view? Yes. TripAdvisor doesn’t have a point of view; Michelin does. TripAdvisor doesn’t break through the clutter; it is the clutter. Any rating that has a point of view is helpful to people. Michelin has an agenda; TripAdvisor doesn’t. There’s room for both the wisdom of crowds and sources with a point of view.”

Reviews, opinions and brand loyalty aside, the simple truth is this: Chefs come and go, service staffs change, and even the very best hotels have the rare bad day. Ascertaining whether or not your meal will be the stuff of legends or if your hotel stay will transform your life isn’t a sure thing based solely on diamonds, stars or 5,000 reviews — but those tools can certainly point you in the right direction.

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Charting the Stars

Here’s a quick guide to familiar ratings and awards systems for restaurants.

American Automobile Association

Introduced in 1977, AAA’s guides to restaurants and hotels include diamond rankings, broken out as one diamond for basic good food and overall quality; two diamonds for themed restaurant with good menu selection; three diamonds for presence of a professional chef and staff, distinct theme and comfort; four diamonds for fine dining in first-class surroundings; and five diamonds for world-class food and dining experience. Ratings are determined by professionally trained inspectors who make unannounced visits.

Automobile Association

In 1905, the Automobile Association in Britain created a guide for members, recommending dining and lodging establishments. In 1912, a multicolor, 5-star rating system was added; and in 1955, a subjective award system of “rosettes” was introduced. Inspectors award one rosette for restaurants exhibiting quality food, ingredients and service; two rosettes for great precision in cooking and higher-quality ingredients; three rosettes for outstanding flavor, ingredients and service; four rosettes for top restaurants worthy of national recognition; and the very rare five rosettes in recognition of world-class cuisine and a “highly individual voice.” Annual awards, judged by industry experts, are given in multiple categories for hotels and restaurants, including AA Chef’s Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year and Pub of the Year.

Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition

Founded in 1987 by Chef Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or is widely recognized as the world’s most challenging culinary competition. Teams consist of a single chef and his or her commis, with a coach who is required to remain outside of the designated kitchen area. Teams are chosen from 24 countries and compete in a grueling, five-and-a-half-hour cooking competition in front of 24 chef judges and a live audience in Lyon, France.

Up to 40 points are given for quality, 20 points for presentation and 20 points for a combination of factors. Held every other year, teams qualify at various national events, including the Bocuse d’Or USA, Bocuse d’Or Asia, Bocuse d’Or Europe and the Copa Azteca Latin America. Additional wild card selections are made from around the world.

Gault Millau

This prestigious guide to restaurants (and now, hotels) uses a system of 20 points, with 20 being the highest achievement. Restaurant critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau founded it in 1965 with a focus solely on food. In recent years, the guide has been scrutinized for its close relationships with restaurants recommended within its pages.

James Beard Foundation Award

Established in 1990 and considered the highest honor for professionals working in North America, this award is given each spring in honor of the late cookbook author and teacher James Beard. Within the Restaurant and Chef category, subcategories include Rising Star Chef, Best Chef (by region), Outstanding Pastry Chef and Outstanding Chef. Judges are selected by awards committees based on expertise and may not enter their own awards category during the year they are judging — though they are free to enter other categories. Nominees are announced in early spring. Winners are selected after careful review of entries, with voting by secret ballot.

Michelin Guide Stars

The Michelin Guides — including the esteemed series of Red Guides — evolved from a travel guide published in 1900, created by brothers André and Édouard Michelin to rate restaurants in France. The Michelin system awards between one and three stars to establishments that have demonstrated high standards of food preparation, presentation, service and ambience.

One star designates “very good cuisine in its category,” two stars designate “excellent cuisine, worth a detour,” while three stars designate “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” A level of three stars is not easily acquired and remains a relatively rare accolade. Authorized, anonymous Michelin inspectors conduct regular assessments of starred restaurants throughout the year. Awards are annual, and just as stars are given, stars are frequently taken away. Additional awards include the Bib Gourmand, which recognizes “good food at moderate prices,” and Rising Stars, a separate call-out for restaurants that may eventually qualify for a full star.

In the past, controversy surrounded the inspection system, regarding whether Michelin employs as many inspectors as it claims and whether the inspections are carried out as frequently as stated.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

Choices are made by British trade publication Restaurant. Though being named to the list has very real benefits for restaurants, debate surrounds the judging system, which sometimes included chef judges also vying for a place on the list. Category awards include Best Female Chef, The One to Watch, Continental Restaurant Award and The Slow Food UK Award. Entries are compiled from The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of industry experts from 26 regions around the world. Confidential votes are cast by academy members who must have dined at the property within the prior 18 months. Judges are prohibited from voting for restaurants with which they have any personal financial interest.