In the U.S., Mobil Travel Guides and the American Automobile Association conduct regular inspections and issue annual guidebooks listing accommodations on one- to five-star or diamond scales. Those ratings reflect specific written standards regarding facilities and services.

Ratings of hotels in other countries, if they exist, come from a variety of sources, including the government, tourism groups, sometimes even the operators themselves. And while affiliation with an international brand name improves the chances that a hotel will adhere to certain standards, it's no guarantee of consistency.

In Latin America, for example, “the quality of audiovisual, facilities, equipment, and assistance is all over the map,” says Roger Titley, vice president and director of development and asset management for Latin America, Six Continent Hotels. “But for those companies that have very strict standards and specifications, room sizes and amenities will be virtually the same worldwide,” he adds.

Here, then, is a guide to help navigate some of the better-known rankings used around the world.

Europe: No Two Stars Alike

Individual countries in Europe look at accommodations differently, so it's wise to do a little digging before selecting a hotel based on four or five stars. “A star rating in Germany is totally different from the same rating in France,” says Welf Ebeling, executive vice president and COO of Leading Hotels of the World, based in New York.

In the U.K., the Automobile Association, Royal Auto Club, and English Tourism Council agreed to adopt a standardized rating system to rank its member properties. (The tourist boards in Wales and Scotland aren't cooperating.) Properties are scored on cleanliness and housekeeping; service and hospitality; guest rooms; bathrooms; food quality and service; public rooms; safety and security; and exterior and interior appearance and upkeep. Hotels are rated one to five stars. Four-star hotels have the basic creature comforts, including private baths, in addition to a strong emphasis on food and beverage and 24-hour room service. Five-star hotels are considered “amongst the best in the industry.”

Travelers to France can expect hotels to display federal government-sanctioned star ratings, ranging from one star for a simple inn to four for a deluxe hotel. The ratings formula takes into account room size, facilities, plumbing, elevators, dining options, renovations, and more. Four-star hotels are the only ones guaranteed to have adequate services and facilities for most meeting planners. But for tax reasons, some four-star hotels have elected to take a lower rating, which the government allows, so it might pay to dig a little deeper into those ratings.

The Michelin Red Guides, which rank French hotels according to such subjective qualities as their comfort and views, “are quite good,” says Tim Zagat, chairman and CEO of the Zagat Surveys, which publishes its own guides to U.S. and international hotels.

Hotels in Germany and a handful of Scandinavian countries are given one to five stars, and by law they can only promote those standings for only three years before the government requires a new inspection. As a result, “I would be careful when an Italian hotel says it has a three-star rating — but in Germany, a hotel with a three-star rating is totally safe,” says Alexandra Lorenson, assistant vice president with Business Travel International, a hotel reservations specialist headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany. She says four- or five-star properties throughout Europe are the likeliest sites for most meetings and incentive travel.

In general, meeting planners should expect less standardization throughout Europe, partly because about 70 percent of the hotels there are independently operated (in the U.S., about the same proportion are chain-affiliated), and partly because the definition of lodging is a bit broader.

“Some hotels are part of former estates that have been transformed into meeting facilities,” says Lorenson. She says some U.S.-based clients must be convinced that the stunning setting or the personalized attention will outweigh the lack of standardization at such a facility.

Lorenson also points out that certain requests that U.S. meeting planners take for granted — non-smoking rooms or king-size beds, for example — aren't customary in many European hotels. Access for guests with disabilities isn't widespread, although new construction and major renovation projects generally are required to include it. And meeting room equipment will vary in quality, although any hotel that focuses on meetings is likely to keep up with the latest technology. The best policy, she suggests, is to do homework and ask a lot of questions — before you get on site.