[Default] On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:33:40 +1000, Alan S
offered the following words of wisdom:

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:23:15 +1200,
wrote:

[Default] On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:03:36 +1000, Alan S
offered the following words of wisdom:

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:24:40 +1200,
wrote:

[Default] On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:11:22 +1000, Alan S
offered the following words of wisdom:

I also found the hard way that the star ratings on
http://www.check-in.com.au/ are self-rated.

Great advice that I've taken onboard. I also understand from a travel
agent that the entire star system in Australia is flawed. Apparently,
five star equates to four and so on.

I can't quite agree with that one. Depends where you're
coming from. I would put our RACV/NRMA/AAA star standards a
bit below most of the USA but a long way above most of
Europe.

I haven't seen those particular star ratings (RACV/NRMA/AAA), but what
I was told was the Australian star ratings are not equivalent to the
"Qualmark" ratings given out in New Zealand and used by the New
Zealand AA. The way it was explained was to me was that a four star
Qualmark accommodation rating is equivalent to a five star rating in
Australia.

BTW - the agent was referring to online ratings and those contained in
the glossy brochures given out by the agency. The RACV/NRMA/AAA
standards might be different and I'll check if our Automobile
Association has a reciprocal agreement with their Aussie counterparts.

http://www.qualmark.co.nz/

From my wanders around the North Island, staying in
Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier and Wellington in 2006 I
would say that Australian and NZ stars are much the same
with one exception. In Oz it is unusual to find a hotel or
motel over 2 stars without an aircon, in NZ it was unusual
to find any hotel below four stars(or sometimes with four
stars) with an aircon.

Cheers, Alan, Australia

Having just returned from a two week road trip from Northland (where
we live) to Wellington and back, I would have to agree.

The Museum Hotel in Wellington had aircon and so did two of the more
upmarket motels we stayed in along the way. But most of them didn't
and none of them had superking (or California-king) beds. NZ
accommodation still have a long way to go before it gets up to the
basic standards we found in the US.

PS - Free Wi-Fi is also something NZ motels have yet to take on in
most places. It's like moteliers are still back in the 1990's or
earlier. Quaint, but not very user friendly.

Cheers, Bob, NZ