At Experience Travel Group, we take hotels seriously.
Much more than just a bed for the night, we believe that hotels can really enhance your entire experience.
Our Rating System
Stars just don’t do it for us, unless they are in the sky of course. We accept that the star system has been a useful way to differentiate between hotel levels, but there are just too many unknowns nowadays. To get around this, we have our own approach to rating, which you’ll see on your itinerary and across the hotels on our website.
We don’t pick hotels based on price or how ‘Instagrammable’ they are. Sometimes we’ll recommend a higher category room at a lower hotel because that’s the best way to get value. At the end of the day, it’s our job to work this kind of stuff out, for you.
We visit almost all the hotels in our portfolio and this guiding system is designed to provide a semi-objective judgement to help you decide whether the accommodation suggested is the right choice for you. Do ask us any questions along the way, as we know some people are into hotels, and some aren’t! But we really get how important the right hotel can be to making sure your holiday is a success.
ULTIMATE
There are very few hotels we’d describe as ‘Ultimate’. Hotels in this category have absolutely everything you need, but more importantly, they are truly next level: one-of-a-kind places, fully integrated into their environment, with a strong personality and a compelling narrative. Words often don’t do them justice.
Think independent hotels you may not have heard of, like Joali or Song Saa, alongside top-of-the-market brands like Aman Resorts.
LUXURY
These properties will wow most people. They are probably the hotel to stay at within their location, often well known in the travel industry and beyond. Some international chains, like Four Seasons, can fit here, but only after careful consideration; a 500-room hotel isn’t really our thing, and we suspect it isn’t yours either.
Service will exceed your expectations as a matter of course, even the lowest room categories will be very comfortable, and there’s often a standout restaurant or bar that draws non-residents too.
DELUXE
This is our first firmly ‘upmarket category’. It might be a beautiful small boutique hotel with limited facilities, or a five-star resort with all the trimmings… what they share is a well-run operation, more-than-comfortable rooms, a strong service ethos and excellent food.
This is the category that challenges the star system most. Traditionally it might be called three, four or five stars, based on seemingly arbitrary criteria (like the good old Corby trouser press!). We might rate a hotel as ‘Deluxe’ because of its extraordinary location and setting, even if the rooms are a little quirky. You might also find an international chain like a Sofitel or Anantara here, when it has something genuinely special to offer.
SUPERIOR
For most travellers, you’ll be very happy here, which would traditionally sit somewhere between a decent three and four stars. You might find an owner obsessed with great food, yet the rooms are fairly simple. Or a property with an incredible location that decided not to build a pool. We’d always expect a little extra (character, a memorable guest experience, or something worth writing home about) to balance out anything that could be perceived as ‘lacking’.
The word ’boutique’ tends to crop up a lot at this level. Because Asia is, well, Asia, you’ll find an extraordinary range of ‘Superior’ properties across our destinations, particularly in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and India. Hard to find, often hidden gems, these hotels are central to the ETG ethos and not to be underestimated.
COMFORT
Without wanting to sound like a low-cost airline, these properties take a broadly no-frills approach to hospitality. They might be the best option in a remote location and, while some have real character, others simply do what they say on the tin: a clean, comfortable, good-value base for the night.
They work well slotted into a trip to keep costs down, or for travellers who’d rather spend their budget elsewhere. We’d think carefully before recommending a longer stay at this level (a beach holiday, say) because small things that are easy to overlook for a night can feel more noticeable over time. That said, there are genuine diamonds in this category!
ECO / ADVENTURE
This category covers jungle lodges, comfortable safari camps and simple beach cabanas. These places resist conventional categorisation, tend to be genuinely unique, and are up to personal preference: what feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience to one person may feel too far out of your comfort zone to another.
Many are very comfortable and the service is generally great, but please read our reviews carefully and talk to us before booking, so you know exactly what you’re letting yourself in for!
BASIC
‘Basic’ covers places with very rudimentary facilities, simple in the most straightforward sense. There may not be a hand towel; the shower is likely a wet room with a basic electric water heater. We use these properties when they’re part of the experience or when they’re the only option in that location.
They can occasionally push people further outside their comfort zone than expected, even for a single night, so it’s worth thinking honestly about whether that will add to your trip or not. Equally if you’ve ever backpacked, this can take you right back to those happy care-free days and remind you how to appreciate a simpler way of life.
HOMESTAY
We generally use two types of homestay. The first is a large family-owned house, still lived in (most commonly in India), where interaction with guests is actively encouraged and, in practice, unavoidable! These places have bags of character, are usually enormously charming, and offer a genuine shortcut into local life. Facilities range from comfortable to fairly basic, meals are generally communal and served in the local style rather than from a menu, and the service tends to be warm, quirky and idiosyncratic.
The second type is more of a village homestay (like those in Nepal, or a traditional longhouse in Borneo), where facilities are basic in the truest sense: a mattress on the floor, shared bathrooms, a communal dinner. These are chosen because the experience is the point. They’re often great fun and a real way to elevate your holiday for a night or two, taking it somewhere most trips simply don’t reach.
