Luxury travel is endlessly fascinating—sort of like window shopping.
Videos by TravelAwaits
Every year, more lux and semi-lux experiences come into orbit for the average traveler. So far in 2024, I’ve noticed things like semi-affordable semi-private airlines take off, a proliferation of private castle rentals, and brand-new, high-end glamping brands hit the market.
That being said, the bar for extravagance is continually rising.
And one of the latest iterations of luxury travel is the emergence of the seven-star hotel.
Is it real or a thing of myth? And how exactly do seven-star hotels compare to their counterparts?
Let’s dive into the mythical world of seven-star hotels, starting off with what defines these larger-than-life stays.
What differentiates seven-star hotels from five-star hotels?
Here’s the hard truth—most travel and hospitality experts don’t believe that seven-star hotels exist. That’s based on the fact that typical star allocations in the hotel world follow strict criteria.
In other words, there’s no seven-star category because the Powers That Be haven’t yet laid out the official requirements of a seven-star stay.
Also, it bears mentioning that star ratings are reviewed by different agencies across the world. A five-star stay in one place might not look the same in another.
And the criteria for hotel ratings are quantitative instead of qualitative. It’s based on the number of features—not whether or not they offer a high-quality experience.
That means that you can find four-star hotels that are wildly luxurious and endlessly re-bookable. They outperform their five-star friends even though they have one less star… which might be due to the fact that they don’t have a pool, for example.
On top of that, true luxury knows no star system. To put it bluntly, some of the best and most exclusive hospitality experiences aren’t listed online. The finer things in life are on a need-to-know basis—and the right people usually know where to find them.
So, the question is—if five-star ratings can still be subjective, then do seven-star hotels actually exist?
Do they actually exist?
Star rating systems are feature-driven, which means that, technically speaking, seven-star hotels don’t exist.
Still, I do think that some hotels offer an experience that’s a step above a standard five-star stay—and it’s only a matter of time before the entities in charge of hotel star ratings catch on.
Examples of seven-star hotels and the seven-star experience
Let’s pretend seven-star hotels officially exist. What sorts of next-level amenities do they offer?
The term first emerged as a superlative to describe the Burj Al Arab—the UAE’s iconic luxury hotel that opened back in 1999. Thanks to its more insane features—like private submarine travel and copious amounts of gold décor—it looked like the hotel was ushered in a new, gilded era in hospitality.
But with no official seven-star hotel rating, the Burj Al Arab is officially still in five-star territory.
Around 25 years after its opening, the travel world is still contending with the concept of what defines a seven-star stay.
Generally speaking, these are the elements that differentiate a seven-star stay:
- Larger rooms and greater variation in room type
- Catered and highly personalized service
- Privacy—from butlers to pools
- Fantastic views of unspoiled areas
- The highest-end products, brands, and materials on the market
And here are hotels around the world that use the term ‘seven-star’ to describe their services:
