The Rise of the Six Star Hotel

An article which first appeared in the Wall Street Journal looks at the increased interest in luxury travel.  The amenities craze is causing some hoteliers to up the ante, hence the six-star hotel.  The term is a bit of a misnomer since the hotels are declaring themselves six star worthy rather than being awarded the title.  Even existing "five-star" chains such as the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons hotels actually only rate four stars from the Mobil Travel Guides.  Six star hotels come with personal butlers, private pools and other special features that merit the thousand of dollars a night fees they command.  A former chairman of the Ritz-Carlton hotel company, says he is set to open a six-star chain next year which will include properties in Mexico, Austria and  Ireland.  Right now, the most famous six stars are the Setai in Miami which is opening this month and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab in Dubai shown here.