After local governments in China began prohibiting government officials from spending money at five-star hotels last year, dozens of top-rated hotels took steps to preserve their government business—by voluntarily dropping at least one star.
“I’ve been in the business for decades and I’ve never seen this before,” Chen Miaolin, chairman of the New Century Tourism Group, told the China News Agency. He was quoted in two official news releases describing star-reduction attempts by 56 hotels. The hotel industry in China is rated by the state tourism bureau and other government agencies, and five stars is the highest rating.
via China’s Five-Star Hotels Are Desperate for Lower Ratings – Businessweek.
