In the Good Old Days (there's probably a trademark for that in the travel industry), hotel star ratings were normally worked out in a variety of ways.
Some national or regional authorities had their own inspectors visit each property to evaluate the service, cleanliness, grandeur of a place, etc.
Elsewhere, industry bodies might be charged with hiring professional reviewers to take a wider view of a town and city and work out which might be considered top-drawer in terms of facilities and style (five star) or a grubby and cramped bed and breakfast (one star).
Either way, consumers apparently knew what they getting when looking for a property - the system supposedly worked.
Then came the interweb and user reviews appeared and started skewing the so-called official star rating, often throwing up very different results from what the pros thought compared to what the great unwashed considered to be good, bad or average.
But such is the confusion and controversy over star ratings that it is obviously ripe for satire. Even some very gentle mocking speaks volumes as to what consumers think when they see online star ratings for hotels.
Anyway, it made us laugh:
NB: Thanks to XKCD for the image.