The star system has less to do with price than amenities, though the price usually increases with the rating. The star system 4 Star Hotel Requirements | USA Today In the United States, a five-star rating system is often used by independent organizations like AAA to rate a hotel. One star is the lowest rating, and five stars is the highest score. Although knowing the best and worst scores is helpful, knowing the meaning of hotel star ratings is much more beneficial. First of all, Europe and the U.S. use different hotel star rating systems. In Europe, hotels are generally rated on a four-star system, with four stars being the best hotel room money can buy. On the other hand, the U.S. uses a five-star system to rate hotels. And there's more to these star ratings than meets the eye.