From a purely selfish perspective, we editors write hotel reviews because we love traveling and sharing our discoveries. One important goal of both our articles and our shorter hotel summaries online is to set realistic expectations. The world doesn’t need more fluffy travel writing that oversells a property’s virtues and glosses over its flaws. Our incognito stays give us the freedom to tell it like it is, so that you can decide if a place is really right for you or not.

Perhaps the simplest way to determine what sort of experience you can expect at a hotel is by looking at our numerical rating. The numbers aren’t based just on a soulless checklist of amenities — I once rated a gorgeous ecolodge that lacked in-room electricity at 91 — they also heavily weigh intangible qualities, such as the strength of our desire to return.

Though we’ve used these ratings for years now, we recently revised their definitions for additional clarity.

99-100:

The rare hotel where I could happily spend the rest of my life

96-98:

An exceptional hotel with true individuality and service that consistently impresses

93-95:

A distinctive, sophisticated and exceedingly comfortable hotel

90-92:

A notable and appealing hotel that may not be right for every Harper member

89 & below:

A hotel that falls short of my standards

As disappointing as it can be to stay in a property that isn’t up to snuff, discovering a 99-point hotel comes with its own problems, most notably checking out.