reaching for the stars

HOW IS THE FIFTH STAR AWARDED?

1. 1. COMMISSION - Not just one, but three commission members arrive at once on an assessment day to ensure objectivity in the assessment.
2. 2. GUEST REVIEWS - The truth in the full glare of the internet: genuine guest reviews from online portals are factored into the evaluation.
3. 3. MYSTERY GUEST - As the name suggests, an anonymous tester on a secret mission evaluates the quality of the stay and service at an undisclosed time.

FUN FACT
Three superb examples of how detailed the star requirements are:

• Washable bath mats
• Standardized bed sizes (example: min. 90 cm for single beds)
• A variety of clothes hanger types

INTERVIEW WITH MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE JDL GMBH AND MEMBER OF THE STAR COMMISSION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ANTON GUSTAV BIRNBAUM.

ABOUT ANTON GUSTAV BIRNBAUM
What is personally important to you in a 5-star hotel?

“Luggage service. There’s nothing like literally shedding all your baggage at the very start of a stay.”

Anton Gustav Birnbaum is a native Upper Austrian and a passionate expert in hospitality, strategy and project development – particularly in the high-end hotel industry. Most recently, he managed the Alpin Resort Sacher in 2021, before taking on the role as Managing Director and Board Member of the JDL in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg, in 2024. Together with two colleagues, he awarded the Burg its fifth star in early 2026.

And now the fifth star. How proud can the entire Burg family be?
Very! Gaining a fifth star in the hotel industry is no walk in the park. There is an incredible amount of work and determination behind it. After all, you have to fulfill a list of at least 610 criteria, convince a three-person commission, a mystery guest and, above all, every single one of your guests...

Stop, stop, stop – one thing at a time, please. How does the classification process actually start?
Fair enough (laughs). It starts with a business actively deciding to apply for the classification.

I see – so a hotel classification is pretty much the opposite of a Michelin star, where everything happens in secret…
Exactly. In the hotel industry, it is a very conscious entrepreneurial decision. And in the case of the Burg, it’s no great surprise. The Lucians are well known for their high standards and their forwardthinking vision. It’s only logical that reaching for the fifth star has now been a goal in the third generation.

Okay, but back to the process: what happens after registration?
If anyone is hoping for an exciting reveal, I might have to disappoint you (laughs). The process is extremely bureaucratic. On a pre-arranged day, an official commission arrives and inspects the establishment. At the heart of the assessment is a checklist with strict regulations that must be met. The hotel knows these in advance – and the classification stands or falls by them. If the beds are too small, if the front desk isn’t staffed 24/7 or if there isn’t an umbrella to be found anywhere, we unfortunately have to say at a certain point: “Dear hotel manager, you’re just not quite there yet.”

That sounds truly rigorous...
Yes, but it has to be! After all, we are talking about a European standard that the guest wants to be able to rely on. For me – and indeed for any international visitor – five stars mean I can leave my worries at the door and, especially when travelling privately, I can have a good time away from the hectic pace of everyday business.

Speaking of a good time: on the one hand, there is the checklist with criteria you can measure and count. But how is the service quality assessed?
A mystery guest will visit the hotel at some point as part of the classification process. Unlike us on the commission, they remain anonymous and experience the “normal” service. In addition, a cross-section of genuine customer reviews is taken into account – feedback left by guests on various online portals.

That doesn’t necessarily sound pleasant... especially when you consider how little goodwill some people show online...
True (laughs). But this factor also means that cheating is off the table. Nobody gets a fifth star for just doing a good job every now and then. You only get consistently excellent reviews from enamored guests if you put your heart and soul into it and take your customers’ wishes seriously.

So, would it be fair to say that, in the end, it’s the staff who tip the scales?
Absolutely! At this high level of classification, certain services or room furnishing are “hygiene factors” – essentially things the guest takes for granted and only really notices if something is wrong. Anticipating a guest’s every whim and ensuring they feel at ease and completely at home beyond their own four walls is something only the people working here can do. And in that regard, we can certainly say:  congratulations, dear Burg team. You’re doing an outstanding job!