When you are looking for the right hotel on AppleVacations.com, you will notice we use our own ratings system as a guide to the hotels we sell, in an effort to give our customers as much information as possible to make the best hotel choice. I will often get asked, “What is the difference between a 2 Apple hotel and a 6 Apple hotel? What is a “Red” Apple versus a “Golden” Apple? What does a + sign mean? How do I know which is the best hotel for my needs?”. Here’s how I respond.
When a resort is rated with more Apples, you can expect a better quality of accommodations, amenities and services. The red Apple rating is selected by our own staff of experts who are knowledgeable and can compare one resort against the standards of all the other resorts in a given destination. Therefore, a 5 Apple in Cancun may be rated against different standards than a 5 Apple in The Bahamas. When you see the + sign, that means the hotel offers slightly superior amenities than other hotels in the same category.
A “Golden” Apple has earned the added prestige of consistently ranking the highest on our customer satisfaction surveys. The Golden rating truly reflects our customers’ experiences at a given resort on a consistent basis.
Now, how can you choose the resort that is right for you, based on its Apple rating? I have friends who only care to have a bed to sleep in, a shower to use, a buffet for meals, and a great beach. For them, a 3 or 4 Apple hotel is a perfect fit. They are there for the beach, and not very concerned with the added amenities of a 4, 5 or 6 Apple property. My doctor, on the other hand, has a wife and three children who want the full experience. They are looking for a variety of restaurants to pick from, an excellent spa and perhaps a teen disco for the kids. These customers expect luxury and they understand that they are 6 Golden Apple customers.
You can learn more about Apple ratings on our website.
9 Comments | Tags: Apple Ratings, Golden Apple | More Posts From: Melissa Brown 
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We recently did one of your Guaranteed 6 apple resorts deals. Boy were we disappointed. We were placed at Dreams in Punta Cunta and at best it was a 4. We have always looked forward to staying at a Dreams but always found better deals at other resorts. One Guest summed it up… “It looks tired!” I guess we have learned another rule of traveling go where you know but that take the fun out of traveling. I suggest that you take at look at Dreams and lower it’s rating.
Dear Ms. Gilbert, I want to thank you for giving Apple Vacations your feedback. Apple Vacations takes all of our customers feedback very seriously, and are always striving to improve our services and products. I will be forwarding your comments to the proper areas within the company and to Dreams Punta Cana to make sure this gets addressed. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you should have any other questions, concerns or comments!
At your service!
Melissa Brown
Manager, Customer Care
mebrown@applevac.com
Hi! We’re thinking of going to Punta Cana and using your square deal for 6 golden apples. Which hotels are in that category?
Hi Teresa!
Our Square Deals are awesome! The easiest way to get an idea of what 6 Golden Apple Hotel you are likely to end up at is to search on Applevacations.com, go to Punta Cana, and then sort by “Hotel Rating”. Any hotel that is a 6 Golden Apple is a possibility. You will find out the day of departure where you are going, which adds to the fun!
Have a great time!
Melissa
I stayed at the RIU Yucatan in Play Del Carmen 1/24-1/24/10 and I was disappaointed, it was listed as a 4+, should be listed as a 3. the room had a mildew smell, four drawers on the dressers did not close all the way, hair dryer did not work, the showere was moldy and dark ( no place to put hair products, shower curtain ripped, towels were shagged and rough and lastly the safe was a metal box that you had to insert a key to remove a lock ( what happened to a keyless box? the food was ok, just all the same, the beach was closed due to repairs, not told of such at purchase or I would have chosen another destination. The staff said that all repairs were to be done the next day, not true. the repairs were 24 hours with the tractors making a constant beeping all night long. The pool area had so many lounge chairs that you could notmove around, as the chairs were spaced closely to eaach other. Also when I arrived I had to wait over an hour for transport to the hotel. I would say that I am disappointed and will look at othr options for my next trip.
Dear Mr. Gottsponer,
Apple Vacations is certainly disappointed to hear of the issues you experienced. We normally get very favorable reviews regarding the Riu hotels and resorts. If you would care to send your booking number, and a brief recap to: customercare@applevacations.com, we would be more than happy to contact the hotel on your behalf and ask that they look into your issues, and respond accordingly. Thank you for sharing this feedback with Apple Vacations. It is only through feedback from our valued customers such as yourself that we are able to continue to improve our services and offerings.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Melissa Brown
Bookd a Six Gold Apple Square Deal Feb 8, 2010 through Feb 15, 2010. This propoerty was more lik ea 4 Apple on its best day. During our visit not only did I get sick, but so did about another 75 guests based on the resort manager. The Dream Palms team was friendly, but being sick isn’t the way to spend a vacation.
Melissa,
I have purchased a six apple square deal for a vacation in Punta Cana. As I understand the deal, there is a chance we would be staying at one of two Dreams resorts. In reading reviews on Trip Advisor I am a bit concerned to say the least… I would like your help in understanding how we as consumers can trust Apple Vacation’s rating of a Dreams Resort when both Apple and Dreams are owned by Apple Leisure Group.
I should begin by saying that this will be my 7th vacation with Apple, and I have always been very pleased, but I have also always been very suspicious of your rating system, especially when it comes to the resorts affiliated with Apple.
Based on discussion with other travelers who have stayed at Dreams Resorts, especially the Dreams in the Dominican Republic, as well as reading numerous reviews on independent forums such as Trip Advisor, there appears to be a consensus that the accommodations at most if not all Dreams Resorts warrant a rating of 4 Apples.
How can I be assured that your ratings are free from bias when Apple has a clear financial incentive to inflate the rating of resorts owned by Apple Leisure Group, such as Dreams? In my experience, the interests of these related parties are almost certain to conflict with the interests of consumers… unless there is some sort of independent assurance. You said it yourself, “the red Apple rating is selected by our own staff of experts…” So just to make sure I understand correctly, Apple owns Dreams and assigns the rating to Dreams, and vacation pricing is affected by apple rating, but we should somehow believe that these ratings are free from bias without any sort of independent assurance? In fact, when I look for an independent assessment I find the rating to be a 4 apple, not a six golden apple…
Please help me better understand the relationship between Dreams Resorts and Apple Vacations such that I can further understand how we can trust two related parties, with interests that conflict with consumers, to give fair ratings without any sort of independent assurance. I would like to reconcile Apple’s 6 apple rating of Dreams resorts with the consumer consensus rating of 4 apples.
Kind Regards,
Nathan Koehn
Hi Nathan
Thank you for your post. You are correct in that Apple Vacations & AMResorts both fall under the Apple Leisure Group. The statement Apple owns Dreams is however an incorrect statement. Apple Vacations does not own Dreams. Apple Vacations offers vacations to Dreams Resorts & Spas. Apple Vacations also has many other relationships with hotels in Mexico, The Caribbean, Hawaii & Europe. The breadth of product we offer allows Apple Vacationers’ an array of resorts to choose from.
We have an Apple rating system which is two fold. The # of Apple’s you receive is awarded by the amenities offered at the hotel and range from 1 Apple Basic to 6 Apple Deluxe. In recent history, we implemented the plus (+) system as there were times that hotel was on the cusp of a rating… for example not quite a 6 but better than a 5 … so this better identifies those hotels. The Golden status is awarded to the hotels that have earned exceptional ratings from Apple Vacationers’ upon their return. There are times when a lower rated hotel has been awarded a Golden Apple. Just because they are smaller, and may not offer as many options, does not mean the staff and service is not amazing. We do not take our Apple rating system lightly. That is why it is two fold, to keep it as accurate as possible. We also take every complaint and request to lower an Apple rating into consideration.
For Dreams specifically, you know what the ratings are. But, they have also won many other awards outside of Apple Vacations. Here is a link to their page: http://www.dreamsresorts.com/awards.html.
On a final note. We also offer many FAM trips each year to travel agents. Agents tour these resorts, provide feedback, and see the product they are selling for themselves. We encourage every consumer to be as knowledgeable as possible and if you “Ask an Agent” this may be the best way to narrow down the hotel choice for you.