In early 2016, only 54 of 717 hotels in St. Petersburg have official star ratings, as the local authorities said in a statement. Many accommodation facilities have unofficial stars which they have awarded themselves and which, of course, cannot be trusted. So, if you see the stars over a reception desk of your hotel, it might be advisable to ask to prove athenticity and validity of the stars.
By the 1st of July, 2016 all the facilities must be rated, otherwise they will have to cease operations. As local experts point out, a lot of hotels accounting for about 20% of all the rooms available will get 2 stars (the minimum possible). Nowadays, Saint Petersburg has more than 30,000 rooms.The maximum rate is 5 stars.
About the accommodation in St. Petersburg read our post here.