• Tourism is a growing market in India.india image by giantorre from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, since 2008 tourism has been growing so fast that soon the demand for hotel rooms is expected to outstrip supply by 100 percent. If you're traveling to India for the first time and are worried that your hotel won't measure up to your standards, rest easy. In India, the government awards hotels ratings between one and five stars. In order to achieve these ratings, hotels must pass strict yearly inspections. Just choose a rated hotel, and you'll know what to expect.
  
  

One, Two and Three Star Hotels

• In order to receive any sort of rating, even budget hotels must pass strict government inspections. One, two and three-star hotels cater primarily to local tourists and backpackers looking to stretch their rupees. Although these hotels are inexpensive, in order to earn their stars they must provide clean rooms with private bathrooms. They are required to provide you with fresh, clean linens daily. They also must have showers, hot and cold running water 24 hours per day, and Western-style toilets. You are entitled to drinking water and soap. Hotel staffers must wear uniforms and undergo biannual health inspections. Some things you are not entitled to, however, are: air conditioning, English-speaking staff, a bath mat, and luxury ammenities like a pool or laundry service or a safe. These hotels are also not required to accept credit cards.
  
  

Four Star Hotels

• Four-star hotels in India are considered luxury hotels and are patronized by domestic and foreign travelers alike. In a four-star hotel, you can expect all the same cleanliness requirements as in budget hotels, including strict rules about how the restaurant stores and prepares food. You can also expect a larger room with a minibar and hair dryer, a restaurant with 24-hour room service, valet parking, a concierge and English-speaking front staff, shoe cleaning, access to a telephone and Internet, mailing facilities and a newspaper. Four-star hotels also have shops and extensive security systems, including metal detectors and under-car scanners. Your room must also have a door with a lock and a peephole.
  
  

Five Star and Five Star Deluxe Hotels

• These are the finest hotels in India, catering exclusively to luxury travelers. These hotels may be heritage sites, which are old palaces and mansions converted to commercial use. In five-star hotels, you have the right to everything you have in four-star hotels, plus a few extras. Your room must be at least 200 square feet large, and your bathroom must be at least 45 square feet. The hotel must have a swimming pool staffed with a lifeguard, fitness facilities, conference facilities, an X-ray machine for guest's baggage for security purposes, a bookshop and a dry cleaner. All five-star hotels must have at least one 24-hour cafe, one specialty restaurant and 24-hour room service.