Not everyone realizes it, but ratings are based what a hotel offers. They can have low ratings and be clean and in a safe area. They can have higher ratings and not be the cleanest and in unsafe areas. Here's the breakdown:
1-star - Basic no-frills. They are budget friendly and offer the least amount of amenities and services. Some services may be offered at an extra charge, not they don't count towards the stars because they cost more.
2-star - A slight bump up from 1-star. They have limited amenities and services, but more than 1-star.
3-star - These have a broader range of amenities. Rooms are well-equipped.
4-star - These hotels offer a wide array of high-quality amenities. They put more attention on service and details.
5-star - This is the luxury option with the most amenities and top service.
Amenities/services can include, brands for toiletries, bedding, towels, coffee machine/coffees, robes/slippers, daily newspapers, micro fridge, in-room snacks/drinks, etc... Use of technology for things such as lighting, TV/streaming, climate control, mobile-apps, built in USB outlets, strength of wifi, etc... Also, what there may be outside of the rooms, such as pools/hot tubs, gyms, restaurants, food service (room, poolside), gaming room, onsite laundry/dry cleaning service, bell-hop service, get a car/taxi service, etc... A 1-star will have almost none of these. A 5-star will have many of them. And, the other stars are everything in between.
That all said, a clean hotel/room and a safe neighborhood is more important. Perhaps if it's an extended date, the stars will matter more. But a 1-2 hour romp session, and most of the perks become somewhat meaningless for the person visiting for the romp. It matters more to the person who is actually staying there.