Hotel Rating System

Hotels are classified according to certain standards and requirements established by customers and administrators as well for the ultimate purpose of providing excellent quality services so that endures the success of any business. Generally speaking, hotels are businesses which require resolute classifications because they provide multiple services to customers and none of them should be ignored. The terms rating and classification are broadly use as synonyms, having the same meaning and usually in the same contexts. However; for the business industry hotel rating can be described as a classification of hotels according to grade and rank. This means that classification refers to a widely concept of services mix, including all the physical facilities a hotel contains. Thus, grading is used as a general term referring to quality standards, this is the quality of those facilities ranked in the classification system. Therefore, the classification system includes different accommodations (hotels, resorts, holiday camps, etc.) distribute into categories and grades according to their services characteristics costumed by governments, industry or other private sectors. The hotel rating system has specific characteristics which have been modified throughout years. There have been approximately a hundred systems for rating and grading hotels, some of them officials and some others non-officials. Thus, some hotels followed governmental and industrial standards and requirements meanwhile others operated based on voluntary systems. A hotel rating system comprises two standards; one is the registration standard which is the minimum quality requirements for a hotel, just to be opened to customers, the other one is the quality grading that compares different hotels granting them by symbols such as stars or diamonds.

The hotel rating system applied in a country depends on different aspects; that is why systems can vary a lot. It is said some of the reasons for using a rating system rather than another are: understanding of the system by customers and hoteliers, as a marketing tool or even cultural differences (i.e. perceptions of the country). As mentioned before, rating systems are commonly represented by symbols that the organizations in charge of assessing and inspection provide to hotels to communicate to customers the grade and category in which has been denominated. If simple, customers will understand that if a hotel is checked and constantly inspected would offer a good quality service. There are several rating systems, however; the star hotel rating system is the most known and popular worldwide. This system is implemented in the US by Mobil Travel Guide, a division of the Mobil Oil Corporation. Though five-star rating is the most commonly heard six-star or seven-star are also in use. However, there are several hotels categorized as six-star, and only three hotels around the world are said to be seven-star. The characteristics and general services provided by a star hotel are as follows: -One-star: small, independent-owned, with family atmosphere; services are provided by the owner or the family members informally; limited facilities; bedrooms may not equipped with a bathroom; cleanliness, maintenance, and comfort are fairly acceptable. -Two-star: medium-sized and offer more extensive facilities; guests expect more comfortable and well-equipped accommodation compared to one-star hotel; offer wider range of straightforward services, such as food and drink. -Three-star: having great quality and a wide range of facilities; reception and other public rooms are spacious; the hotels restaurant also caters for outsiders; all bedrooms will have fully en suite bath and shower rooms; provided with comfort and equipments such as a hair dryer, direct dial telephone, toiletries in bathroom; room service is also expected.

-Four-star: degree of luxury, quality furnishings, dcor and equipments are expected; bedrooms are more spacious, well-designed, and luxuriously decorated; hotel staffs are enough to meet the consumers demands; services include porterage, 24 hour room service, laundry and dry-cleaning. -Five-star: more spacious and luxurious than lower level of hotel, which matches the best international standard; services are formal and carefully supervised; staff is with high technical skills, knowledgeable, helpful, courteous and attentive.

The six-star hotels include: Crown Macau, St. Regis Shanghai Hotel, Gold Coast in Australia, Seoul Park Hyatt in South Korea. Generally, depending on the amount of stars a hotel is provided with, customers find the relationship between prices and services. In the same way, the more stars a hotel has, the better the quality of service customers receive. The institution in charge of determining the conditions by which hotels receive one or five stars is the Worldwide Organization of Tourism. In spite of this recognized body, these days every country tends to have its own rules and requirements for determining hotel classifications. This is why one could easily be in a situation where a 3-star hotel in one country may differ in the services it offers when compared with a 3-star hotel of another country. Another rating system is represented by diamonds. Principally used by the Automobile Association (UK) or the American Automobile Association (AAA). Under the diamond system of AAA a hotel applies for evaluation and can receive up to five diamonds, depending on the quality of the services and facilities it provides. In order to be listed in the AAA system, a hotel must meet a minimum of 34 basic operating criteria that include management, public areas, guestroom security, fire

protection, housekeeping, maintenance, room dcor, room ambience, and bathroom quality. Once a hotel is approved and included in the AAA system, it is revaluated at least once a year. AAA pays close attention to comments on listed establishments that are submitted by its members. Any complaints are compiled by AAA and forwarded to the listed hotel. One more rating system is the BBB letter grades. It represents the BBB's opinion of the business and is based on BBB file information about the business. In some cases, a business' grade may be lowered if the BBB does not have sufficient information about the business. BBB assigns letter grades from A+ (highest) to F (lowest). In some cases, BBB do not grade the business (indicated by an NR, or "No Rating) for reasons that include insufficient information about a business or ongoing review/update of the business' file. BBB Business Reviews generally explain the most significant factors that raised or lowered a business' grade. Thus, grades are not a guarantee of a business' reliability or performance, and BBB recommends that consumers consider a business' grade in addition to all other available information about the business. There are some factors for the businesss rating system which determines the grading a business will receive. These factors include:
BBB The

experience with the industry in which the business operates businesss length of time in operation on required competency licensing actions against the business related to marketplace activities

Information

Government Advertising The

issues evaluated by BBB to BBB from the businesss customers that are serious in nature

number of complaints to BBB from the businesss customers

Complaints Whether

the business has responded to complaints received by BBB

 Whether

complaints have been resolved in a timely manner or the business

has demonstrated good faith effort to resolve them

Whether

the business has honored commitments to BBB to arbitrate disputes

and comply with arbitrator decisions

Whether

the business has provided BBB with background/operational

information Despite the variety of rating system, there are others less officials that some hotels uses as a strategy to attract customers. A case is the Official Hotel Guide which was actually not an official hotel rating system. It was provided through the Utell by Pegasus service by Pegasus Solutions, Inc., the same company that offered the Global Distribution Systems (GDS). This system provides hotels with a different denomination; it does not use symbols but specific words meaning specific characteristics such as: Luxury selection Properties that provide the ultimate hotel experience. For guests who demand the very highest standards, selected from the finest choice available around the world. Superior selection Hotels which offer the traveler quality rooms and facilities making their stay, whether business or leisure, relaxing and comfortable. Value selection Hotels that take pride in creating a friendly and informal atmosphere, providing excellent value for money for both business and leisure stays. Style selection Exclusive and individually designed hotels and historic properties that offer guests a unique hotel environment, each with a character all of its own.

Resort selection Ideal for those who require leisure or recreation facilities in a hotel or adjacent, as a part of their hotel experience. The selected resorts offer accommodation for all tastes and budgets, whether for business or relaxation, or fun. Apartment selection Ideal for those who require leisure or recreation facilities in a hotel or adjacent, as a part of their hotel experience. The selected resorts offer accommodation for all tastes and budgets, whether for business or relaxation, or fun. Airport selection A range of hotels conveniently positioned near the major airports of the world. Each with the key attribute of being within a 10km zone of the airport, many offer shuttle services. In Mexico the situation is not quite different there are hotels rating by stars or diamonds in scale from one to five. Many hotels are not certified but they are rated excellently because they also followed strict standards. Hotels that have five diamonds meet the highest requirement ratings like luxurious bathrooms, comfortable bed, top infrastructure, meets the highest hygiene and highest international standards. Hotels that have five stars have the same quality and meet the same requirements as those hotels that have five diamonds. The only difference is 5-star hotels have lower levels of service and details in their rooms like less luxurious bed linens or room service is not 24 hours. In conclusion, it is important to highlight that the importance of classification system in the hotel industry relies on benefits for customers and hoteliers. These rating systems can become a strategy for hotels in order to improve facilities and service quality at a given price.

Sources: Yeamdao Narangajavan. The relationship of the hotel rating system and service quality: a case study of the thailand hotels standard. Oklahoma State University, May, 2007 retrieved at 28th February, 2012 from http://gradworks.umi.com/32/59/3259602.html BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenays. Letter-Grade Ratings System Q & A. 2012. Retrieved at 28th February, 2012 from http://calgary.bbb.org/letter-graderatings-system-q-and-a/

Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. Overview of bbb grade. 2011. Retrieved at 28th February, 2012 from http://www.bbb.org/business-reviews/ratings/ World Hotel Rating. World Hotel Rating Labels. 2010. Retrieved at 26th February, 2012 from http://www.worldhotelrating.com/labels.php Greenberg, Peter from AARP November 22, 2011. Understanding Hotel Ratings: Stars, diamonds and personal opinions. Which do you trust? Retrieved at 26th February, 2012 from http://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/info-11-2011/hotelratings-greenberg.html The European Consumer Centres' Network. Classification of Hotel Establishments Within the EU. 2009. Retrieved at 26th February, 2012 from http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/docs/hotel_establishment_classification_EU_en .pdf Mexico Vacation Travels Pictures, Reviews, & Deals. Mexico Travel Tips: Hotel Rating System in Mexico. 2012. Retrieved at 26th February, 2012 from http://www.mexicovacationtravels.com/beaches/mexico-travel-tips-hotel-ratingsystem-in-mexico.html