International standards in the hotel business

1.

2.

Standard is a "model to refer to " or "a
procedure the repeated use of which
allows for delivery of products or services
with same specific characteristics ".

3.

Standards in that sense are common in
and very useful to hospitality
establishments. However, what are at
stake here are formal standards
developed within the context of official
standardisation bodies. Such bodies exist
at several levels: national (e.g. AENOR,
AFNOR, BSI and DIN), European (CEN)
and international (ISO).

4.

While the use of standards remains voluntary, the
European Union has, since the mid-1980s, made an
increasing use of standards in support of its policies
and legislation. Standardisation has contributed to
the completion of the Single Market for goods in the
context of the "New Approach'": legislative measures
define minimum requirements, whose technical
specificities are detailed in European standards
developed by CEN. Until recently, standards were
mainly developed for goods.
Directive 2006/123 on services in the internal market
calls for the development of European standards for
services with the aim of, inter alia, facilitating
information to the recipient as well as the
compatibility and the quality of services.

5.

European standards in relation to services (sector-specific
or horizontal) may concern activities provided by
hospitality businesses. Although supposedly voluntary in
principle, standards become easily mandatory. Standards
can be integrated into law and also be used as a
benchmark by tribunals and courts, thus making them
binding on the industry.
For these reasons, HOTREC constantly monitors the work of
standardisation bodies at European and international
level. In particular, HOTREC is following very closely the
activities of the ISO Technical Committee (TC) 228 on
"Tourism and related services".
EU activities in the area of standardisation fall under the
responsibility of the Commission's Directorate General for
Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR).

6.

The HOTREC (Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in
Europe) is an umbrella organization for 39
associations from 24 European countries. At a
conference in Bergen in 2004, the partners
drafted a hotel classification system in order to
harmonize their national standards. In 2007
HOTREC launched the European Hospitality
Quality scheme (EHQ) which has since
accredited the existing national inspection
bodies for hotel rating.
Under the patronage of HOTREC, the hotel
associations of Austria, Czech Republic,
Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Sweden and
Switzerland created the Hotelstars Union.

7.

The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) is
one of the three recognised European
standardisation bodies. CEN develops voluntary
European standards and other deliverables
(workshop agreement, technical specification,
technical report, etc.) covering a very wide range of
sectors. CEN members are the national
standardisation bodies of EU and EEA countries.
European standards can be developed at the
request of the European Commission to support the
Single Market (technical integration) as well as other
EU policies (consumer protection, sustainability, etc.).
They can also be developed at the own-initiative of
the industry and users.

8.

European standards and other CEN
deliverables can be very relevant to the sector
if they cover services (or facilities) directly
provided by hospitality businesses. They can
also indirectly impact the sector if they deal
with horizontal aspects of service provision or
touch upon tourism-related issues. Examples of
European standards which concern the
hospitality industry include: • EN 13809:2003 /
EN ISO 18513:2003 on the terminology of hotels
and other types of accommodation • EN
15288-2:2008 on safety requirements for the
operation of swimming pools (including hotel
pools)

9.

The International Organization for
Standarization (ISO) is a non-governmental
organisation composed of national
standardisation bodies from 161 countries. It
develops voluntary international standards and
other deliverables covering a very wide range
of sectors. ISO has its Central Secretariat in
Geneva, Switzerland. ISO cooperates with CEN
(European Committee for Standardisation)
under the so-called Vienna agreement. Based
on this technical cooperation, European
standards developed by CEN can be turned
into ISO standards.

10.

A Technical Committee within ISO (TC
228) covers “Tourism and related”
services. Accommodation and catering
services are included in the scope.

11.

Hotelstar
Tourist
S
Superior
Tourist
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
-100% of the rooms with shower/WC or bath tub/WC
-Daily room cleaning
-100% of the rooms with colour-TV together with
remote control
-Table and chair
-Soap or body wash
-Reception service
-Facsimile at the reception
-Publicly available telephone for guests
-Extended breakfast
-Beverage offer in the hotel
-Deposit possibility
The Superior flag is provided when the additional
service and accommodation provisions are not
sufficient for the next Hotelstar. The bathroom facilities
are usually at the same level as for two stars hotels but
built from cheaper materials. The cost for regular
inspection by independent associations is waived as
well.

12.

Hotelstar
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
Standard
•In addition to the single star (*) hotels:Breakfast buffet
•Reading light next to the bed
•Bath essence or shower gel
•Bath towels
•Linen shelves
•Offer of sanitary products (e.g. toothbrush,
toothpaste, shaving kit)
•Credit Cards
Superior
Standard
The Superior flag is provided when the additional
service and accommodation provisions are not
sufficient for the next Hotelstar. The Standard-Superior
does usually offer the same service level as three-star
hotels but the interiors of the hotel are smaller and
cheaper so that the three stars were not to be
awarded by the inspection body. A two-star superior
does not require mystery guesting.
S

13.

Hotelstar
Comfort
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
•In addition to the standard star (**) hotels:
Reception opened 14 hours, accessible by
phone 24 hours from inside and outside, bilingual
staff (e.g. German/English)
•Three piece suite at the reception, luggage
service
•Beverage offer in the room
•Telephone in the room
•Internet access in the room or in the public area
•Heating facility in the bathroom, hair-dryer,
cleansing tissue
•Dressing mirror, place to put the
luggage/suitcase
•Sewing kit, shoe polish utensils, laundry and
ironing service
•Additional pillow and additional blanket on
demand
•Systematic complaint management system

14.

Hotelstar
S
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
Superior
Comfort
The Superior flag is provided when the additional
service and accommodation provisions are not
sufficient for the next Hotelstar. The accommodation
facilities for a superior hotel need to be on a modern
level and fully renovated which is checked regularly.
First Class
•In addition to the comfort star (***) hotels:Reception
opened 18 hours, accessible by phone 24 hours from
inside and outside
•Lobby with seats and beverage service
•Breakfast buffet or breakfast menu card via room
service
•Minibar or 24 hours beverages via room service
•Upholstered chair/couch with side table
•Bath robe and slippers on demand
•Cosmetic products (e.g. shower cap, nail file, cotton
swabs), vanity mirror, tray of a large scale in the
bathroom
•Internet access and internet terminal
•"À la carte"-restaurant

15.

Hotelstar
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
First Class
Superior
The Superior flag is provided when the first class
hotel has a proven high quality not only in the
rooms. The superior hotels provide for additional
facilities in the hotel like a sauna or a workout
room. The quality is checked regularly by mystery
guesting of an external inspection service.
Luxury
•In addition to the first class (****) hotels:Reception opened 24
hours, multilingual staff
•Doorman-service or valet parking
•Concierge, page boy
•Spacious reception hall with several seats and beverage service
•Personalized greeting for each guest with fresh flowers or a
present in the room
•Minibar and food and beverage offer via room service during
24 hours
•Personal care products in flacons
•Internet-PC in the room
•Safe in the room
•Ironing service (return within 1 hour), shoe polish service
•Turndown service in the evening
•Mystery guesting

16.

Hotelstar
S
Excerpt of the catalogue of criteria
Superior
Luxury
The Luxury star hotels need to attain
high expectations of an international
guest service. The Superior Luxury star
is only awarded with a system of
intensive guest care.

17.

Some hotels have been advertised as seven star hotels. The Burj Al
Arab hotel in Dubai was opened in 1998 with a butler for every room –
this has been the first hotel being widely described as a "seven-star"
property, but the hotel says the label originates from an unnamed British
journalist on a press trip and that they neither encourage its use nor do
they use it in their advertising. Similarly the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu
Dhabi (open since 2005) is sometimes described as seven star as well,
but the hotel uses only a five star rating.
The Galleria in Milan, Italy was opened in 2007 from an and it claims to
have a seven star certificate from SGS Italy2008.[12] However the SGS
Italy (not the official tourism agency) only has five stars in the general
hotel stars categorization, with the full title of the certificate being left
unknown, just as the renewal process is unknown. Overall, as no
traditional organization or formal body awards or recognizes any rating
over five-star deluxe,[13] such claims are meaningless and predominantly
used for advertising purposes.
Historically, luxury hotels have used the membership in The Leading
Hotels of the World to document regular inspection on an additional
level. This organization had been formed in 1928 and it reorganized in
1971 introducing a world-wide inspection service.