Travellers can sometimes be disappointed with the hotels they are staying in, not because these hotels are of substandard quality, but because they are used to different and maybe higher standards. In 2009, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) registered 1,721 complaints and information requests on accommodation services. ECC Malta handled 42 (2.4%) of these contacts.

The ECC Network felt that consumers should be better informed on what to expect when they book a particular class of hotel. It thus decided that in 2010 it would examine the ‘average’ hotel in most classifications: the 3 star hotel. The aim of this project was to devise a useful tool for consumers with which they could easily find out the minimum criteria for a 3-star hotel across the EU.

The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) is co-funded by the European Commission and the Member States, with offices in the 27 Member states as well as in Norway and Iceland. ECC’s are required to help with problems consumers may have regarding consumer activities in all European countries. The objective is to achieve a situation wherein consumers feel as confident when shopping in another EU Member State as they do when shopping in their home country.

A report on the ‘Comparison of minimum criteria for 3-star hotels in the EU’ was recently published. This report follows from a report titled ‘Classification of Hotel establishments in the EU’ which was also published by the ECC-Net in 2009. The latter explored the various systems adopted by the EU member states, Norway and Iceland. The report also emphasised the diversity of classification systems in the EU.

A quick look at the comparative table reveals that the list includes only the minimum criteria. 3-star hotels are free to offer the services and the facilities which in the table are listed as ‘No’. Thus, if a traveler has a particular need or wants a specific facility or service during his stay in a 3-star hotel, he/she should verify its availability before booking and checking-in.

Both reports, their findings and a comparative table of the minimum criteria for three star hotels in 29 countries, is available on the ECC Malta website: www.eccnetmalta.gov.mt

The main findings

Finland and Norway do not have an official classification system of hotels. Customers can access websites which make assessments of various hotels. However, these assessments are based on customers’ feedback and not on objective criteria.

In a number of EU countries national compulsory classification systems are commonly applied. In the case of Spain, Italy and Belgium there exists no national system. Every region or autonomous province regulates its own hotels.

In 10 countries, the national classification systems use a list of minimum criteria to rate a hotel.

Most countries (17), including Malta, have a system which contains a list of minimum criteria which are supplemented with optional criteria. These optional criteria are related to points. To be classified in a certain category, the hotel has to meet the minimum criteria of the list for a certain star category and has to gain a minimum number of points by choosing a number of optional criteria. This gives the hotel the opportunity to better adapt its infrastructure and services to its target clientele (business / tourists / families /certain age categories…).

It is difficult to compare classification systems which only use minimum criteria with classification systems which use minimum criteria plus points. Nevertheless, some tendencies can be observed:

· In most of the countries (18), 3-star hotels need to have a permanent reception service, or at least a temporary reception service (an employee can be called outside the normal reception hours).

· 3-star hotels in (almost) all countries provide PC access, access to the internet and a safe at the reception (or other common area like the lounge).

· In 25 countries 3-star hotels have to accept a credit or debit card.

· In most of the countries (19), the employees at the reception desk of the 3-star hotel have to speak a foreign language in addition to the national language.

· In all countries, a 3-star hotel has to provide breakfast; in 17 countries it also has to provide lunch and/or dinner.

· The largest rooms for 3-stars hotels are in Denmark (18 m²), followed by Iceland, Belgium, Luxemburg and Portugal (17 m²).

· The smallest rooms in the criteria for 3-star hotels are to be found in the United Kingdom (8.4 m²), Slovenia (12 m²), Slovakia (12.6 m²), and France (13.5 m²).

· In some countries (8), it is an obligation for 3- star hotels to provide air conditioning, a mini bar and a baby’s cot on demand.

· In 5 countries, it is still not an obligation to be able to provide non-smoking rooms (Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia). In the UK, all hotel rooms are non-smoking which is required under UK Law.

· In 10 countries, it is an obligation for 3-star hotels to be able to provide specially designed rooms for disabled persons, but often this is regulated by other national legislation not related directly to hotel classification. In some countries the access to the building and the use of its facilities must be adapted to disabled persons.

· All 3-star hotels need to have individual bathrooms and provide shower gel and/or shampoo.

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