All local hotels, resorts to follow new star rating system in aid of tourism

MANILA, Philippines—New star ratings for around 700 hotels and resorts across the country will soon be released by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in a bid to make the local tourism industry globally competitive.

“We are adopting the star rating system which is internationally acceptable and globally used. Tourists can easily understand star ratings,” Maria Rica Bueno, director of the DOT’s Office Tourism Standards and Regulations, said in an interview.

The new star rating system for hotels and resorts will replace the old classification system, which the DOT has been using since the 1990s. Under the previous system, accommodation providers were rated as Economy, Standard, First-Class and Deluxe for hotels and A, AA and AAA for resorts.

Bueno said the old rating system had confused many travelers, prompting them to shift to the “language more understood in the travel trade.”

She described the new system in rating hotels and resorts as more stringent.

Bueno said 693 hotels and resorts in the country underwent assessment by a team of 10 international assessors from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia and a pool of local third-party auditors.

The inspection of hotels and resorts, which began in December 2013, was completed in the middle of this year.

By the first week of December, the DOT will come up with advertisements on the new rating system for the hotels and resorts, she said.

Before the release of the results, the management of the hotels will be notified first in case there will be appeals for reconsideration of the new ratings, she said.

The assessments, to be held every two years, will be part of the enterprises’ requirements in the renewal of their accreditation with the DOT.

With the new system, accommodation providers will be graded through a point system, with 1,000 points as the maximum number that may be achieved.

Those getting 251 to 400 points will receive a one-star rating. These enterprises commonly appeal to budget travelers and offer a limited range of facilities and services.

A two-star rating will be awarded to enterprises that achieve 401 to 550 points, appealing to tourists seeking more than the basics, offering expanded facilities and a higher level of comfort.

To be awarded three-star and four-star ratings, enterprises must achieve 551 to 700 points and 701 to 850 points, respectively, as they offer a higher degree of hospitality and service.

The highest rating, five stars, will be accorded to a hotel, resort or apartment hotel that will achieve 851 to 1,000 points. Five-star accommodation is characterized by its world-class facilities and meticulous service exceeding a guest’s expectations.

Bueno said the new ratings will help boost the marketing strategies of the DOT in promoting the Philippines as one of the best destinations as it aspires to reach its target of 10 million tourist arrivals every year beginning in 2016.

“We are raising the bar of competitiveness in the industry according to global standards,” Bueno said.

She said that more than the check-list type of assessing services, the DOT and the auditors will look more closely into the quality of services and facilities offered by these establishments.

The new star rating for accommodation providers is part of the pilot project of the DOT called Philippines Improving Competitiveness in Tourism or PICTourism, to further enrich the competitiveness of the country’s tourism industry and provide opportunities for employment, Bueno said.

A $7.1-million grant has been coursed through the Asian Development Bank by the government of Canada as technical assistance for the project, she said.

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