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Star ratings explained
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Confused about the new star ratings? Enjoy England have explained it all for us, we hope you find this useful.
The following descriptions of what to expect apply to all types of accommodation. Use them as a general guide to what you can expect.
1 star: Simple, practical, no frills.
2 star: Well presented and well run.
3 star: Good level of quality and comfort.
4 star: Excellent standard throughout.
5 star: Exceptional with a degree of luxury.
HOTELS 1-5 STARS
Includes the categories Hotel, Country House Hotel, Small Hotel, Town House Hotel, Metro Hotel.
1 star: All rooms ensuite or private.
2 star: Dinner usually available every evening.
3 star: All rooms ensuite. Room service also available.
4 star: 24-hour room service and 50% of rooms have a bath and a shower.
5 star: A number of permanent suites and enhanced services eg concierge, full afternoon tea.
Hotels differ in style. To help you make your choice the new rating scheme includes these categories:
Hotels are likely to have more than 20 rooms.
Small Hotels have more than 6 rooms and a maximum of 20
and are likely to to more personally run.
Country House Hotels have ample grounds or gardens,
in a rural or semi-rural location, with emphasis on peace and
quiet.
Town House Hotels are in city/town centre locations offering high quality with a distinctive style. High ratio of
staff to guests.
Metro Hotels are found in city/town centres, offering full hotel services, but no dinner. They will be within easy
walking distance of a range of places to eat.
Budget Hotels are always part of a large 'branded' hotel group offering clean and comfortable en-suite facilities,
24-hour reservations and a consistent level of facilities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hotels have to provide certain additional facilities and services at the higher star levels. These include:
★ Dinner served five nights a week
★★ Dinner available every night of the week
★★★ All bedrooms en-suite (i.e. no private bathrooms), Room service available, Permanently staffed reception
★★★★ 24-hour room service and 50% of all en-suites with bath AND shower
★★★★★ Some permanent luxury suites, Enhanced services such as concierge.
Of course, many lower star-rated hotels may offer some of the above, but do not meet all of the expectations for the higher star ratings. Sometimes a hotel has exceptional bedrooms and bathrooms and offers its guests a very special welcome, but cannot achieve a higher star rating because, for example, it does not offer dinner every evening (two star), room service (three star) or does not have the minimum number of bathrooms with bath and shower (four star). Quality that exceeds the star rating may be recognised by a Gold or Silver Award.
GUEST ACCOMMODATION 1-5 STARS
Includes the categories Guest Accommodation, Bed & Breakfast, Guest House, Farmhouse, Inn, Restaurant with Rooms (no star rating).
1 star: Simple, practical, no frills.
2 star: Well presented and well run.
3 star: All rooms will have a washbasin.
4 star: A minimum of 50% of the rooms will be ensuite or have a private bathroom.
5 star: The highest standards of quality and service with a feeling of luxury. All rooms will be ensuite or have a private bathroom.
In England we assess almost 10,000 guest accommodation establishments every year. You will find accommodation in the following categories.
Guest Accommodation encompasses anything from oneroom bed and breakfasts to the larger places found in our coastal resorts, which may offer dinner and may be licensed.
Bed and Breakfasts accommodate no more than six people. It's like staying as a special guest in someone's home.
Farm Houses also offer bed and breakfast and sometimes dinner, always on a farm.
Guest Houses tend to have more than three rooms and may offer dinner to their guests. Some may be licensed.
Restaurants with rooms are just that. The restaurant is the main business and they will be licensed.
Inns are pubs with rooms which serve food in the evenings, as well as breakfast.
The style of operation will vary across these categories, but there are some common features:
* Personally run by the owners or managers
* Possibly less public areas than you may expect in a hotel, and the establishment may or may not have a guest lounge
* Sometimes access to the accommodation may be restricted during the day, but you will be advised
GUEST ACCOMMODATION:
Guest accommodation owners have to provide certain additional facilities and services at the higher star levels.
These include:
★★★ Bathroom/shower rooms for the sole use of guests If bedroom not en-suite, then wash basin in bedroom
★★★★ At least 50% of bedrooms en-suite or private bathroom
★★★★★ All bedrooms en-suite or private bathroom
Of course, you will find accommodation with 100% en-suite bathrooms at all the star ratings, so refer to the descriptions on enjoyEngland.com/quality to help you make your choice.
Sometimes a bed and breakfast or guest house has exceptional bedrooms and bathrooms and offers guests a very special welcome, but cannot achieve a higher star rating because, for example, they do not have any en-suite bedrooms, nor can they easily put wash basins in the bedrooms (three star). This is sometimes the case with historic properties. They might not have the minimum 50% of bathrooms with bath and shower (four star). Quality that exceeds the star rating may be recognised by a Gold or Silver Award.
Our ratings made easy:
★ Simple, practical, no frills
★★ Well presented and well run
★★★ Good level of quality and comfort
★★★★ Excellent standard throughout
★★★★★ Exceptional with a degree of luxury
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