Hotels in Abu Dhabi are to be classified under a new system which aims to improve standards of accommodation in the emirate, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said on Monday.Under a new system to be introduced at the end of 2008, hotels will be classified on a sliding scale of one to five stars, while hotel apartments will be rated as standard, superior or deluxe.
All hotels will be required to meet minimum standards for overall safety and security, bedrooms and bathrooms, public areas and services and amenities. They will also be scored on accommodation, infrastructure, guest services and restaurants.
A team of inspectors will begin its reviews of the emirate’s 49 hotels and 49 hotel apartment facilities within the next two months, with all accommodation set to be classified by the end of this year.
The system will bring the emirate in line with international standards, offering consistency to tour operators and visitors and providing a framework for hotel developers to include necessary facilities and services, ADTA said.
“It will also act as an incentive to hotel owners and managers to upgrade their facilities,” ADTA Director-General Mubarak Al-Muhairi said in a statement.
The system had been agreed after two years consultation with Abu Dhabi’s hospitality sector, and had been benchmarked against well-known global destinations, Al-Muhairi said.
Initial classification will be free, although operators would be expected to pay for system upgrade applications, he added.
Operators would be given feedback following initial inspections and be given a time scale on which to rectify any perceived gaps before rating. An appeals system will be introduced to settle disputes.
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