The Tourism Bureau announced July 1 its first-stage assessment results under a new nationwide hotel star rating system, with 19 of the 40 hotels evaluated receiving a rating of at least three stars.
These 19 hotels, including various types of lodgings such as motels, have qualified to apply for the second-stage assessments in order to seek a rating of four or five stars.
In the first stage, 11 of the hotels that were surveyed received a rating of one star, while 10 were rated as two-star lodgings. Details of the evaluation process and results are available at the bureau’s website.
The bureau said operators of the assessed establishments could apply within the next 15 days to receive labels indicating their rating for display at the hotel entrances, reception desks or other spots visible to visitors.
The second stage of the assessment under the new rating system will be carried out in August, with the results of the survey and the list of four-star and five-star hotels to be announced in September, according to the bureau.
Bureau officials stressed that the new system is aimed at curbing the practice of establishments in the hospitality industry falsely labeling themselves as six-star or seven-star hotels in advertisements.
In the future, hotels that display labels falsely claiming a star rating could be fined between NT$10,000 (US$310.5) and NT$50,000 according to the Consumer Protection Law, the bureau stated.
The bureau has commissioned the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association to conduct the two-stage assessment.
The first stage focused on evaluating the hotels’ “architectural facilities.” Scholars, designers, architects and retired hoteliers were dispatched to examine the features of each of the establishments, including the surrounding natural scenery, as well as their shop areas, elevators, parking lots, restaurants, banquet rooms, exercise facilities, guest rooms and so on.
The second stage will focus on “service quality,” with members of the assessment team making unannounced visits to the hotels to evaluate their services beginning from the time of making a room reservation. These “secret guests” will assess everything from the staff’s attitude and how they greet visitors to the speed of Internet connections.
The bureau said the evaluators will intentionally make additional requests, including changing meal orders at the last minute, asking to switch rooms, and presenting other difficult problems, to gauge the hotels’ ability to accommodate guests’ particular needs and provide exemplary services.
The assessment process has been based on the spirit of the American Automobile Association’s Diamond Ratings System for restaurants and lodgings, in order to bring it into line with international standards, the bureau explained.
It said the new rating system would provide consumers with a standardized reference in selecting lodgings suitable to their varying needs. It added that the system will also be helpful in terms of efforts to raise hotels’ hardware facilities and overall service quality.
Chen Chr-ji, an associate professor in Shih Hsin University’s Department of Tourism, said the new rating system will let hoteliers set their prices and business operations based on their establishment’s star rating. In addition, the government will be able to better guide hotel operators in coming into line with international trends, such as moving toward green energy, and attract more visitors from abroad. (SB)