VisitEngland Announces Review of Star Rating System

Simon Wood, Exmouth Chamber of Commerce

I know of several hotels who because they franchise out the restaurant have been told by VB to remove the name Hotel - why you might ask - well it's slots us in a category, which otherwise they couldn't deal with. There are many hotels on the continent which offer similar services, and you don't see them having to change their names. I'm sure that if the assessors were made redundant the market (Internet) would help to sort out the good from the bad. Local TIC's / visitor guides would then help those who are not internet savvy to find somewhere nice to stay. Sack the lot of them! I also know a TIC which will permit advertising of "accommodation providers" who are not graded by VB
Comment made: Wednesday 11th November 2009

Robert Feal-Martinez, Carpenters Arms Motel, South Marston

"We are committed to the Common Standards, but as with all of our schemes and initiatives, we need to ensure we remain relevant and consumer-focused.There in lies the problem, there is no commonality within the 'human being'. What one person sees as brilliant, another may view as average. A poster mentioned Trip Advisor type sites, which are again subjective. My own establishment has been reviewed by 7 guests, 6 rated us a excellent, the 7th as the worse place they had ever stayed. The fact that the detail of the review bore no resemblance to our establishments makes me suggest an 'air' of caution over these sites.One thing however is clear and that is this scheme is a failure. As has been said for B&B's to be excluded from TIC's because we do not subscribe is wrong. The council would soon get uptight if we all deducted a pro rata amount from our rates based on the council spend on the TIC's.The various tourist boards need to be put into one. With just one website. There needs to be a simple advertising structure based on the number of rooms and that should be it.There could be a complaints section and the Tourist Board could then remove an establishment which continually failed the 'customer' test. Simples
Comment made: Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Anonymous

The literature promised 'helpful friendly advice' when we signed up to VB some years ago. We wanted to get things 'right' which is why we joined. After our first meeting I vowed to never meet the woman again 'nit-picking' was an understatement. The place had been totally re furbished, all paintwork sanded back to bear wood and painted and all walls washed and re emulsioned, new carpets laid and no one had stayed in the house. It was finished about a week before she came but she gave it the minimum % for cleanliness for the grade given. A year later she promised to send information on fire risk assessment, which never arrived, the next year she promised info on the access statement that too never came. After a few years we pulled out last year feeling it was just an expensive paper exercise, all summer weeks are booked long in advance of the TIC book coming out in January. We like to do things right, we supply information and photos and have not suffered from disappointed tenants. The VB and TIC web sites have never brought one enquiry as they are too difficult to access and navigate. It is good to finally find somewhere to let off steam about the expensive and poor service given and like most people writing here I have yet to have anyone mention renting due to my star rating.
Comment made: Thursday 27th August 2009

Sandra, Avenue Park Torquay

When we decide to spend money on our business we expect to get ADDED VALUE - at no point in time has anyone ever convinced me that joining one of these trumped up schemes would bring anything to our business except extortionate cost and aggravation for us.We run a very successful 8 room Guest House where guest feedback and excellent reviews has built our business up over the last 3 seasons, this is entirely without any grading by anyone other than our guests and ourselves, self assessed star rating done just to try and fit in with demands of agents etc. We are prevented from advertising with TIC's even though they are council run and we pay our rates which is totally wrong, however, we prosper from our own hard work and continuous high standards, not those of picky annual inspectors! Lets have a FREE system of guest reviews online and written for people to judge us by - Like more Trip Advisor sites etc marketed by TIC's etc to show people how to measure and choose the right place for their stay! Poor reviews will soon sort the wheat from the chaff! and raise standards all round- which is what TIC's etc hide behind with these schemes.
Comment made: Thursday 27th August 2009

Mike Evans

Article in todays' Telegraph:"A Tourism quango has spent £8,500 on a perfume designed to capture the essence of England- which includes the smell of the sea and lawnmower exhaust fumes. The scent, called By George, was designed for VE to promote the Country during the Ashes and to take those who smelt it "on a journey through an English seaside garden with salty sea air notes mingling with damp earth" as well as "subtle exhaust fumes of the lawnmower""I cant help thinking that £8500 spent on delivering bookings and improving visibility of poorly optimised web sites would have been far more worthwhile
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Anonymous

Wow - I never realised just how many other people were so unhappy with the services offered under these inspecting bodies. We've been with the AA scheme with our B&B for 5 years and every year have doubted the wisdom of being in such a scheme. The inspector's certainly do "nit-pick" the tiniest things and are constantly changing their goal posts as to what they want, depending on which inspector you get! It feels like the AA and VB have a monopoly over us small businesses, as has already been mentioned, you cannot advertise in any TIC centres without these gradings. I also noted that in the AA gradings booklet supplied to us with regard to how they assess their gradings (which is NEVER followed by the inspector!) that a B&B is described clearly as a smaller establishment, usually in a family home, accommodating 6 or less paying guests. I then received the AA free newsletter this week to learn that the AA B&B of the year has been named. When you read the blurb about this "B&B" it is operating with 20 rooms - yes you did read that right, 20! Call me picky, but that is wrong. Please sort this out. A B&B is a family home; it is welcoming and individual - if a guest wants to stay in a travelodge they can but don't force us to change our homes to suit you corporate ways. At the end of the day, if guests don't like it, they will vote with their feet - that is a free market.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Robert Feal-Martinez, Carpenters Arms Motel, Swindon

Having trawled through the comments I am glad I made my comments prior to the implementation of this scheme.I stated it would be expensive, ineffective, and harm the 'real' B&B operators, whilst benefiting the big operators.I never joined and never will. The success of my 9 bedroom motel, is down to the hard work of my wife and my staff. We are judged on our offer and with 85% repeat business, we believe we get it right for the guest not the inspector.There is just one point, how can a review involving just those left within the scheme be valid when it is clearly the scheme has failed, if those posting here are a gu
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Mike, Coswarth House

We found VB and the QinT assessor to be really helpful when we first set up our B&B 3 years ago. We wanted to go for 5 stars, booked and paid for a pre-assessment visit and received some really useful guidance about what we needed to do to achieve that grading. We've also found suggestions made during our annual grading visit to be useful in helping us to continually improve.However I'd endorse comments about guests not seeming to be interested in the grading scheme. Virtually all of our business now comes through TripAdvisor where guests have been kind enough to post favourable reviews. In 3 years I don't think I've taken more than 10 bookings that have originated from Visit Cornwall/Visit Britain. I support the general principle of a common grading scheme but I do find it increasingly difficult to justify the expenditure when our grading doesn't seem to be a decision factor for guests. If I took the grading off our website would it result in fewer bookings? On balance I don't believe it would.If Green Issues and Accessibility were included as part of the core grading scheme then I think that would be the tipping point for me. I looked at joining the GTSB but some of the criteria were just daft. For example you seem to get points to volunteering or undertaking charity work but I fail to see how that relates to the sustainability or otherwise of the establishment I own.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Christine Williams, Drifters Lodge B&B

With such a wide variety of accommodation types, not to mention ages and styles of property, it's hardly surprising that the one-standard-fits-all doesn't work well. There are also far too many poor and poorly run establishments acorss the country which continue to operate outside the system but which, nevertheless, can damage the impression visitors gain of a whole area. No amount of voluntary accreditation is going to impact on this.However, I have no problem with a sensibly costed accreditation scheme that responds to customers. Shame that the current system isn't such a one.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Roger Taylor, Granny Anne's

Couldn't agree more; I really detest the terminology Guest Accommodation which means nothing to our visitors and is just industry jargon. Ours is a Bed & Breakfast, a description that everyone understands.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Anonymous

Several establishments are clearly stating that they do not see any value in the starv rating. We agree.We own and run a lucrative 4 bed five star holiday let in the cotswolds which always cost us 0ver £200 pa for an assessment.Over the seven years of trading not one customer has indicated that they chose us because of our rating. They prefer to look at photos of the property and area and make their own minds up.We have had several prospective customers state that because we are five star they would not bring their young family because they might damage or break something of value! We no longer ask Visit Brittain/England to visit.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Lynda Sowerby, Torwood House

I have traded for 20 years. For many years I came out of the system altogether and only went back because if I didn't I wouldn't be promoted by the local tourist board. I feel that the system is very poor and that certainly in my area we all know who the inspector is and so everyone is on their best behaviour. I have stayed in a few b and bs myself and find that compared to my rating there are some higher rated than me that certainly do not provide half of what I do and others that are rated the same as me and quite frankly I was appalled that they even got a rating. You may be able to standardise where rooms are concerned but every individual inspector will have there own thoughts and slightly different interpretations of how they are implemented. Not a fair system and quite frankly costly.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Chris West, C&S Holidays

Pillowery Park, Clovelly.We are another home B&B who have left the VB /VE scheme because of the standardisation of the box ticking system. Apparently our front hall and landing are public places, [even though you need a key to get in] therefore our separate private shower rooms need to have keys to lock them from outside. Can you imagine the annoyance getting up in the night and forgetting the key?
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

john Rutland, Holly House

We have been providing B & B accommodation for 15 years and have been participating in all the different grading schemes during that time. However, customer feed back would indicate that guests take absolutely no notice of our rating when booking. They are more concerned with location and the impression they get of our property through our website and comments on Trip Advisor. After all, you can have as many stars as there are going but the most important rating is from the guests themselves. We pay a lot of money to Visit Britain for the privilage of being rated
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Anonymous

I believe grading is very important to many customers when booking my small 4 star B&B. I am annoyed that by setting 'common standards' rather than taking an individual approach it is changing what B&B's really are about: comfortable bed with good breakfast in someone's home with a warm welcome. THAT'S ALL
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Anonymous

I have not been happy with the 'service' fro the last 3 years. I do agree with the star rating that my accomodation has been awarded, but what do you get for your money? A critical inspector who 'nit picks' the tiniest thing just so they have something to put in their note book! poor!
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Karen Hancock, Karens Gallery

This system is absolutely scandalous. Unless you subscribe to it and PAY you are not allowed to advertise your accommodation in any Tourist Information Centres. This means in our area only 4 big hotels are "allowed" to promote themselves properly. Customer choice is removed when accommodation is homogenised.I firmly belive that this system is illegally infringing accommodation providers' rights to promote and advertise their businesses in a free market situation. We are very unhappy with it in the St Just area.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Anonymous

I couldn't agree more with most of the previous comments. I am beggining to wonder what benefit there is to being in the VB star rating scheme.I have only had 2 lots of guest's book through the EnjoyEngland site this year, the majority simply Google the area they wish to visit.I must admit that my particular rating assesor is actually rather good and was most helpful when i first opened my B&B.I do not feel that i get value for money from VB / VE and the next nearest B&B to me dropped out of the scheme this year stating the same.Stop forcing B&B owners to apply the letter of the law with regards to access statements and fire regulations et al and STOP standardising us.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Ivan Callanan, Berrio Mill Holiday Cottages

What about a survey of the views of those running Self Catering cottages and the overall abysmal performance of Visit Britain, Enjoy England or Visit England. The organisation is totally worthless. They made an income of £4.7 MILLION last year, on assessments and £4.1 MILLION the year before. This is what they get after GSL who do their assessments for them have taken their cut of our fees. GSL really are the experts, after all they are also responsible for security in many of the UK prisons. Where are the results of this survey? Are we going to be able to read the full results? All the tourism organisations from the top to the bottom (Visit Britain to South West Tourism down to Visit Cornwall and the TIC's) are a con trick creating nothing, but jobs for the fat cats in the tourism industry that we the accommodation providers fund because there is no other choice.
Comment made: Tuesday 25th August 2009

Nigel Warner, Treworgie Barton

As a cottage complex owner we have nothing but praise for the inspectors who have been helpful and polite, surely it is a good thing to be constantly trying to improve the standard of accommodation on offer throughout the UK. We were suprised and delighted to have gained gold awards for 2009. We would like to thank VB & VE for their assistance over the years.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

David Alexander Cartwright, The Hollies, Bath

I do agree with most of the above.The Assessors have tunnel-vision when inspecting, and seem to ignore what the customers actually think about a place. In the end, the clients are the judges of an establishment, and if it's no good they won't come back!We will be leaving Visit Britain next year but staying with the AA; at least travellers recognise the sign!
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Mike Walker, Langfield Manor.

We have been continuously graded 3* but are always told every year we should be at least 4*. We are told we cannot achieve 4* because the amount of room around our double beds does not comply with VB guidelines.As we have an Edwardian Manor House the size of the rooms cannot be changed. It has been suggested we substitute double beds for single beds by VB but obviously thisis not an option.We never have any complaints from any of our guests,50% of whom have been visiting us for over twenty years.It would be helpfull if VB were to relax these stringent rules and move into the real world.Like many other people we only are part of VB because without it the TIC's are not interested.We also are doubting the wisdom of carrying on with VB.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Clive Owen, Bulland House bed and breakfast

When will you please address the double standard, of, one the one hand promoting 'green' policies, and on the other, demanding everyone have their own bathroom, and even more inexplicable, word has it that you want wash basins in Guest Rooms.Come on guys, check for cleanliness, quality bedlinen etc., food and welcome and leave it their, that's what my customers want, and, I guess, everyone else's. Is it any wonder the confusion caused (see above)
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Maureen McAndrew, Harbour Walk Guest House Weymouth

I joined the grading scheme for one year only in 2003 and quickly realised that it was not value for money. The inspector that tick boxed us was not value for my money in that he would not give me any interesting feedback or comparisons or 'you could always do....'. Rather my Victorian House did not come up to the standard of a motel, was the impression I was left with. In the run up to 2012 we are told that accommodation standards should be raised. And yet there still seems to be this ridiculous rule that if you trade under so many rooms (every Tom Dick or Harry tells you different) you do not have to be inspected by anyone. It is no wonder that 1 or 2 bedrooms are being advertised widely over the internet with no indication that they have jumped the hoops of Health and Saftey, Food Hygiene, Fire Officers etc. And even worse in my area absolutely no interest from Environmental Health. Visitors (UK or International) should be able to be confident that basic checks have been done.I believe that everyone should be under some registered scheme whose basic starting point is safety, food hygeine etc and then further grading to cover what I believe are the add ons. (ie the ethos of the scheme way back when it all started I presume). This scheme should be mandatory where accommodation is offered for monetary gain and it should also be realistically priced. In Weymouth I do feel that I am whistling into the sea breeze!
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Anonymous

I decided 3 years ago to pull out of being graded by the AA as the cost was ridiculous - like VB, and so went with VisitWales, as we are just down the road from Wales. This has saved us over £150 per annum and we still get a star rating. I do not agree with the star rating system and Mr Berresford will have to go a very long way to convince me, and many more by the looks of it, that it is not a tick box system. Most guests look on websites and quite honestly photos say 10,000 times more than any AR inspector! Perhaps all these rating bodies realise that the public, and proprietors, are more savvie than they give credit for and know what really is good quality and just barely passable. Saying all this, the only reason for being rated is to be able to be listed on the local official tourist website, but now they are putting their costs up. What is it with tourism bodies of any sort? Fleecing those that give them jobs seems to be the order of the day now.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Norman Bliss, Lower Treave Caravan and Camping Park

We are a small ex-four star caravan and camping park. Left the scheme 2 years ago because of its inconsistency, poor marketing, lack of imagination and general disorganisation. High standards were expected of us, yet the scheme couldn't even get the basics right. No amount of tinkering with what is a basically flawed concept is going to help. Until VB and its various waif and stray organisations (QinT, EE etc) drag themselves into the 21st century, this is completely wasted and expensive effort. Welcome to the real world James! Its tough out here and you guys aren't helping.
Comment made: Friday 21st August 2009

Jeremy Brinkworth - Head of Industry Services, VisitEngland

I have read with interest all the comments made so thanks to all for contributing. VisitEngland sent out the survey (serviced accommodation only) on July 20 and to date we have had more than 1700 responses. I am sure a lot of those will be from the South West. We will be doing analysis over the next few weeks and we will be talking to consumers in the autumn so will keep you posted. One thing though - there is no intention to introduce any new symbols!
Comment made: Thursday 6th August 2009

Mike, MB Hotels

At the inception of the current system I wrote, quoting research by University's, pointing out that almost every trade and/or official body in the UK and Europe consider 'small hotels' to have no more than 30 Bedrooms. Yet VE and VB consider small to be less than 20 bedrooms. One could take this to be the ultimate endorsment that the scheme solely exists to make money.Sadly I will be unable to take part in the current review as I like many others dis-enchanted with the scheme have withdrwan from it.
Comment made: Wednesday 5th August 2009

Anonymous

I recently re-joined visit Britain. But was really disapointed when I had my inpection.We lost a star rating due to the fact that the rooms are not en-suite.The inspector did not take into account the beautiful location,view,garden that all of our guest love. I have luckily only had one bad comments from one couple that stayed in the 7 years we have been doing B&B. Apart from them my comments book is full of praise for the house,garden and most of all the warm reception that I strive to give to each and every guest. The breakfast is cooked to order using local produce, home made preserves and our own free range hens eggs. I have not put up my sign and logo as I feel to only have 2 stars gives the wrong impression of Damson Cottage. Whether I bother to join next year is really in the balance. I am getting 60% of enquiries from my own efforts on the internet. If B&B are to stay individual and special places to stay, the very things that make them different from the travel lodges should be recogainised.
Comment made: Wednesday 5th August 2009

David Willoughby, The Glen B & B.

The problems with many accreditation schemes are that they encourage uniformity the absolute antithesis of what customers require in a good Bed & Breakfast. Guests come to be comfortable, to be well fed and to feel welcome not to find themselves in yet another soulless and less than attractive "travel lodge" style room. Protect the customer by all means but don't destroy the ethos of "bed and breakfast." We have removed ourselves from the grading system partly because we were downgraded from four diamonds to three stars due to the changes in guidelines which we could do nothing about. We also felt that we were not receiving good advice or good value for money from the scheme. Strangely guests still keep coming and leaving glowing comments in our visitor book. I don't believe I have ever seen a visiting inspector even opening it to look at the comments!
Comment made: Thursday 30th July 2009

Cleo Campbell, Whistley Waters

We have run self catering lodges for 20 years. The only reason for being inspected is that enables us to advertise in Rural Dorset and local TICs. I always ask guests if they are aware of our 3 star rating and the majority say'What do you mean?'
Comment made: Thursday 30th July 2009

Anonymous

'Accessibility and environmental sustainability will also be factored in to the review.'Will you be doing away with separate awards for green tourism etc?Mr Berresford says'We recognise that we still have a job to do in educating consumers and managing expectations about the scheme." If I my say so - Consumers are still confused about crowns and Diamonds - why change some thing that no one knows what you are on about in the first place!I assume we are paying for this?
Comment made: Friday 31st July 2009

susan ferguson, elmvilla

we have had too many changes. every time the tourism boss changes, another grading scheme is announced. so think Travelodge, Premier Inn. No need of grades. Just good marketing.
Comment made: Thursday 30th July 2009

Lorraine Margaret White, Grace Gardens Guest House

We have a four star Guest House and even though we agree with the principle of the scheme, a good number of us that run small establishment's do so because we have a love of working with people and are finding that enjoyenland are coming in and making it more of a paper orientated job which is taking our focus of our guest which 9 times out of 10 simple want our time.
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Roy Sundholm, Hotel Iona

Five years down the line and finally the visit England/Britain, enjoy England/Britain or whatever the latest name is,have recognised that the common standards(as applied to Guest House, B&Bs and small hotels) is still not understood by the majority of consumers or apllied by inspectors. So are we now to expect yet another award after, Roses,Crowns and diamonds. Maybe planets this time round.
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

V R Van Nulck, Safari Bistro Hotel

There is still no different between B&B guesthouse and Hotel stars , only on paper and by worth from your people.So a big shame over your system
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Ian Gay, Trafalgar House B & B

It is our everyday experience that consumers cannot rely upon the star system when booking accommodation. TripAdvisor and Booking.Com comments left by accommodation users are shown to be more relevant and a better guide to real quality. Additionally there are still many accommodation providers displaying signs relating to previous versions of the quality assessment process (crowns, diamonds etc). This causes confusion. Only the consumer can give an objective view on such questions as ambience, friendliness, helpfullness etc. So we would like a star sytem based entirely on consumer opinions rather than the 'tick every box' approach to assessment. And finally, if this is adopted, a huge expense incurred by accommodation providers in the shape of inspections will be saved. The current system is hugely expensive and provides the consumer with very little indeed. We are here to service the consumer not to be policed by an army of bureaucrats for whom we must pay.
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Pauline, Pauline

I have been a member for 10 years - £0000 for the "privelege" not anymore tho because of the Visibritain inconsistency. You give gradings to one establishment that are not worthy yet ridicule others. Your "assessors" are not assessors, purely people who are going thru the motions. The majority of these people are failed hoteliers! I see them them as more than useless and I for one, will not rejoin until I see massive changes in training of assessors and a more, fair playing field when you grade hotels/guesthouses
Comment made: Friday 31st July 2009

Evans, Guest House

Here we go again!With 2012 on the doorstep, the entire team at VB VE et al including James Berresford should be out campaigning to all accommodation providers especially in London, to be part of the current Scheme and to make the majority of accommodation offered upto current standards. Self assesment has been allowed by VB to take a strangle hold on the industry and this threatens and undermines the entire reasoning for any formal award. VB has got its priorities wrong. - we expect more great and good stuff from our public servants - not more admin and interferrance thank you.They shoud be out there selling the current system, getting every one on board and 'educating the consumers' (Which they failed to do the last time, and the time before) rather than sitting in ivory towers thinking up more ways to confuse the befuddled.In the next update, please can we have a picture of the directors and mangement team doorstepping all the 'hotels' in paddington and the east end.Who are the 13000 who have been surveyed - anyone reading this been asked?Please provide a list in your next update.Have a nice day now!
Comment made: Friday 31st July 2009

Anonymous

The current standards are far too wide, as was highlighted by a recent episode of the Hotel Inspector on channel 5. How the hotel featured was allowed 2 stars and later upgraded to 3 stars was a disgrace and an insult to well run 3 star properties.
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Anonymous

I was very interested to read yet another proposed change to the inspection we undertake. Unfortunately the man in the street does not understand the presents ratings at all. All he understands is that the property has been inspected so cannot work out why one property is charging a vast amount more for a 5* bedroom compared to someone else at 3*! I think this is one place where their efforts should be concentrated. In the last 20 years we have had crowns, diamonds and stars is it any wonder they do not understand the way we are rated!
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Derek Tomlinson, Gascony Hotel

AS A 2 STAR HOTEL THE CONFUSION GENERATED BY THE DIFFERENT GRADES OF ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN HUGE I HAVE NOW PRINTED A LEAFLET TO EXPLAIN TO GUESTS WHY X OR Y ESTABLISHMENT HAS FOUR STARS (GUEST ACCOMMODATION) AND WE HAVE ONLY TWO.ALSO TOO MANY ESTABLISHMENTS ARE ADVERTISING THEMSELVES UNDER GROUP AND LEAD NAME ADVERTS AS HOTELS THIS IS COMPLETELY MISLEADING
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009

Anonymous

I am really pleased to read that the terminology may be changed as we are graded as guest accommodation, which the majority of guests have never heard of. Nobody searching for accommodation on the internet would put in guest accommodation.
Comment made: Wednesday 29th July 2009