H O W   D O   W E   R A T E ?

The Scottish Hotel Guide has a simple Recommendation Rating System based on how strongly and confidently our critic, travel writer and awards judging team can recommend a hotel or accommodation provider in Scotland.

Our decisions are constantly reviewed and are based on the latest visits we have made, plus unique cross-guide industry intelligence and consumer feedback including online / postcard reader reports and nominations / voting in The Scottish Hotel Awards. Most importantly our recommendations are not based upon one inspector visit, rather upon a range of information sources (including inspections, of course).

We decided not to use stars but (at hotel entry pages) do list the stars (standard or red / gold) given by the AA and / or VisitScotland. We also include the rating or award level other guides currently give each hotel. More information on the other guides we list is here.

A note about price and value: broadly speaking, the system looks at value and not at actual cost so it does not necessarily follow that the more expensive places do better. In fact we will show that certain types of accommodation providers can win a high level of recommendation from this guide, without charging a particularly high room rate to their guests. And it will be noted that some of the more expensive hotels are rated similarly or less highly than others that charge less.

Finally - do have your own say! Have we got it right, or wrong, in your view, if you have stayed? Please just take a moment to fill in the Guest FeedBack form at the foot of every hotel's entry page. Or drop the Editor an e-mail here. Thanks.


R E C O M M E N D A T I O N   R A T I N G   L E V E L S
as shown on the award roundels

Not Yet Reviewed > We include the hotel as it is of some local significance but we can say no more about it for now - but are working on it

Review Pending > Hotel has agreed to participate in a review / judging process and this is underway at the moment

Listed > Hotel is included for helpful information purposes; it has been visited; it may meet Recommended levels in some areas but not all

Recommended > Hotel has had full review visits and has a general recommendation from us; guest feedback is generally contented

Highly Recommended > Hotel has had full review visits and we recommend it more highly than most hotels in its category; it has generally good guest feedback

Very Highly Recommended > Hotel has had full review visits, is very good indeed in all aspects and meets a demanding criteria including consistently very good customer feedback

Highest Recommendation > Hotel has had full review visits and is nationally outstanding in a Scottish context in all aspects; guest feedback is almost always extremely positive


T H E   S C O T T I S H   H O T E L   A W A R D S
The 7th Awards Night 'hotel Oscars' is on Sunday March 28th 2010

We organise The Scottish Hotel Awards scheme, 'Scotland's hotel oscars' (The Herald), which our present team established in 2003. 'Scotland's flagship hotel awards' (First Minister Alex Salmond) work with other national hospitality organisations.

The Recommendation Rating System is interlinked fully with the national hotel awards as research, feedback, judging and opinion is included in both the rating and awards scheme.

To nominate any hotel OR individual please just use this simple Nominate, Vote & Support form.

Thank you.


 

 (c) 2009 The Scottish Hotel Awards & Guide Scheme
Contact us at Hospitality Research