LIVE hotel star ratings
Yes indeed - live is the word! The Scottish Hotel Awards & Guide scheme introduces a helpful new system of live star ratings for Scottish hotels (and other accommodation providers) for the 2012 season.
A few months ago the first guide rating plaque was presented by Scotland's tourism minister at the time, Jim Mather MSP. However, following a bit of a rethink and discussions with hotels across the country we've managed to render the helpful minister's photo somewhat out-of-date... as we've shaped a better, 4-tier live star rating scheme, a couple of design examples of which can be seen left.
Below is a summary of the live star rating levels: Standard, Good, Excellent and National Best
Live? By 'live' we mean just that: in this internet age it's no longer adequate to set star ratings to suit annual paper publications. Managers and owners come and go, key staff and chefs are on the move constantly; hotel standards go up and down. The actual type or classification of hotel may not alter greatly... but the satisfaction and performance quality delivered can vary hugely. Hotels' star ratings as online here on ScottishHotelGuide.com are what we reckon accurate right now.
How? Our pro-active, experienced research team make full overnight dinner, bed and breakfast stays (usually twice a year) plus we conduct mystery spot-check visits and interviews with management and staff. Industry intelligence comes our way all the time: vital. We spend much time getting to know key individuals behind hotels and in hotel departments. We use targeted, area-specific expertise (such as sending in a spa expert, food writer or peer group hotel manager) and all is managed by the judges of the well-established Scottish Hotel Awards, now in their 9th year.
Additionally, we take into full account all the guest feedback received via this website (see the Your opinion? form at all hotel entry pages), comment postcards provided to many hotels, and voting / nomination reports received throughout the whole year for the annual hotel awards - our sister website has since 2003 received tens of thousands of contributions.
The new, live hotel stars (rating logos are on the search results page and at all hotel entry pages) are based on type or class of accommodation and compare like with like, as far as is reasonably possible. Hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments and exclusive use properties are all eligible.
We hope that you find the new, live system helpful. We also hope that hotels - who in some cases have struggled under the constraints of a traditional star system - might find the new live stars scheme useful and a bit more dynamic. A bit more, well, 2012 perhaps.
Scottish Hotel Guide - Live Star Ratings
Ratings are live and may be varied up or down at any time: the latest award level is as on this website
White Stars > STANDARD
Hotel has had full review visits; meets recommended levels in most respects; is okay / normal / average for its type of hotel (or establishment)
Blue Stars > GOOD
Hotel has had full review visits; has a general recommendation from us; guest feedback is usually contented; is a bit above average for type
Red Stars > EXCELLENT
Hotel has had full review visits; we recommend more highly than most of its kind; it's had positive feedback; is considered a bit special for its type
Gold Stars > NATIONAL BEST
Hotel has had full review visits; is the best of its kind; guest feedback is extremely positive; is considered an exemplar of best of type in Scotland
The Scottish Hotel Awards 2012
9th Awards Night is in Glasgow in Spring
We organise The Scottish Hotel Awards, 'Scotland's hotel oscars' (-The Herald), which our present team established in 2003. "Scotland's flagship hotel awards" (-The First Minister) work with other national hospitality organisations. The live hotel stars system is interlinked fully with the hotel awards as research, feedback, judging and opinion is included in both the rating and awards scheme.
© 2003-12 The Scottish Hotel Awards & Guide Scheme
Hospitality Research Organisation