Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association

Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association

Classification Application

Procedure for Granting Ratings to Hotels and Motels, Divesting Hotels and Motels of Ratings and Resolution of Disputes

–  Classification Application
–  Catalogue of criteria  (2020-2025)

I GENERAL PROVISIONS

  • Ratings are granted and taken away by the Hotels and Motels Rating Committee (hereinafter the Committee) established by the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association (EHRA). The duty of the Committee is to ensure the development of the Hotelstars Union classification in Estonia, discuss changes to be made to the classification, give interpretations regarding the development of the classification requirements, make decisions regarding granting ratings to hotels and motels and divesting hotels and motels of ratings, and resolve disputes and organise other work required for the functioning of the classification system by adhering to the requirements of the Tourism Act and other legislation regulating the area, the decisions of the Board of the EHRA and the regulations of the Hotelstars Union.
  • The members of the Committee are approved by the Board of the EHRA. The Committee has 7 members. Four members of the Committee are appointed by the EHRA and three members are appointed on the basis of a proposal of organisations representing the interests of consumers. The membership of the Committee is established by the Board of the EHRA without setting a deadline. The composition of the Committee is reviewed once a year.
  • The technical process of granting ratings to hotels and motels and divesting them of ratings, incl. the compliance of a hotel or motel with the classification requirements, is carried out by an inspector appointed by the Board of the EHRA.
  • On its website the EHRA shall publish the classification requirements, this Procedure, the list of classified hotels and motels and other relevant information.

 

II RULES OF PROCEDURE OF COMMITTEE

  • The work of the Committee is chaired by the chairman who has been approved by the Board of the EHRA on the basis of a proposal of the Committee. The chairman of the Committee is usually a representative of the EHRA. Upon the absence of the Chairman, the work of the Committee is directed by the deputy chairman of the Committee.
  • The inspector ensures the technical service of the Committee. The inspector participates in the meetings of the Committee, but without the right to vote.
  • The Committee makes its decisions in the meetings of the Committee. The Committee has a quorum if over a half of the members of the Committee attend. Decisions of the Committee are adopted by simple majority voting. A meeting is chaired and decisions are signed by the chairman of the Committee or, upon their absence, the deputy chairman of the Committee. In the event of equal division of votes the vote of the chairman of the Committee and, upon their absence, of the deputy chairman of the Committee is the casting vote.
  • The meetings of the Committee are held when and where necessary, but not less frequently than once a quarter. In the meantime decisions are adopted, when and where necessary, by electronic voting.
  • Granting a rating to a hotel or motel and divesting a hotel or motel of a rating is decided by the Committee, taking into account the proposals of the inspector. If necessary, the Committee gives explanations regarding the application of the classification requirements.
  • Changes to the classification requirements as well as to this Procedure are approved by the Board of the EHRA on the basis of a proposal of the Committee, coordinating them with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications in accordance with this Procedure.
  • The members of the Committee and the inspector may receive remuneration approved by the Board of the EHRA.

 

III ETHICS OF COMMITTEE

  • The members of the Board of the EHRA, who are also members of the Committee, may not participate in the resolution of complaints submitted against the decisions or activities of the Committee.
  • The members of the Committee have the right to make statements about the issues discussed in a meeting of the Committee, also demand that their clear and understandable dissenting opinion be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
  • A member of the Committee must ensure the confidentiality of the discussions of the items that are on the agenda of the meeting and of the opinions and positions expressed by other members of the Committee. A member of the Committee is released of the confidentiality requirement only to the extent of the dissenting opinions expressed in the minutes of the meeting.

 

IV PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING RATINGS, DIVESTING OF RATINGS AND RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

  • For the purpose of applying for a rating, an applicant submits a rating application set out in the annex (Annex 1) to this Procedure and a table on the performance of the requirements serving as the basis for granting a rating to a hotel or motel along with the additional documents required in the table.
  • The inspector reviews the rating application and makes a decision on whether to accept the application. If the application has not been formalised in accordance with the requirements, it shall be returned to the submitter along with a reference to the respective deficiency.
  • The compliance of a hotel or motel with the established classification requirements is verified by the inspector. Representatives of the county government, local authority, Rescue Board or other relevant institutions of the location of the hotel or motel and members of the Committee may participate in the inspection with the approval of the inspector if they wish or on the basis of a proposal of the applicant.
  • The inspector informs the applicant of the date of inspection of the motel or hotel.
  • The inspector submits a written reply to the applicant if the hotel or motel does not comply with the requirements of the rating that is being applied for. The inspector may clearly list the deficiencies after elimination of which the processing of the application can continue. The inspector, jointly with the applicant, sets a deadline for the elimination of the deficiencies, which must not be longer than two months. Upon elimination of deficiencies by the prescribed time, the inspector exercising follow-up inspection makes a proposal to the Committee to terminate the processing of the rating application.
  • After the elimination of the deficiencies or receiving written explanations by the applicant, the inspector submits a proposal to the Committee either for an additional discussion or granting or divesting of the rating.
  • The inspection of the compliance of a hotel or motel with the requirements of the rating applied for must be carried out within one month as of receiving a rating application that complies with the requirements. A decision on a rating application is made within two weeks as of the inspection of the compliance of the hotel or motel with the requirements of the rating applied for.
  • If the applicant disagrees with the defects identified by the inspector, the applicant shall have the right to demand that the disagreements be discussed in a meeting of the Committee. The application shall be discussed in the first meeting of the Committee following the receipt of the application.
  • The applicant has the right to participate in the review of the rating application in the meeting of the Committee. If necessary, the Committee can, at its own discretion or on the basis of a proposal of the applicant, invite representatives of other institutions to attend the resolution of the matter if their presence may benefit the objectiveness of decision-making.
  • No less than once a year the inspector carried out a follow-up inspection in the hotel or motel that received the rating. The follow-up inspection may be carried out without advance notification. If the hotel or motel does not comply with the inspection requirements, the inspector must give a list of the defects upon elimination of which the rating will be preserved. For the purpose of elimination of defects the inspector sets a deadline jointly with the hotel or motel, but in general it must not exceed one month. If the defects are not eliminated by the deadline, the inspector shall make a proposal to the Committee regarding divesting the hotel or motel of the rating.
  • A rating is granted for five years. During the period of validity of the rating the holder of the rating must inform the inspector of any and all changes in the information characterising the hotel or motel, which has been submitted in the rating application, and in the event of a change of the accommodation service provider confirm the desire to obtain the granted rating.
  • The prerequisite for the review of a rating application and for granting and holding a rating, the registration of the hotel or motel in the register of economic activities and the compliance of the accommodation enterprise with the requirements established for the accommodation enterprise and with the requirements established in the classification requirements regarding the rating.
  • The committee can make exceptions with regard to the compliance with the classification requirements only to the extent of the exceptions set out in the classification requirements. Upon granting a rating, the Committee can make exceptions with regard to the compliance with single classification requirements, provided that their fulfilment is objectively impossible and if it does not, in the unanimous opinion of the Committee, does not affect the level of service rendered by the hotel or motel of the respective rating or if the ordinary provision of a certain service has been resolved otherwise by the hotel or motel and customers have been informed thereof.
  • A certificate of the rating attributed to the applicant is issued on the basis of the Committee’s decision to grant a rating. The rating certificate is signed by the chairman of the Committee or, upon their absence, the deputy chairman of the Committee.

 

The compliance of a hotel with various ratings is marked with stars as follows:

 – five-star hotel, a luxury hotel;

Superior  – superior five-star hotel, an uppermost luxury hotel;

  – four-star hotel, a business class hotel;

  Superior  – superior four-star hotel, an uppermost business class hotel;

  – three-star hotel, a middle-class hotel;

 Superior – superior three-star hotel, an uppermost middle-class hotel;

  – two-star hotel, a standard class hotel;

  Superior – superior two-star hotel, an uppermost standard class hotel;

  –  one-star hotel, a simple hotel;

  Superior –  superior one-star hotel, an uppermost simple hotel .

 

The compliance of a motel with various ratings is marked with stars as follows:

  – three-star motel, a middle-class motel;

  Superior – superior three-star motel, an uppermost middle-class motel;

  – two-star motel, a standard class motel;

  Superior – superior two-class motel, an uppermost standard class motel;

  – one-star motel, a simple motel;

  Superior – superior one-star motel, an uppermost simple motel.

 

During the term of validity of a rating the holder of the rating has the right to use the corresponding number of stars in the insignia and name of the hotel or motel and the logo of the classification system. In the event of a one-star hotel or motel, the name “certified hotel” or “certified motel” may be used without stars. The rating certificate or a copy thereof must be kept in a visible place in the hotel or motel.

 

  • Amendments to the classification requirements must be published on the website of the EHRA mot later than three months before they enter into force. A rating obtained before amendment of the classification requirements remains in force until its expiry.
  • Within 14 days after the issue of the invoice the applicant pays the expenses relating to the processing of the rating application and management of the classification system (hereinafter the rating fee) pursuant to the price list approved by the Board of the EHRA. A rating certificate is given to the applicant after the full payment of the annual rating fee. The invoice is issued for the first time after making the decision to grant the rating and thereafter once a year in the same month as the initial invoice.
  • If a classified hotel or motel does not pay the fee or the annual rating fee in full by the due date, the inspector shall issue a written reminder concerning the unpaid invoice, giving 30 days for the settlement of the debt. If the classified hotel or motel fails to settle the debt by the time, the inspector shall make a proposal to the Committee to divest the hotel or motel of the rating.
  • A rating granted to a hotel or motel before 2 May 2011 remains in force until the final date of the rating specified in the rating certificate.

V HINDAMISE EEST VÕETAVA TASU KUJUNEMISE ALUSED 

  • Järgutasu kujuneb põhimõttel, et see kataks ära järgutaotluse menetlemisega ja järgusüsteemi haldamisega seotud kulud. EHRL järgusüsteemi haldamisest tulu ei taotle.
  • Järgutasu sõltub hotellile või motellile antud järgust ja tubade arvust.

FEES:

Applied category yearly fees are following:

  • the fixed part, depending on the category applied for, which is 25 euros per star.
  • the variable part, depending on the number of rooms in the applicant’s hotel or motel, which is 1 euro per room.

Fee includes:

  • inspection by Cassification Committee
  • rating certificate (view example here)
  • stars sticker

For extra fee Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association offers facade sign, which costs 175 EUR (view example here)

A rating certificate is given to the applicant after the full payment of the annual rating fee.

Basis: Resolution of the Management Board of EHRA dated 15 March 2011

Classification Committee:

EHRA whose tasks include development of category requirements for hotels and their amendments, deciding on the assignment and revocation of hotel categories and organisation of other The Hotel* Categorisation Committee is the committee formed by the management board of the work required for the functioning of the categorisation system proceeding from the valid requirements of the Tourism Act and other legislation that regulate said area and resolutions of the management board of the EHRA.

The members of the Hotel and Motel Categorisation Committee are:

  • Maarika Liivamägi, chairman of the committee (Estonian Hotels and Restaurant Association)
  • Anne Samlik, (Estonian Association of Travel Agents)
  • Heldur Allese (EHRL)
  • Krista Tuulik (EHRL)
  • Ain Käpp (EHRL)
  • Kristi Leinus (EHRL)