Stars provide guide to accommodation
From a luxury hotel with all the trimmings to a modest motel or homely B&B…the stars can be your guide to the best accommodation around.
For more than 40 years the 'STAR' rating scheme has been helping business and holiday travellers with their accommodation decisions.
Owned by the RACQ and the other Australia's automobile clubs, the scheme is one of the world's oldest.
"The system has gained its reputation as an independent, consistent and trusted representation of the quality of tourist accommodation," said RACQ Travel and Touring executive manager Andrew Millward.
"So much so that in recent months Fiji has decided to adopt the scheme to rate its own accommodation."
Mr Millward said there were 11,000 star-rated properties in Australia, including hotels, motels, tourist parks, backpackers and B&Bs.
"It is very disappointing for a consumer to arrive at their accommodation and not get what they thought they were getting," he said.
"The good news for travellers is that our star ratings can only be used by properties that meet the required standards and undergo a rigorous annual independent inspection."
Mr Millward said a new Handy Guide which explained how the 'STAR' system worked was now available from RACQ branches.
"This compact and comprehensive guide spells out - in simple and useful terms - how the trusted STARs work to ensure consumers can continue to choose the best accommodation to suit their needs based on a consistent, independent assessment," he said.
"According to research of international accommodation rating schemes, the Australian STAR scheme rates as one of the top schemes globally. This result was based on its independent, rigorous reassessment process and the ongoing review of criteria in the scheme to ensure consistency and relevance.
"For a property to be awarded a STAR rating, it must be assessed by a qualified accommodation assessor, using a 1000-point check. This covers facilities, amenities and the level of maintenance and cleanliness.
"Based on their findings, the property is then awarded an official STAR rating that reflects the standard of the accommodation.
"Unlike several international schemes which often do not require re-assessment of the rating once it has been awarded, AAA Tourism ensures all properties are reassessed every 12 to 15 months, providing travellers with the assurance that the accommodation rating is a true reflection of the standards of the property."
