Quality of Facilities
Visit England Star Ratings
VisitEngland operates a common standard with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for assessment of self-catering properties. Taking the decision to be assessed annually against national accommodation standards reassures guests that you are committed to quality.
There is an annual assessment visit with a verbal debrief and a written report. Each aspect of the property is graded to 5 levels. The aim is to add quality without taking away individual character. A separate score is given for
- Living and Kitchen area
- Bedrooms and Bathrooms
- Welcome and Hospitality
- Cleanliness
These are combined to give an overall rating.
For a better understanding of how the scheme works visit The Self Catering section on the Quality in Tourism website here, which includes a fee calculator and details of how to apply. The cost consists of a joining fee £120 and an annual participation fee related to number of units.
A starting point could be to download the Quality Standards document from the Quality in Tourism website. This is a very comprehensive document describing how the accommodation is assessed but with plenty of useful tips. It also offers advice on working towards sustainability and accessibility.
National Accessible Scheme
One in four of the UK population has a long standing health problem or disability. Many of these people and their families struggle to find places to stay. The National Accessible Scheme helps accommodation operators to improve and promote the accessibility of their visitor accommodation. Click here to learn more
TripAdvisor and other sites
In recent years, the popularity of review sites has led some operators to question the need for formal accreditation schemes. Sites such as holidaylettings.co.uk and holidaycottages.co.uk have comprehensive listings of self-catering properties with details of facilities but also have ratings based on customer reviews.