Star-rate plates have been removed from 23 hotels, including two
three-star ones, since the star-hotel reevaluation campaign was
launched on July 1 this year, source from the Beijing
Tourism Administration said. Among the city's former 615 star-rated
hotels, 592 have their status retained.?
According to Zhang Wei, an official from the Beijing Tourism
Administration, two three-star hotels, eight two-star hotels and 13
one-star ones have had their star-marking plates removed. The main
reason of the degrading is that their environment and sanitation
failed to reach the new standard.
The Beijing Huaqiao (Overseas Chinese) Hotel, a three-star that
has been in operation for over 40 years, was on the degraded
list.
Beijing's 32 five-star hotels and 60-plus four-star ones have
been granted newly designed star-rate plates after the reevaluation
in accordance with the new criteria.?
However, none of Beijing's existing five-star hotels has applied
for being listed as "platinum five-star," the top grade in the new
evaluation system.
It is clear for people in the hotel business that differences do
exist among Beijing's 30-plus five-star hotels, not only in hard
wares such as location, facilities and furnishing but also in
service and management. So it's reasonable for the very top ones to
be rated higher.
On the market, though, some high-grade five-star hotels claim to
be "super five-star," or "six-star," while others rate themselves
as "five-star-ready" or "five-star-matching." All these
announcements have caused confusion in the hotel business.
Thereafter, the tourism authorities banned such kind of claims by
issuing an official document.
Meanwhile, the "platinum five-star" grade was introduced in the
new evaluation system. Accordingly, the standards for "platinum
five-star" hotels are much higher than that of ordinary
"five-star." For example, it should have a banquet hall with a
capacity to entertain 500 guests at a time; its rooms should be at
least 36 square meters; and its executive floor should be provided
with 24-hour butler service.
In Shanghai, even the two most luxury hotels, Portman
Ritz-Carlton and The St. Regis Shanghai, have not yet submitted
their "platinum five-star" applications.??
According to the China Tourism Society, it takes some time for
businesspeople in the industry to understand and accept the new
system.
China carried out the first hotel evaluation and definition
system in 1988. The new "Hotel Star-rating Standard " went into
force on July 1, 2004.?
(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong October 7, 2004)