Laterooms.com has become the first accommodation-only website to use VisitBritain’s hotel star rating system on its website.
It is hoped it will reassure customers of accommodation standards when they book, as well as persuading more hotels to join the scheme. Following the move, 2,500 properties on laterooms.com will be rated.
Currently 53% of all English hotels have joined the scheme, which involves each property being checked by the tourism authority’s independent assessors and awarded one to five stars accordingly.
VisitBritain general manager of quality Jeremy Brinkworth said: “Holidaymakers need to know what type of accommodation they are booking and what they can expect when they arrive, regardless of how they book. Laterooms.com is leading the online travel industry by working with us on this project.”
Laterooms.com chief executive Chris Allen added: “We’re constantly looking at how we can provide a better service to our users and our link up with VisitBritain is a major step forward for us.
“Over the last few months we’ve been working closely with the organisation and our accommodation providers to minimise the gap between expectation and reality for people making late availability bookings online.”