Simon Box, product manager
Crystal Premier Britain
“I am pleased to see the new scheme come in because it has caused so much confusion in the past. Also, I always felt the tourist board rating was more generous than the motoring organisations. It is a shame that Scotland and Wales are not part of the scheme.”
John Gledhill, sales director
Highlife Breaks
“It (the harmonised scheme) doesn’t make much difference to us. We put in all the grades, but we also say in the brochure that in the absence of a national hotel grading scheme we have awarded Highlife star ratings to assist your choice.
“We have not yet decided what we will do in the future. If appropriate, we will use the new scheme but it depends on what grades they come up with. I think a British scheme would have been much better.”
Ian Mounser, sales director
Superbreak and Goldenrail
“Because of the complexity of the different grading systems, we have applied our own star rating system so that throughout the programme of over 1,000 hotels there is standard point of reference.
“Anything which helps to simplify and standardise classification of hotels on an official level has got to be welcomed.
“We will have to wait and see whether we will use the harmonised scheme from next year and drop our own. Agents and customers are familiar with our system so maybe we will stick with our own and let the new one bed in for a year, or maybe they will run side by side. However, the fact that it does not apply to Scotland and Wales is an issue.”
Lloyd Boutcher, product manager
Sunvil UK
“To be honest, the grading systems mean very little to us, although I do use them to give a rough guideline when I am researching which hotels to feature in the programme.
“It is more important to me to visit a place and see if it is a Sunvil type of property, if it has character, good service, good food and good days out within half-an-hour’s drive. They are all more important than whether it has a three or two-star grading.”