Within eight months, hotel would be rated according to 267 criteria
Israeli hotels will adopt Europe's star rating system within the next eight to nine months. The Knesset ( Parliament) Economic Affairs Committee announced this week that Israeli hotels would be rated according to 267 criteria, including breakfast, fitness rooms, children's activities, quality control, and swimming pools.
The regulations will come into effect within eight months, but will not apply to bed & breakfasts or apartment hotels.
The Tourism Ministry will choose an international rating agency to rate Israel's hotels on the basis of the European Hotelstars Union model. The Hotelstars Union system is a "harmonized" classification system with common criteria and procedures in the participating countries, according to its sponsoring organization, HOTREC - Hotels, Restaurants & Cafes in Europe.
Eleven European Union countries now use the rating system, which awards hotels one to five stars, with a possible "plus" as an intermediate ranking.
Tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov said the new rating would lower room rates as consumers will be able to compare hotels more easily. However, the Israel Hotels Association noted that the new rating could lead to higher prices as hotels will invest in renovations to raise their ratings and charge more money.
Previously, Israeli hotels were not rated according to the standard international stars system, although this has not prevented local travel agencies from marketing them to local and foreign tourists on the basis of ratings as the agencies saw fit, without any official sanction.
