Tourists often argue with each other and with travel agents about which hotel in their opinion, should be regarded as a “five” or “four”, and which one has a level “below its stars”. For Turkey, the most massive outbound destination, this is especially true. We sorted out what should be in which hotel – based on the official classification criteria in Turkey.

You can often hear from tourists: “Is it really a “five”? I wouldn't even give this hotel three stars! Or vice versa: “this four is definitely better than many 5 *”.

And no less often such judgments are based either on some personal ideas about what should be in a hotel of one or another star rating , or on common stereotypes “from the Internet”. For example, many are sure that “stars” at hotels abroad appear according to some “international standards”. But this is a mistake.

DO HOTELS HAVE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF “STARS”?

No, there are no such “international” or “global” standards and criteria for assigning “stars”. Some kind of “recognized by all” document with the “standards” of hotels, and even more so an “international organization” that would regulate what a hotel should be given 2 stars for, and for what – 5 – is not in nature.

Yes, there are some general UNWTO “recommendations” regarding the assignment of classification levels (read – “stars”) to hotels. But, firstly, a large number of tourist powers are not members of the UNWTO in principle (USA, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, etc.).

And secondly, these are only vague recommendations with “general principles.” Which are difficult (if at all possible) to take and apply “everywhere” – after all, all countries have their own, unlike other countries, hotel fund, their own types of tourism, geography, climate, etc.

So, in fact, each country (less often a group of countries) in the world adheres to its own criteria and methods in assigning “stars” to hotels. They are quite different. There is nothing “global”.

In the United States (where, by the way, the five-level hotel classification system was born), two systems are used – the American Automobile Association (AAA) and Forbes. Several different systems operate in Europe. In some countries, certification is carried out by the state (sometimes together with private companies, as in France), in others it is given to the level of local authorities (as in Italy and Spain, where each region has its own criteria). And 18 countries in Europe have come together and given the assignment of “stars” to their hotels to the private association HotelStars.

In America, the evaluation criteria for assigning “stars” are quite simple. In Russia they are more detailed. And, for example, in European countries that have joined the HotelStars system, they even take into account such seemingly strange things as the width and length of the beds in the room.

Not only the criteria, but the very principles of classification are different everywhere. Somewhere (for example, in the USA), for the assignment of “stars”, the reviews of the guests themselves are necessarily taken into account. Somewhere they are not taken into account, but as in a number of European countries, compliance with the criteria is determined by experts (for example, in Russia and Turkey). In some countries, these experts are from private associations, somewhere – from state-accredited companies, somewhere it is done by officials themselves – central or even regional and local.

So “3* hotel in the USA”, “3* hotel in Spain” and “3* hotel in Turkey” are very different entities – it is important to understand that no one here is “behind” anyone, it’s just that everywhere there are different concepts about what is 3* or 5*.

STANDARDS FOR CLASSIFICATION OF TURKISH HOTELS: REGULATIONS OF 2019

The most massive outbound tourism destination (which seems to take over about 90% of the total outbound tourist flow) is Turkey. It is precisely because the largest number of tourists travel to this country that Turkish holidays can be observed on forums and social networks with frequent disputes about “the level of the hotel does not match its stars”. And even court cases (there are also quarrelsome tourists).

There are a lot of myths about what exactly should be in a Turkish hotel with one or another number of “stars”, and philistine, and marketing. Some publications are based on outdated data, such as the Turkish hotel classification standards of 2005, which are no longer valid, but for some reason are actively used in disputes.

We suggest looking at the latest Turkish document that defines the criteria for passing the classification and assigning “stars”. This is the “Regulation on Regulating the Classification of Tourist Objects” signed by President Erdogan, published and entered into force on 06/01/2019.

The document itself is not only about hotels, but we have selected and summarized for greater convenience in one table* the official criteria for assigning one or another number of stars to hotels in Turkey.

* Dear readers, we have a temporary problem with displaying tables in the mobile version. When reading on a mobile device, please use the browser menu option “PC Version”

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Air conditioning in public areas and in rooms

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Luggage storage and luggage transfer service. Laundry and ironing services, paid dry cleaning

Requirements	1* hotels	2* hotels	3* hotels	4* hotels	Hotels 5*
Number of rooms	at least 10 rooms	at least 10 numbers	at least 10 numbers	at least 10 rooms	at least 60 rooms
Entrance group and lobby < /td>	Reception and Waiting Area	At the entrance – an air cannon (curtain), a revolving door or similar device. Reception desk and waiting area. Hotel Management Office	At the entrance – an air cannon (curtain), revolving door or similar device. Reception desk and waiting area. Hotel management office. Kitchen	At the entrance – an air cannon (curtain), revolving door or similar device. Reception desk and waiting area. Two administration offices of the hotel. Kitchen.	At the entrance – an air cannon (curtain), a revolving door or similar device at the entrance. Reception desk and waiting area. At least 2 administration offices hotel. Kitchen. Separate from the reception desk for guest relations. Separate entrances for staff and clients
Meals	There is a seating area and serving hot and cold drinks in this area	There is a seating area and serving hot and cold drinks in this zone	A restaurant or hall with a service kitchen equipped for serving breakfast. Part of the hall may be outdoors	One or more restaurants, which together can serve at least 30% of the estimated number of guests at the same time. Part of the halls may be outdoors	One or more restaurants, which together can simultaneously serve at least 30% of the estimated number of guests. Part of the halls can be outdoors
On the floors	Hot and cold water, natural or forced ventilation. Elevators if the hotel is more than 3 floors	Cleaning room or storage room on the floors. Elevators if the hotel is more than 3 floors	Cleaning room or storage room on the floors. Elevators – if hotel more than 3 floors	Administrator's room on the floor, cleaning room or storage room on the floors. Elevators if the hotel is more than 2 floors. For hotels with detached cottages, not necessarily in each.	Administrator's room on the floor, cleaning room or storage room on the floors. < p>Elevators: a service elevator for the kitchen and other service premises, a client elevator (elevators) – separately. In low-rise hotels with detached cottages, elevators are not required. Telephones on floors.
Air conditioning	Natural or forced ventilation	Natural or forced ventilation	Air conditioning is mandatory in public areas	Air conditioning in public areas< /strong> and in rooms
Internet	None special requirements	Internet in public areas	Internet in public areas and in rooms	Internet in public areas and in rooms	Internet in public areas and in rooms < /td>
In the rooms	Minimum requirements for all rooms in any hotels : bed with pillow and linens, bedside table, dressing table or similar pieces of furniture, night light, trash can, wardrobe or closet, telephone, curtains and curtains, air conditioning depending on climatic conditions. In the bathrooms: plumbing, bath or shower, mirror, socket, trash can, soap, shampoo and hand and bath towels.	Besides the minimum requirements for all hotels, in 2 * hotels hair dryer, TV are also required.	Besides the minimum requirements for hotels, in 3* hotels hair dryer, TV, at least one chair or armchair and a wardrobe in the room, safes for valuables in the rooms, a package for paid laundry and a price list are obligatory	In addition to the minimum requirements, hair dryer, TV, safe, chair and armchair, notebooks, pens are required. In the bathroom: in addition to the minimum requirements – at least 10 types of additional amenities(this can be a bathrobe, accessories for brushing teeth, shaving, nail care, disposable slippers, a sewing kit, a brush and shoe cream, a shower cap, shower foam, shower gel, body lotion, conditioner, cotton wool for make-up removal, hygiene bags, etc.)	In addition to the minimum requirements, a safe, a coffee table, an armchair, accessories for serving drinks, a sofa or ottoman, a safe, a mini bar, LCD or plasma TV with international channels. Hot drinks equipment (tea station or coffee machine). Full length mirror. Socket by the bed, the ability to control the lighting of the room by the bed, with the exception of the bathroom. Telephone with a short reception number. Separate phone with reception in the bathroom (or cordless phone in the room). In the bathroom: at least 15 additional amenities in addition to the minimum requirements(this can be a bathrobe, accessories for brushing teeth, shaving, nail care, disposable slippers, a sewing kit, a brush and shoe cream, a shower cap, shower foam, shower gel, body lotion, conditioner, cotton wool for make-up removal, hygiene bags, etc.)
Services	No special requirements	No special requirements	Laundry and ironing services	Luggage storage and luggage transfer and transportation service, laundry and ironing services, paid dry cleaning . Room service (room service), in-room information about this service and menu. Staffed parking at least 10% of number of rooms
Staff	No special requirements	No special requirements	No special requirements	At least 15% all personnel must be trained or certified. All administrative staff must be trained or have at least five years experience	At least 30% of all staff must be trained or certified. All administrative staffmust be trained or have at least five years of work experience
Infrastructure required and optional conditions	Required: elevator – if more than 3 floors (unless in a historic building). Optional infrastructure : not required	Required: elevator – in case of more than 3 floors (if not in a historic building).< /p> OptionalFacilities: Not required	Required: Restaurant (breakfast room). Separate toilets in public areas. If there are more than 100 guests, a generator for autonomous power supply is required. Elevator – if there are more than 3 floors (unless in a historic building). Optional infrastructure: not required	Required: Restaurant(s). Separate toilets in public areas. Elevator – if there are more than 2 floors (if not in a historic building). If there are more than 100 guests, it is necessary to have a generator for autonomous power supply. Optional conditions– to be awarded a qualification level 4* must be something from the list: on-site/beach cafe, bar-lounge, bar, patisserie, a-la-carte restaurant, indoor swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool, water park, shop(s), outdoor entertainment complex with stage/amphitheatre, hairdresser, medical staff room (doctor), night club/disco, recreation areas, SPA-center, gym, games room, kids club, bowling, conference hall, cinema-concert/banquet hall, amusement park (amusement park), sports infrastructure (tennis courts, golf fields, paintball fields, etc.).	Required: Restaurant(s). Separate toilets in public areas. Elevator – if there is more than 1 floor (if not in a historic building). It is obligatory to have a generator for autonomous power supply. Optional conditions – to be awarded a qualification level of 5*, there must be several objects from the list: cafe on site/on the beach, bar-lounge, bar, pastry shop, a-la-carte restaurant, outdoor or semi-outdoor dining area, indoor pool, outdoor pool, water park, shop (s), outdoor entertainment complex with stage/amphitheater, hairdresser, room for medical staff (doctor), nightclub/disco, recreation areas, SPA-center, gym, games room, kids club, bowling, conference room, rooms for master classes, concert/banquet hall, amusement park (amusement park), sports infrastructure (tennis courts, golf courses, paintball fields, etc.).

FOURS AND FIVES REQUIREMENTS – FRAMEWORK, MANY VARIATION

It is important to understand that meeting the minimum criteria does not mean “automatic” assignment hotel 1,2,3,4 or 5 stars. Two things matter.

First, a hotel, for example, to be awarded a 5-star rating, must already exceed all the minimum requirements for 4-star hotels in its characteristics.

The second – “star rating” must be confirmed by a commission of auditors (experts), which will assess how the hotel not formally, but in essence, fulfills the requirements of the “Regulations” – based, as stated in the document, on the “location of the facility, customer profile and operational characteristics.”< /p>

Everything, up to the width and length of beds, did not follow the European path of regulation in Turkey. A lot (especially on the “fours” and “fives”) is at the mercy of that very notorious common sense of expert auditors.

In other words, experts will surely consider that for a large family five-star hotel in Antalya on the first line, at least not only a beach bar, but also a pool (or even two) and a kids club: this is explicitly needed by “customer profile”, allows “location” and “characteristics”.

But no one will demand from a city “five-star” in Istanbul, located in a historic building, a pool (especially an open one) or a children's club – the client's profile is not the same, the location and territory do not allow.

THE DIFFERENCES IN SERVICE LEVEL OF HOTELS IN TURKEY ARE DICTATED BY THE MARKET, NOT THE STATE

As you can see, there are relatively few strictly mandatory differences between 5 * and 4 * hotels and they mainly concern not very important matters (telephones and bathrooms, room service, mandatory foreign channels on TV, etc.). Therefore, all beach hotels with these stars in the resorts of Turkey are so different: very “framework” requirements and “individual features” allow them to do this.

Due to the large variability of the requirements, the “five” can be (contrary to popular belief) without a full-fledged indoor pool – it can successfully replace its SPA center, even a small one. It is also not necessary to have an a-la-carte restaurant – a bar or bars are enough in addition to the main restaurant. The shopping gallery in the hotel is actually not necessary for the “five” either. There are also five-star hotels without shops.

The fact that the vast majority of Turkish “fives” really have shops, and indoor pools, and other “symbols of luxury” is no longer state, but market standards, the desire of hotel owners to be better than others, stand out, “meet the level” of neighbors and competitors. But this does not mean that “just because there is no a-la-carte/indoor pool/shops in the hotel, it means “not a five”.

In general, Turkish hotels do not seek pass it to the state minimum” and calm down – for example, almost all “three-ruble houses” in Antalya have a pool, although the state standard does not require this from them. The market requires it, the consumer – and this is much more important than the formal “stardom”.

Therefore, by the way, individual “fours” in Turkey may have an infrastructure better than some 5 * – and here and there you can choose from a list of optional objects. For example, in one of the beach fours in Alanya there is an a-la-carte restaurant, and a bar, and its own water park, and a kids club, and amusement rooms, and a rope town, and a tea station in every room, and bathrobes. But the owner, apparently, sees no point in raising the status to 5 *: the hotel is in high demand, prices are at the level, and hanging up in every bathroom by phone and laying out sets with threads and needles in the rooms for the sake of an extra “star” seems a little strange in sense of the economy.

FOOD IN HOTELS DOES NOT DEPEND ON “STARS” AT ALL

As for food, judge by its variety and level of “stars” of a hotel in Turkey is generally impossible: Turkish official documents regulate in detail a very large number of things related to the organization of the kitchen, the procedure for storing food, sanitary standards, etc. – but not the range of food.

No one in Turkey prescribes either “three” or “five” what exactly to feed guests or how many types of dishes should be on the buffet in a restaurant. There are no official standards.

In the Turkish “five”, according to the standard, there should be a restaurant and something besides it. And that's it, this minimum is enough. And the menu is at the discretion of the owner and management of each particular hotel. So a complaint in the style of “they don’t feed here the way they should be fed in the “five” actually has no practical meaning, and even more so legally.

There are attempts to standardize the all-inclusive system in Turkey on the basis of some kind of voluntary classification (such, in particular, was proposed by the Mediterranean Hoteliers Association (AKTOB), but this is a “public initiative”, and in In reality, each hotel is free to choose what and how to feed tourists – the state does not interfere in this process.

HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD HOTEL IN TURKEY

Considering all of the above, and the fact that Antalya alone has thousands of hotels, it’s quite difficult to figure out all these nuances and subtleties on your own (it takes years for travel agents). There is a lot of outdated, incorrect, incomplete or even unreliable information on the Internet. To get into a really good Turkish hotel, follow these three simple guidelines:

Reading “reviews on websites on the Internet” – not the best option.

It's not even that reviews (both negative and positive) can be ordered – but in human psychology. Satisfied people tend not to write reviews after returning from vacation – this is rare. They are simply satisfied with the rest, and they are sorry to waste time – while at the hotel, they probably already personally thanked the staff. But dissatisfied customers are eager to “revenge” and are much more likely to spend time writing negative.

Therefore, it may well be that out of 100 people who have visited a particular hotel, 95 people are satisfied with their vacation, and 5 are dissatisfied. But on the site you will not see this picture. And you will see 1-3 positive reviews from 95 satisfied customers and all 5 negative ones from all 5 “offended”. And this is not an objective picture at all.

The best option is to contact an experienced travel agent.

Travel agents go on promotional tours, personally see and evaluate the hotels that tour operators show them on such tours. In this way, they will be able to advise you on a particular hotel based on personal experience. In addition, travel agents collect feedback from their customers – what they liked and what they didn't. Hotels are changing, being renovated, or vice versa, deteriorating – but the travel agent always has the latest “feedback” from tourists about how things are this season. The travel agent needs the tourist to come back to him – and he certainly will not offer you a deliberately bad hotel.

See recommendations on the tour operator's website (for example, “recommended hotels” filter).

This is also a good option. It is also completely unprofitable for the tour operator to promote objects that are obviously low-level in terms of service, this is fraught with problems.

The editors of the ATOR Bulletin

Photo: ATOR