{"id":3818,"date":"2024-07-25T10:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T10:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/?p=3818"},"modified":"2024-07-25T13:14:10","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T13:14:10","slug":"self-catering-star-ratings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Worth Getting a Tourist Board Star Rating?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"\"<\/p>\n

For travellers looking for somewhere to stay, the choice of holiday cottages to choose from can be overwhelming. Historically, travellers have used tourist board star ratings to evaluate accommodation \u2013 but are they still relevant when people are influenced by online reviews?<\/p>\n

Applying for a star rating isn\u2019t cheap, plus the thought of your holiday cottage being scrutinised by an assessor can seem like a scary prospect. So before you invest the time and resources to meet the grading criteria we discuss the pros\/cons and whether it\u2019s worth getting a star rating.<\/p>\n

What is an assessment scheme?<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Self-catering assessment schemes, such as VisitEngland, assess the standards of holiday cottage accommodation. Owners then gain membership to the accreditation scheme to show that they have met an appropriate standard and may also receive a star rating.<\/p>\n

Benefits of signing up to holiday cottage tourism star rating schemes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Official endorsement<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re new to holiday letting, you don\u2019t have the benefit of repeat clientele to fill your availability. A VisitEngland or AA star rating logo is easily recognisable and reassures potential guests that they can expect a certain level of quality when staying at your cottage. It shows would-be guests the high standards you live up to and have been assessed on. This can encourage holidaymakers to book with you.<\/p>\n

A recognised trusted logo<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Most holiday cottages are in highly competitive areas with many alternative offerings that travellers can choose from. If you are one of a handful of self-catering cottages that are star-rated, you will stand out from your competitors that are not star-rated. Certain travellers are reassured by star ratings and are willing to pay more.<\/p>\n

The tourism accreditation scheme logos are a fantastic marketing tool to increase visibility.<\/p>\n

Expert advice<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

VisitEngland assessors are experts in their field. They provide valuable advice on the specific criteria for each star level, give objective feedback on improvements to enhance your guest offering and increase your business. They also keep you updated on the relevant legislation requirements. Overall, their experience and knowledge can be invaluable.<\/p>\n

The cons<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s stressful<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Preparing for the assessment can be stressful and time-consuming. The rating criteria is strict and the assessor will put your holiday cottage under the microscope. You\u2019ll also need to ensure all your paperwork such as an access statement and fire risk assessment are updated.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a cost<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of joining and the annual membership isn\u2019t cheap (currently over \u00a3300). There may also be costs in making any improvements suggested by the assesor to achieve the grade.<\/p>\n

Is a 5-star grading essential?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no denying that certain guests are prepared to pay a premium for holiday cottages with a 5-star grading as this guarantees a high standard of accommodation. However, some guests who book 5-star accommodation have high expectations and can be critical of minor details if the property fails to meet the exceptional standards they were expecting.<\/p>\n

Therefore, even though your property is 5-star in your opinion, it may be better to aim for a 4-star grading, then your guests will be delighted to find your holiday cottage is better than they expected.<\/p>\n

What are the alternatives?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Using an experienced holiday letting agent in your area is another way to communicate the quality of your self-catering accommodation. Most letting agents have their own rating systems that reflect the overall experience of what guests can expect.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, travellers also rely on your reviews on listing sites where you advertise like Airbnb and your social media accounts. However, you can\u2019t always rely on reviews as an objective evaluation of the standard of accommodation.<\/p>\n

Self-catering grading scheme options<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are the three different VisitEngland membership options for self-catering accommodation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Quality star rated<\/span>
\n<\/strong>You\u2019ll be visited and rated by a trained professional who will assess against seven key areas: bedrooms, bathrooms, cleanliness, public areas, kitchens, exterior, and management efficiency. A star rating (from 3 to 5) will be awarded if the criteria are met. As well as your holiday cottage having a page on RatedTrips.com, you\u2019ll have access to VisitEngland logos and a range of signage, and marketing benefits.<\/p>\n

Quality assessed<\/span>
\n<\/strong>This accreditation level involves a full assessment testing all services to ensure minimum quality standards are met, but with no star rating awarded. Properties are eligible for, and may achieve, other associated awards such as Welcome scheme accolades.<\/p>\n

Visitor ready<\/span>
\n<\/strong>This is a free, entry-level accreditation scheme that will provide your business with a digital badge to verify that all mandatory legal requirements are being met. Displaying the badge on your website will show that you are a safe and trusted venue to visit.<\/p>\n

Your Visitor Ready account can also be used as a secure online wallet for your compliance documents, and you can receive reminders for when documents need to be renewed.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/visitorready.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Further information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/business.ratedtrips.com\/assessment\/visitengland-quality-standards\/how-are-self-catering-accommodations-rated<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/business.ratedtrips.com\/join\/aa-quality-assessment-scheme\/self-catering<\/a>
\nVisit Wales grading scheme information<\/a>
\nThe VisitScotland quality assurance scheme<\/a> is no longer accepting new entrants and will be retired on 31 March 2025.<\/p>\n

So are star ratings worth it?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

When starting out having professional guidance and objective feedback from a VisitEngland accessor can be invaluable. Such advice should ultimately help you improve your guest experience, increase bookings and allow you to charge a premium rate.<\/p>\n

Also, a star rating can be particularly useful if your holiday let is in an area with plenty of competing self-catering lets. Having a high VisitEngland rating can make a huge difference, allowing you to stand out in a crowded market, especially if other properties have a low rating.<\/p>\n

However, you may decide that once you\u2019ve built up a solid client base of returning guests and lots of reviews, the benefits of a VisitEngland rating don\u2019t justify the cost.<\/p>\n

Ultimately it comes down to whether a star rating increases bookings. The only way to find out is by asking your guests if your star rating influenced their decision to stay with you.<\/p>\n

Share your thoughts\u2026
\n<\/strong>Accommodation providers \u2013 do star rating increase <\/strong>your <\/strong>bookings?
\n<\/strong>Travellers \u2013 do you book a property based on its star rating?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span> For travellers looking for somewhere to stay, the choice of holiday cottages to choose from can be overwhelming. Historically, travellers have used tourist board star ratings to evaluate accommodation \u2013 but are they still relevant when people are influenced by online reviews? Applying for a star rating isn\u2019t cheap, plus the thought of your holiday cottage being scrutinised by an …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holiday-letting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nIs a Holiday Cottage VisitEngland Star Rating Still Relevant?<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before you invest the time and resources to meet the grading criteria we discuss the pros\/cons and whether it\u2019s worth getting a star rating.\u00a0 \u00a0\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is a Holiday Cottage VisitEngland Star Rating Still Relevant?\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before you invest the time and resources to meet the grading criteria we discuss the pros\/cons and whether it\u2019s worth getting a star rating.\u00a0 \u00a0\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tips for Marketing & Running a Successful Holiday Let\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-25T10:00:02+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-25T13:14:10+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Philip\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Philip\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/\",\"name\":\"Is a Holiday Cottage VisitEngland Star Rating Still Relevant?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-25T10:00:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-25T13:14:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9155ce047da1ffc98839b2464a5d494a\"},\"description\":\"Before you invest the time and resources to meet the grading criteria we discuss the pros\/cons and whether it\u2019s worth getting a star rating.\u00a0 \u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/3818\/self-catering-star-ratings\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Is It Worth Getting a Tourist Board Star Rating?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Tips for Marketing & Running a Successful Holiday Let\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9155ce047da1ffc98839b2464a5d494a\",\"name\":\"Philip\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.schofields.ltd.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e868fd95213fdf7fdbc976d34987825?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e868fd95213fdf7fdbc976d34987825?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Philip\"},\"description\":\"Founded in 1984, Schofields is a family run company specialising in holiday home insurance for properties in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. 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