Abu Dhabi plans new hotel ratings system for 2013

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority is set to implement a new hotels classification system in quarter one, 2013.

Details of the new system are yet to be announced, but work on a "recommended upgrade" is underway and expected to be completed and approved by the end of 2012 for implementation in early 2013, a spokesperson for Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority confirmed to Hotelier Middle East.

Peter Blackburn, founder and CEO of Cristal Hotels, said that he believes the new system is in response to five-star hotels dropping their rates to four-star levels. He said: “A lot are coming down almost to the four-star level, which is quite scary, really.”

He compared the emirate to Dubai, which has “more scope for classifications”, with 5+ and 5++ ratings. He said four-star Cristal should be five-star, “but when you have places like St. Regis and Jumeirah at Etihad Towers sitting at five, where do you put something like this?”.

“By doing this, they will get a stronger classification system and I think that then you can monitor the rates better and prevent people dropping below the rates they should be looking at,” Blackburn added.