Have you ever wondered how hotel ratings work? Paul Baumgartner, national manager or Star Ratings Australia, explains.

The Australian star rating scheme, managed by AAA Tourism on behalf of Australia's Auto Clubs, is the only official certification scheme for accommodation in Australia. It certifies STAR Ratings to approximately 10,000 properties.

STAR Rated properties are assessed every 12  to 18 months against over 300 criteria based on facilities and services, cleanliness and appearance and condition. To be accepted into the scheme  a property must comply with certain legal requirements and cleaning standards. It must  then meet the relevant STAR level 'minimum requirements' - for example, a 5-STAR hotel
must have 24-hour reception.

The scheme assesses all types of accommodation across 10 categories including hotels, motels, B&Bs, houseboats, tourist parks and more. Each category has its own unique set of standards in order to compare 'apples with apples'. To protect the scheme's integrity, AAA Tourism has a consumer complaints policy and takes all complaints seriously. It may conduct an unannounced inspection and remove a property's STAR Rating if necessary. Action is also taken against any property falsely claiming it has a
STAR Rating. However, some properties self-rate themselves using all sorts of symbols, such as diamonds, smiley faces and circles, which can
be misleading.

AAA Tourism also has a program for socially responsible properties called Green STAR Accreditation. This recognises properties that implement environmentally sound practices under areas of energy efficiency, water minimisation, waste management and guest education. Look out for the Green STAR logo.

To learn more about STAR Ratings please see www.starratings.com.au