The failure to grade hotels early has been cited as a challenge to hotels and service providers ahead of World Economic Forum for Africa.

The grading issue was raised recently as hotels owners were assessing their preparedness ahead of World Economic Forum to be held in Kigali this month. Some say evaluation was done for grading two years ago but so far the stars certificate haven’t been provided yet some clients ask hotels for their classification.

According to RDB, hotel grading and classification exercise will resume to award local hotels stars based on East African Community standards.

This year 80 hotels will be assessed by professionals between May and June.

The development body has not revealed specific dates for star awards, which means the exercise, could happen later than the World Economic Forum; but hotels owners may use the classification for marketing strategies.

This time around the number of hotels to be evaluated has increased from 30 in 2011 to 80; good news for hotel owners especially those targeting international visitors.

“Hotel grading is not an easy exercise: there are many checks it is not an exercise that is done immediately,” said Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at RDB.

The criteria for standardisation of hotels, restaurants and other tourist accommodation facilities in East Africa covers different types of establishments including town hotels, vacation hotels, lodges, tented camps, villas, cottages and serviced apartments, motels and restaurants.

But in Rwanda only establishments with accommodation are assessed specifically for classification. These include town hotels, vacation hotels and lodges.

According to grading in 2011, there are only two 5-Star hotels namely Serena Kigali and Nyungwe Forest Lodge, while Lemigo, Mille Collines, Lake Kivu Serena and the Manor are 4-Star.

The classification covers physical and tangible characteristics of accommodation facilities such as location, dimension of the rooms, supplies in bathrooms and frequency of change of linen and non-tangible elements such as comfort, ambience, elegance, style and luxury.

The EAC standards also cover social contact in aspects such as staff grooming and communications skills.

READ: Deadline set for completion of EAC hotel grading

Concerns over standards and poor services

While stars awards are important to hotels; quality service delivery is what may raise questions over rating that are standards in EAC as many studies have revealed.

“We all follow the same EAC standards; a Rwandan 4-Star hotel will follow the same standards as the ones in Kenya and Uganda,” said Ms Kariza.

“Such instances happen but in grading there are criteria that are followed, however, sometimes individuals may have their own judgement,” she added.

She maintains customers should not dwell on that because assessors are professionals and certified.

Hotel classification helps hotels to market their businesses to local and international visitors but some of them will need to improve their services delivery as many studies and inspections have exposed poor service delivery in hotels.

Some of the issues revealed by a mystery shopper (an international recognised service check exercise) study in some local hotels includes poor hygiene, slow service, untrained staff, some hotels are generally dirty and lack sewage systems, security checks which are not respected, lack of eating and drinking utensils, poor maintenance, untidy rooms among others.

The competition is increasing in hospitality sector as big international brands enter the local market which could push hotelowners to pull up their socks.