Is The Tourism Grading Council Nuts?

I, too am appalled and furious. I shall have to refrain from Star Grading as I know many others will too. The costs are too prohibitive for a 6 roomed guesthouse to sustain. Do they want to close us all down?
My guests come back time and again. Just go to Tripadvisor to see the comments for my establishment.
I shall put reasons for not grading on my website if this is what I have to do.
Janine Hobbs
Cotswold Gardens
Saxonwold

This is the other “tome” I sent to TGCSA yesterday in response to their grading, this time for our guest house in Johannesburg:

“I am writing to you with comments about the new grading criteria for Guest Houses, B&B’s etc. I have not been able to give any feedback on the process as I did not know about it until today – and it seems almost a fait accompli. This is a very diversified sector – but also large – of the accommodation industry in this country, and varies from quite sophisticated guest houses to simple township B&B’s. It costs a fortunate to get started with all the red tape required by the local council and this year, we had to spend some R60,000 building a separate laundry as the City Council suddenly changed their criteria – and my health certificate, issued 4 years ago, was deemed insufficient as my washing machine and tumble dryer were no longer allowed to be in my scullery. We have two houses making up our guest house – one with 4 rooms and one with 3 rooms for use by guests – and I cannot imagine that every B&B can comply with having separate laundry facilities for 3 or 4 guest bedrooms. But, I ask myself, have they all been asked to? Just an example of the challenges facing us.
Rates cannot be too high for guests but costs are enormous – DSTV and television licences for every set, SAMRO fees, keeping maintenance and cleaning levels high, paying staff – let alone the high costs of marketing and advertising to get exposure.
Our Guest House in Johannesburg is AA and TGCSA assessed each year and we have maintained our 4 star standards as we build a regular, faithful and happy clientele. None of it is easy or cheap. Our room occupancy still remains low but we are getting there.
I am a great supporter of having international standards, to assure guests of good quality accommodation. However, I have lots of comments about the new criteria.
I am making comment on the 4 star category, which is where we are and what we ask to be assessed on. My main concern is that the criteria for a guest house seems far too close to the services one would expect at a boutique hotel, hotel or high-end lodge.
1. 18 hour room service. I do not give a room service at all if you mean delivering meals and beverages to the bedrooms. We provide breakfast included in the rate and a 3 course dinner on request, tailor made to the guests’ requirements. I do not employ a chef and full time kitchen staff to provide a room service. How many GH’s and B&B’s do?
2. Electronic safe to house a 17” laptop. I have safes in the bedrooms that adequately house money, wallets, passports and jewellery. This is too much to ask for to have all these replaced.
3. Luggage stand in bedrooms. We have ottomans for guests to unpack their luggage on. You ask for something that is recognisable as a luggage rack. Do I have to get these as well now?
4. Down pillows – I have some down pillows and guests ask for allergy free types of pillows. Down should not be set as the standard.
5. All our beds happen to be extra length but this should not necessarily be the standard requirement as not all rooms may be wide enough to house XL beds.
6. Air-conditioning is not essential in Johannesburg and at a time when we need to save electricity, this is a waste of money and power. We have very effective fans in the bedrooms and, downstairs, the living room opens with folding doors to let in a breeze on hot days. Air-conditioning should not be a standard criteria if the prevailing weather does not make life uncomfortable.
7. Master light switch at bedside table. Please. We could not possibly rewire the entire house to have a master switch put by the beds in each room. There is a light switch at the door (with dimmer) and two good lamps either side of the bed and one on the dressing table. How lazy must 4 and 5 star guests be expected to be?
8. Why is a mirror on the back of a door not acceptable? If it is a full length mirror and it may be the best place to take a full length view of yourself, what can be wrong with that?
9. Temperature control with air-conditioning throughout the living areas. In Johannesburg? With our power problems? Not even necessary. See point 6.
10. What happened to being able to offer dinner on request? Please do not muddle a boutique hotel with a BB or guest house. You now state that orders can be placed for dinner as late as 9pm. And there should be a choice of dinners available. Who can provide a choice of food for 3 people? How many rooms does a place to have to have, and have them all full, to be able to offer this type of service with chefs and kitchen staff and waiters on duty, before going insolvent? We work on a “dinner by arrangement” basis, which guests advise us they require during the morning. We find out if guests have particular dietary requirements, their likes and dislikes, and produce a custom-made 3 course meal made with fresh ingredients and beautifully prepared and presented.
11. Reception staffed 18 hours a day. As the guest house owner, we are on duty all the time, 24/7. But we do not “man” the reception desk. Does this mean yet another person to be employed? 6am til midnight and then a direct phone line or a night bell for use from midnight to 6am. Nobody can get onto the property unless they phone from outside – they cannot walk into reception and hit a bell. And it is highly unlikely in these days of crime, that I will accommodate anyone at that time of night unless they have booked and paid in advance and I am waiting up to welcome them. We are not a hotel with public access where one would expect to find night duty reception staff. Guests needing us as owners only have to call by cell in an emergency.
12. The meals are a big issue and you require the staff to have knowledge of wine. Most of my guest house guests would rather crack a beer! My faithful housekeeper and cook is fabulous but she doesn’t drink a drop. And it would be pretentious to have her be a sommelier.
13. You are to be commended for making owners of B&B’s aware of recycling and having separate bins for paper and glass etc. – but you want air-conditioning!!!!! Same for the refilled ink cartridges and recycled paper. Do you know how much recycled paper costs?
14. You require plasma or Hi Definition flat screen tv’s in all rooms. This can only be a recommendation as they are SO costly at the moment and it is not feasible to throw out perfectly acceptable televisions.
15. You need to relook at your bath requirements as the cost of replacing a bath with cast iron or steel and enamel is exorbitant. B&B’s and Guest Houses, even those serving the higher end of the market at the 4 and 5 star level, will be hard pressed to supply such expensive baths. These one would find in 5 star Game Lodges that charge R7000 per night, not in a humble guest house charging R700 per night.
16. You list the bathroom accessories for 4 & 5 stars, to get the maximum points, to include aftershave, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cologne and toiletry bags. Again, are you talking 5 star game lodge and boutique hotel, or guest house and B&B????
17. Direct dial telephones in all rooms. I repeat myself, are you talking boutique hotel? Who today puts in telephones for 3 or 4 bedrooms and the system to be able to charge guests for their telephone usage? This in a country where even the street sweepers have cell phones.
18. I realise that many country guest houses offer amenities in addition to accommodation for their guests, including spas, steam rooms, professional masseurs, have tennis courts, rec rooms, kiddies clubs and gymnasiums. But these are by far the minority in the industry, I am sure. Does the city guest house or B&B lose the points for not having these things?

I think it is time to get a bit real! I have been to 3 star hotels in Europe that would not get 1 star in South Africa. Let’s assess the Guest House and B&B industry properly as the standards are already high and the grading assessment thorough and good.”

I hope that there is a huge backlash from the industry to stop this madness!
Lynda
Ninety North

Herewith our response to the new requirements and criteria for the grading of establishments: from the view of a “4 star Country House” establishment.
Point 4a: We are only a 6 bedroom establishment that cannot justify or afford the appointment of a security guard at the gate 24/7. We do have a night guard that walks the grounds (30ha) that we see as sufficient. We have access control at the gate via a gate code system that guests receive upon confirming a booking with us. This cost will force us to increase our room rate – not an option.
Video surveillance? For a 6 bedroom Guest House? How does this contribute to the guest’s hospitality experience? To feel that they are spied on? This cost will force us to increase our room rate – not an option.
Point 5a: Increasing the sizes of a bathroom or room that is just a meter or so shy of the required size is totally unacceptable as this would require costly structural changes. You are in general expecting establishments to break down and rebuild certain areas! This may be a requirement for new establishments in the future…
Point 6a: We have already installed a safe in each room to keep our guest’s valuables safe, but a laptop will not fit into it. Will we be FORCED to replace the existing safes? Ridiculous.
Point 7a: To require an armchair or lounge set to match the amount of sleeping positions would over crowd any respectable size room. Remember that there is a chair by the desk already. If there is an extra single bed or sleeper couch for the occasional extra guest, we would have to remove this as it would not be justifiable to add another bulky chair to the room.
Point 10a: Black out curtains; If your décor and colour scheme is all white and beige, it would be nearly impossible to adapt the existing curtains to have a blackout effect. This requirement is then determining and prescribing the colour scheme an establishment has to use in order to comply. This is unacceptable.
Point 12a: We have used a high quality pillow (hollow fiber pillows) over the past 5 years and provide one King size down pillow per guest. We have never had a request for additional down pillows. Down pillows are not washable, looses shape much quicker than a hollow fiber pillow and causes more allergy reactions!
Point 14a: We do agree that an air conditioning unit will add to a guests comfort, but installing 6 or 8 of these units will use excessive electricity we do not have. We are situated in a rural area = Country House – and will not be supplied with extra power by Escom. We are supposed to decrease our power usage – not increase it! We have already replaced our oil heaters with wall mounted panel heaters (even 2 in our larger rooms) that provide sufficient heat. We have extra large, very effective ceiling fans that we feel is more than sufficient. This should not be a requirement for 4 star. This cost will force us to increase our room rate – not an option.
Point 15a: A master switch for the main light beside the bed – this should only be a requirement for 5- star establishments!
Point 16a: Full length mirror on the back of a door not acceptable??? Not everyone enjoys watching themselves move about the room all the time. The layout/design of a certain room may not allow the placement of such a mirror other than inside a cupboard door. If that area is well lit when the door is opened – why would this not be acceptable?
Point 21a: Electric shaver points in each bathroom; We have never had such a request/complaint in 5 years and to make it compulsory for all star levels is laughable. These shavers are going out of fashion and most people are using rechargeable shavers when traveling.
Only steel / cast iron / enamel baths are mentioned as acceptable for 4-star establishments. We cannot be expected to replace perfectly good acrylic baths with superior fittings that would require extensive remodeling of all our bathrooms. Acrylic baths retain heat much better than the other mentioned baths. – Again an energy saver in itself!
Point 57a: 18 Hour receptionist: This will require us to employ an extra person resulting in extra running costs. We are always available to our guests, if not at the reception – then at the bar or dining area as well as on 24 hour standby via cell phone.
Point 60a: We have actually done a survey amongst our own guests if they would prefer table service with a menu for breakfast or an extensive breakfast buffet offering a wide range of cold and warm dishes to choose from. 80 – 90% of our guests indicated that they prefer a buffet breakfast because they have a wider choice as well as determining their quantities of food chosen.

Additional points of concern:
1. The time frame given for submitting our concerns is far too short as this will result in many establishments not having the chance to voice their opinions.
2. How is it possible to leave it up to the assessor to determine which criteria shortfalls he will oversee or not? Especially if one would still receive zero points for criteria’s not met. We will then have no idea where we stand before hand.
3. No mention is made of establishments that can provide back-up power in case of a power outage. There should be points awarded for this ability.
4. If so much emphasis is placed on conserving the environment – why is this not taken into account when it comes to toilet paper? As we are situated on a farm and we are dependent on an organic system for our waste – 2-ply toilet paper has caused many problems for us as it does not degrade as easily as good quality single ply toilet paper.
5. Most of these new criteria’s will cause us to increase our rates and price ourselves right out of the market – a market that has become very competitive in recent years not to mention the recession this country is currently experiencing.
6. In one instance it is mentioned that: “The criteria have been developed for South-Africa and do consider our unique product offerings.” —WE STRONGLY DISAGREE !—- Although surveys has been done abroad, what market research has been done amongst our own citizens to determine local demand?
7. Our drive ways has to be in an excellent condition – but the road leading to our establishment is literally containing more pot-holes than tar. It has been closed and forgotten about because the Gauteng Roads Department “simply does not have the money to fix such an unimportant road”. In the long run, the condition of this road may well cause us to close our business one day.
Conclusion:
We will consider not renewing our grading if these unacceptable criteria’s are enforced in an unacceptable time-frame. We will have no option than to rather choose to be graded by the AA.
It is such a pity that government has spent so much money on offering many establishments their first grading for free in order to increase the amount of graded establishments – only to lose half of these establishments again. We are not even going to discuss the DTI-funding project that has been running for the past 3 years.

We would greatly appreciate your consideration of the mentioned concerns.

Kind Regards,
Gerhard & Ria Van Wyk
Bert & Adriana Pouwels
Griffin’s Estate Country Venue & Guest House

I am glad to see that I was not alone when I reacted to TGCSA’s new criteria, 1st response
was “they can keep their stars”.

We have, de-mountable showers over large corner baths x 6, with shower curtains.
Not even St Gobain, who made the original glass for the Versailles Palace, make glass panels to fit the curve of these baths.
The space is much larger than a normal shower
and the curtain does not touch or cling to the body at all. We’ve checked with our more generously sized guests, and they love the
combination.
I will not go to the expense of removing the baths to put in Glass door showers.
Security Guards, 18hr reception, get real.
Do the “Stars” really affect our Businesses,
I think not.

Very good comments from all and we agree that the new criteria are completely off the map for small 4 & 5 star guest houses. 18 / 24 hour reception & room service for a B&B style guest house is a complete oximoron.
Does anyone know how, if at all, guest houses were represented in the development of these new requirements??

Here our comments to TGCSA WRT the ridiculous criteria review:

General:

We have been graded 4 times in a row as 4 star in the Category “Lodge”. On a yearly basis we invested and improved our facility and therefore increased percentages achieved and lastly qualified for 5 star (95% achievement).

Before going a bit more into detail, our major concern is that we will not be able to be graded as LODGE anymore for the reasons below:

• Minimum of 6 rooms (we have got 5 only)
• All meals (we only serve breakfast and dinner, 95 of our guests are out during day time)

For those reasons alone we will not be categorized as Lodge anymore. The alternative would be the category “Country House”.
After having had a closer look at the criteria for Country Houses we realize that under current circumstances we would fall back to a 2 star grading as we will not even meet some of the “new” minimum requirements for a 3 star grading (details below).

It is absolutely mind blowing that the TGCSA really considers a change in grading criteria with such an effect on their “customers”, away from reality and real customer needs.

Our general feeling is that the draft is very much in favor of large hotels/establishments and does not take the uncountable number of smaller organizations into consideration. We wonder which input from those small B&Bs, Guest Houses, Country Houses and Lodges is reflected in the draft paper!
Furthermore it strongly reflects the possible needs of business travelers and leaves our main clientele, the holiday maker, unattended.

To reach a 3 star grading in the category “Country House” would mean for us already heavy financial efforts (building alterations, additional equipment, additional staff) not even talking about remaining on a 4 star Level which for us seems unachievable. In going thru those financial efforts, we would have to increase our rates, based on our occupancy, by at least 30-40% which then is not affordable for the market segment (middle to upper middle class) we address and not attractive for the top market segment (who prefer the Sabie Sands, Private reserves etc etc where the rates are of minor concern).
We will out price ourselves off the market of the average international traveler as well as local holiday maker. This in return would have a major impact on South Africa’s tourism in general as besides high air fares now accommodation rates will heavily increase. South Africa will not be an affordable destination for the middle class international visitor anymore. We may have to close our operation down.

We are not interested in marketing our Lodge on a 2 or 3 star level to local or international travelers as our target market is specifically interested in 4 and 5 star graded establishments and the financial efforts that we in the past put into our lodge to remain 4 star graded. We furthermore do not want to attract the lower middle class market segment.

Detailed areas of concern (without having had a close look at the new UAC which is another knock out):

1. Minimum requirements
a. All meals
b. Valet service (N/A as the parking is right next to the building in 10 m walking distance to the rooms)
c. Room service (18 hour or even less is not practical or required from our guests)
d. 6 rooms minimum
2. Safety and Security
a. Guards at gates
b. Video surveillance
3. Bedrooms
a. Minimum of 6 rooms
b. Size of rooms
c. Peepholes (we have double French cottage pane)
d. Locks (all locks would have to be changed)
e. Safe to accommodate 17” laptop
f. 50 cm TV screen (would have to change all TV sets)
g. 180 cm cupboards
h. Down pillows
i. General length of beds (some rooms have 180 some 200 cm beds currently)
j. Master switch at bedside
4. Public areas
a. Nappy changing facilities (we do not accept children under the age of 12)
b. Air conditioning (all open to Veranda)
5. Dining facilities
a. Last order for dinner 9.00 pm (extra staff required, shifts)
b. Breakfast served 3 hours (extra staff required, shifts)
6. General services
a. Reception staffed 18 hours per day (extra staff required, shifts)
b. Telephone line in each unit (everyone has cell phones these days)
c. Data line (we offer WIFI)
7. Housekeeping
a. 16 hours availability (extra staff required, totally over the top for small establishments)

With the concerns as mentioned above, should the new criteria be introduced, we will not apply for renewal of our grading.

Best regards,
Klaus Hollander

I have taken the time in reading the the TGSA new proposal and then I came to read the comments left behind I am truly sorry to say I could not agree more that the TGSA has lost its marbles, Should they wish to put all these idiotic ideas that a bunch of idiots came up with then sorry I would then just abandon the scheme altogether. My guest are not worried about Tv nor washing tubs nor 18 hour maid services. 86% of my guests arrive unpack and tour the garden route they return late in the evenings and sit and read then they go to sleep up early and out early. They not interested in coming on holiday and watching Tv. 9% are truly arrive sleep leave and then my 5% come into the main rooms t watch Tv. If I had to pay the TGSA there fee and then Pay te Tv licence for each Tv in the rooms and the licences of that and the DSTV in all the rooms then what are my prices going to be like for the tourist coming here to stay all these cost included I would have to look at putting my prices up to over 70% on what it already is.

If the TGSA rate us according to the new criteria then sorry I would rather not be graded and still receive all my guests I need as they not interested in what the TGSA its all about service for them and a comfortable place to sleep..

I will truly boycott this

We agree with all of the other criticisms. Apart from these glaring errors we have suggested the following face saving proposal.
We would rather stay 4 star but under the 3 star proposed parameters which are similar to the existing 4 star. ie All grades moved with an “Elite” class at the top and a “Starter” class at the bottom or something similar.
(Starter-2S-3S-4S-5S-Elite)
This more or less leaves everything as is.
Sunbird Guest House HOWICK KZN

I have been running my 4* S/C apartments for almost two years and have done everything and more to comply by the standards that were set for me——not only to get the stars, but even more so for myself and my guests. What do I do now? After spending all that money, it is not going to be good enough for you. I can honestly say that my establishment compare favourably to all the places I have been staying in overseas. All my guests from abroad were more than happy—–in their countries they can never get what I offer at my price. Please reconsider—-we need all their money. You are going to stop people from having you grading their establishments at all.

I cannot agree more with all the comments posted above. There is now way we can afford, nor dowe have the space, to comply with the new criteria.
We will continue doing what we are good at and have been doing for the past 14 years – being tourism ambassadors for South Africa – and will carry on giving our clients a truly 5 Star experience.
Barry and Mina Thomas

Jambo Guest House
AA Quality Assured Superior Accommodation
WINNER 2000,2001 & 2002 AA Travel Guides Accommodation Awards
Hall of Fame – AA Travel Guides 2003/4/5/6/7 & 8
SA Star Grading – 5 Star Guest House

1 Grove Road,
Green Point, 8005,
Cape Town,
South Africa
Tel. 27 21 4394219
Fax 27 21 4340672
Web site http://www.jambo.co.za
E – mail jamb@iafrica.com

i AGREE WITH WRITER. THE SITUATION AND REQUIREMENTS ARE RIDICULOUS. IT APPEARS AS A TYPICAL PANIC CRISIS DECISION BY THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND SOME FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

http://www.hotelandrestaurant.co.za/new_site/content/tourism/singlepage.asp?id=429

F Y I

interesting reading wrt who was invited to workshops.
http://www.fedhasa.co.za/Pages/News_Section_Details.asp?NewsSectionID=3&NewsID=3062

Finally – some enggement from industry!!! Perhaps not the appropriate forum, but at least some comments on a system that needs to be dynamic and able to change with the times!!!

Hi – Thanks to Klaus for the link to Hotel & Restaurant site where the new members of the TGCSA Board are named. Seems to me there is a glaring omission in the make up of this group -all hoteliers, ex-hoteliers, ex-hotel school staff, architects and interior designers. Where are the Guest House/B & B /Lodge owner operators? How is this vital part of the industry represented? It has always been a bit of a juggling act to try and fit the hotel chains and big boys in under the same umbrella as the owner operated and run Guest Houses and B & B’s – but not having a single owner/operator or previous owner/operator on the board seems to be a glaring omission. Finally – KPMG? Why a firm of auditors.

Get the real grading badge displayed on your site. “Ungraded and proud of it!”

@ Alan Romburg

What do you mean – “Finally – some enggement from industry”?

A quick search amongst numerous product owners in Mpumalanga found that 1 received the notification in June last year to complete an online questionnaire.

Had the TGCSA felt that “the industry” was not reponding or engaging, why did they not send out further requests? They managed to send us all Christmas greetings, so its not as if the e-mails didnt work.

Why did it take a chance visit to the TGCSA website by a product owner to discover that “the industry” had a week to respond to the proposed new criteria? E-mails advising stakeholders of the proposals were only sent out after this person contacted TGCSA.

Dont blame the industry, when clearly TGCSA and/or its consultants have hardly been keeping us informed of the process!

I could suggest that given some of the ludicrous proposals included in the new criteria; the financial impact that they will have on stakeholders; and the obvious bias towards large hotel chains, the TGCSA really did NOT want the input of “the industry”.

BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR OVER 5YRS ,THEY ARE CRAZY
1st–Thank you for this page to post comments;
We would like to be objective but here is the problem;
1. In Gauteng North to put in “air Conditioning
You Need ;
To check if there is enough power on the gride.
Authority takes 2 months to give answer
To approach the munisipale with an application.
Approval takes anything from 3-6 months.
If you pay your R32000 application fee and there is no power on the gride-you loose fees.
The authorites take another 3-6 months to install the meter box.
And they take another 2-4 months to digg & lay cables
Your -3ph cable costs R15000-R20000costs
Your electrical bill to upgrade to 3ph-R6-10000
Your split unit AirCon R5000 per unit.
Do the sums R32k+20K+10K+6×5000=R92000
And mimimum 18 months waiting.
Then if the power is not sincronized you blow TV’s & Electrical equipment when switching over
———————————————-
We have done this exercise twice in 4 years.
———————————————–
By the way you also have to wait for 3ph pre-paid meters– todate 6 months no stock.
My experience stay away from aircon’s.
Or have R100000 ready to upgrade-

Futhermore how are you going to take away the star rating if a 4star establishment needs to upgrade but the authorities handle the power on the above basis.
And take their time with approvals and builing alterations.
All these electrical controls and upgrades applications lay in municipal hands which have come to a stand-still and the time + costs will put you out of business.
So when putting these ratings in place come and let them put the their pension in a guest house plus put their “neck’s on the Block” and see if they can survive $$$$$$
Heaven help us.

Dear Ms Kunene,

Thank you for the replies to my emails. In this, my concluding email to you, I wish to make a few final comments:

1. Most of us support the principle of grading and want to be part of a “quality” hospitality industry. We also understand the need for the grading criteria to be revised from time to time. But TGCSA has not been truthful in saying that the industry has been widely consulted. The real problem for TGCSA is that it is now trying to get people to “comment” on something that has already been set, when in fact, people want to have a real say in how issues in the industry are determined upfront. We want to make inputs to shape it, not comments to try and change it after the event. The same applies to your assessors here – they were not asked during the process, they have simply been asked to comment after the event.

2. The hospitality industry is made up of many “levels” and is highly diversified – from large corporate hotel groups in big cities to small guests houses in the countryside – some lodges are situated in the middle of the steamy bushveld and some country houses are situated in the mountains – some self-catering establishments have 5 units and others have 50 units – some city/town hotels cater mainly for the business market while country hotels cater mainly for the leisure market, etc, etc. With this in mind, the new TGCSA criteria do not seem to take cognisance of these differences in terms of the new MINIMUM requirements. Circumstances ARE different (whether you choose to acknowledge this or not) and I don’t think these have been given the necessary consideration in the new MINIMUM requirements. Just to give you a couple of examples: As the owner of a country hotel situated in the cool and quiet mountains of Mpumalanga, we do not require as much security as our counterparts in the Johannesburg CBD. We cannot access more power from Eskom and would need it to put in airconditioners (despite the mild climate that we have and hence no need for airconditioning). Very few of our clients (we are predominantly leisure market) travel with lap tops so we don’t need large safes, while I guess almost 100% of clients at City Lodge or similar in Pretoria CBD do. I am sure you get my point.

3. I fully understand what the new criteria set out to do: To set the highest possible requirements across all markets and products. However, this is setting criteria for the exception and not the rule. Standards should be set for the rule (at an acceptable/reasonable level) and products should be given the opportunity to go further by doing additional things, eg. extra length beds, large in-room safe. Going the extra mile should be considered offering exceptional things for which a product could get extra points/kudos.

4. I remain completely astonished by the fact that the new grading criteria have taken absolutely no cognisance of environmental issues. “Greenness”, “eco-friendliness” and the like are words on the lips of all thinking people anywhere in the world. Interestingly, we often get questionnaires from our overseas tour operators, looking for information regarding our “greenness” not the length of our beds! Furthermore, as a consumer yourself, you know that South Africa faces a power crisis. How can it reasonably be that there are no new grading criteria covering this subject. Think imaginatively and responsibly please! Hopefully you will have the guts to agree here. Please (and I mean it) ask Martinus van Schalkwyk, our minister of tourism, what he thinks about this in light of his nomination for this big climate change job!

5. I am also amazed that no consideration has been given to the financial implications of the new criteria to establishments, especially in light of the poor performance of the industry over the last eighteen months or so. Janet Wills from Porcupine Ridge gives an illuminating example in her letter to you. The hospitality industry is full of small operators who cannot go to their “shareholders” to raise capital. Neither can TEP assist as TEP does not lend money or give it away for free for that matter. TEP assists mainly with marketing and training (you should know that). I suspect that TGCSA has simply chosen to ignore this aspect of the new criteria and the lose/lose situation that is likely to arise. Many establishments will not be able to afford to meet the new criteria and those that try to do so, will be put under financial stress. Businesses could close or downsize or simply exit the programme. Jobs will be lost and the TGCSA could also lose revenue through exits. TGCSA might have to close or downsize………….. the implications are far-reaching……….. for you and for me!

Again, I urge you to reconsider the process. TGCSA has not treated the industry as a meaningful stakeholder, but as some far removed country cousin. If we are not treated fairly, we will not have faith in the process nor the institution of the TGCSA. While grading might be voluntary, the attitude of “take it or leave it” is not in anyone’s interests.

Regards,
Lisa Sheard

My suggestion is that the grading criteria is left as it is. What is required, however, is more uniformity amongst the star graders! The whole system is so open to abuse as, as it stands now, the establishments are allowed to choose as to whom they require to do their grading. I feel that this should not be the case.

If the new criteria is left as is, I will not apply to be graded next year, as it is better to have no grading at all, than to drop by 2 stars!

With all this furore going on a question has been asked about why this is happening. Could it be the Hotel industry’s attempt to squeeze us out of the quality accommodation market in the long term? Does anyone think that the Minister of Tourism is aware of what the body operating in the name of this government is doing?

I attended the workshop at Lagoon Beach Hotel in Cape Town on the 26th of March and one of the outcomes was the extention of the deadline for comments until the 27th of April 2010.

Ms. Kunene stated that about 80% of all available rooms in South Africa are graded at this stage. Industry made it very clear, that this figure will be the benchmark for the new grading system.

I urge all people involved to send their comments to: tgcsagradingcriteria@kpmg.co.za

Personally I am very disappointed that the new grading criterias hardly include minimum requirements for sustainable/green tourism. The new grading criterias create a lot of awareness for universal access, but had it harmed to create some awareness for green tourism?

Susanne Faussner
director of Fedhasa Cape

Comments and feedback on the new criteria for grading. From Liz Delmont of Liz at Lancaster 083 229 4223

I am all in favour of responsible and thoughtful regulation and standardization to raise standards and encourage best business practice in any industry. I have always supported the various benchmarking initiatives: these include Portfolio Collection when it first came out in the early 1990s, then the TGCSA, the AA, the NAA and their provincial and regional associations, as well as Greenwood Guides – all of which do visits to check on and maintain the standards of an establishment. This is a very positive and necessary practice.

I have worked from 3 TGCSA documents:
1) TGCSA Grading Criteria Category Comparison
2) Minimum requirements and Grading Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs (I have however restricted my comments to Guesthouses and B&BS as I have no experience of Country Lodges)
3) Minimum requirements and Grading Criteria for Country hotels and Lodges

So some concerns in principle
Below are some of the criteria that the TGCSA uses to differentiate between B&BS, Guesthouses and hotels:

B&B
* More informal accommodation with limited service that is provided in a private/family home
* The guest may share the public space with the host
*The owner must live on site

GUESTHOUSE
* May be an existing home or building that has been specifically designed (or renovated) as a residential dwelling to provide overnight accommodation
* Has more than 3 rooms
* The public areas (a minimum of a guest dining room and a guest lounge) are for the exclusive use of the guests; elswhere in the doumentation it says there has to be a reception area
*A host must be available to check guests in or out within 10 minute drive of the property

HOTEL
*Formal accommodation with full or limited service [What does limited service mean, particularly in relation to a a B&B ?]
* Has a minimum of 6 rooms but more likely exceeds 20
* Has a reception area and a dining area (elsewhere indicates must have a reception)
* On-site representative must be contactable 24 hours a day 7 days a week

The differences between these categories are vague and uninformative. As it stands above, what differentiates a 6 room hotel with ‘limited service’ from a 6 room guesthouse? The first task of the grading Council should be to get clarity on the different categories. It lies at the foundation of grading criteria.

2) Then TGCSA makes a further distinction between 1-3 star and 4 & 5 star (presumably both guesthouses and B&Bs? This is not made clear). However the criteria for 4 and 5 star guest houses/B&Bs are exactly the same as for 4 and 5 star hotels. How can this be??
These criteria which are applied to 4 & 5 star B&BS and Geusthouses and to Hotels are:
Provides accommodation 365 days of the year
All meals must be provided for by outlets in the complex
* Has a formal reception area (as does a 1-3 star)
* Offers a dining facility
* Breakfast provided;
* Servicing of rooms 7 days a week
* On-site parking
* Valet service
* extra services eg babysitting
* Concierge, porterage and luggage service
* Room service must be available
* Central Business Centre
* Universal Access Compliance

To apply the same criteria as indicated above to the assessment of hotels and to guesthouses/B&Bs is really problematic, as the two categories (hotels vs guesthouses/B&Bs) are completely different entities. Most hotels operate with way larger infrastructures, way more human and financial resources, have totally different economies of scale, and charge according to a very different price structure .

3) The Universal Access Compliance also addresses the context of a large establishment like a hotel and for this reason is also highly problematic when applied to smaller establishments in suburban contexts which are of a totally different order.

4) So to some detail:
1) It is acknowledged above that a B&B offers limited service. How can this be reconciled with a 4 & 5 star B&B being require to offer 18 hour room service (See page 5 of Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs) and the requirement of reception hours from 6 am until 12 midnight? (page 26 of Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs ) – certainly not ‘limited’ service? This is clearly a criterion adapted from 4 and 5 star hotels without consideration of the TGCSA’s own acknowledgement that B&Bs offer limited service.

2) As the TGCSA has quite overtly used the same criteria for hotels and Guesthouse/B&B establishments, it is not surprising that further details of the documents demonstrate this:
a. On page 10 of ‘Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs’ under Universal Access, it refers to the number of designated parking bays. It refers to establishments with 50-100 parking bays and 100-150 parking bays. Any establishment which has 50 and above parking bays should NOT be categorized as either a B&B or a Guesthouse? It would be have to be zoned as a business, with appropriate rezoning and business rights ie a hotel and could not operate in a residential area.
b. On page 11 of ‘Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs’ where under bedroom size for 4 star (30m²) the TGCSA has noted: ‘Check with the Holiday Inn’. Why check with a hotel for guesthouse & B&B requirements?
c. The issue of air-conditioning is certainly another feature which has been taken from hotel requirements. Hotel windows can often not be opened and hotels are often in built up areas where general street and traffic noise encourages guests to keep windows closed. Guesthouses and B&Bs are in the suburbs, in garden settings, and have windows and doors that open. To apply a nation-wide requirement for air-conditioning does not make sense. (and I have not even raised the ‘green’ argument here). I have lived in Johannesburg all my life and have never had the need for an air-conditioner in a bed-room. An overhead fan is more than sufficient. However there are other parts of the country where air-conditioning is crucial.

3) Extremely worrying is the lack of clarity around the Universal Access Compliance. 4&5 Star Guesthouses and B&Bs are required to have Universal Access Compliance. What does this mean? There needs to be much greater clarity on this. On page 6 of ‘Criteria for Country Houses, Guest Houses and B&Bs’, it notes that Universal Access Assessment ‘will in no way affect the standard quality and star grading assessment of the property’. Can the TGCSA explain then, what they mean in the document of Category definitions under minimum requirements for 4 & 5 star guesthouses and B&BS where requirement 15 is ‘Universal Access Compliance’? This seems an internal contradiction?

4) Much of the Universal Access Compliance addresses the needs of guests with various impairments (communication, visual and mobility) set out by TGCSA (and presumably global best practice). Bronze is the lowest level of compliance where ‘all minimum requirements of UA compliance are met’. What are these minimum requirements? These need to be clearly and transparently set out. As the compliance level increases a certain number of UA requirements are added. What does this mean? Firstly it gives no transparent map of which requirements these are and secondly why does the TGCSA measure compliance by a mechanistic system of numbering (ie how many features you have) rather than the quality and appropriateness of the heath and safety measures in a guesthouse or B&B context? Again many of these requirements seem to be applicable to a large multi-storied building with rooms opening onto corridors ie hotels where there is talk of evacuation procedures into a central area rather than smaller establishments with doors opening out directly onto the garden or patio area for example.

5) Finally of great concern is the application of a blanket set of criteria for smaller establishments which by their very nature tend to be more individual and customized. Guesthouses and B&Bs are not for every traveler – many travelers want the anonymity of a hotel, the facility of a public meeting and drinking area, and the guaranteed familiarity and uniformity of a known brand. However there is a space for a different kind of travelling experience. The most frequent comments that guesthouses/B&Bs get is “it’s home away from home’; ‘we love the personal uniqueness of specific establishments’ and ‘we love the privacy and personal service’. I am not arguing for standards to be dropped but rather I worry that the application of blanket criteria does not take account of different contexts. Many of the requirements for a 4 star B&B in the Karoo are different from those for a 4 star B&B in Johannesburg or Soweto or the coast. A Central Business Centre is not a priority on a Karoo farm stopover, but it might be in a city guesthouse. Ditto air-conditioning is way more important than heating in humid coastal Natal. The reverse would apply on the Highveld for example. The criteria for destination guesthouses/B&BS (‘Township’ B&BS are an obvious example) might well be different from rural farm guesthouses or urban guesthouse/B&B catering for the business/international traveler. I really urge the TGCSA not to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’. In the drive to regulate and standardize the 4 and 5 star Guesthouses and B&Bs, don’t de-value the very thing that gives Guesthouses and B&Bs their particular niche in the travel and tourism market and the hospitality industry: comfortable (often luxurious), personal, flexible and attentive service and surroundings at very competitive prices.
6) Under 4 & 5 star it requires that accommodation is provided all the year round. Why should small businesses not be allowed to close if there is a traditionally quiet period? This criterion smacks of over-regulation which (like many of the other criteria suggested above) prejudices the small business owner. Also how would it be enforced?

7) Finally others in the industry have done extensive work around comparing SA 4 & 5 Star Guesthouse and B&B standards to those of Britain and have well-argued evidence to show how much higher our standards are. So TGCSA’s argument of meeting international standards does not hold water.

I hope that these comments are helpful and that the TGCSA will answer some of the questions raised and will firstly give clarity and thought to the category definitions so that they are more useful, informative and workable. Following on from this I trust that the TGCSA will radically rethink the principle of using the same criteria in the assessment of small owner- run establishments (guesthouses and B&BS) as it does for large corporate hotel chains. Whereas the TGCSA recognizes that a guesthouse ‘is usually an existing home or building that has been specifically designed (or renovated) as a residential dwelling to provide overnight accommodation’ it gives no clarity on what a hotel is and simply says that it is ‘formal accommodation with full or limited service and may have as few as 6 rooms but usually exceeding 20 rooms’ . This is a hopelessly inadequate definition to cover the numerous 100 plus roomed hotels in the corporate national and international stables such as Southern Sun, Sun International, Three Cities, Legacy Hotels, Protea Hotels, Relais and Chateaux, the Radisson, – to name but a few.

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) has expressed its delight at the overwhelming response received from industry with regard to its proposed new grading criteria for accommodation establishments.

Speaking at Indaba yesterday, Chief Quality Assurance Officer, Thembi Kunene, said the recent response from industry had amounted to over 5 000 comments on the new criteria from over 450 individuals and companies.

Kunene said comments received were diverse and provided a good cross-section that the grading council could use to better the proposed criteria.

One of the issues Kunene addressed at the stakeholders’ breakfast was that of universal accessibility (UA). She said it was important to note that, although not an item establishments could be penalised on, the inclusion of UA in the new criteria was part of a directive from the National Department of Tourism (NDT).
“Universal accessibility needs to be taken seriously by the industry now,” she commented. “It is necessary for the country to have proper inventory of what properties comply with these standards.”

The new criteria are currently in the process of being finalised. The TGCSA is currently waiting for a final document of consolidated comment from FEDHASA that will be added to comment already received and compiled by KPMG.

The final criteria are expected to be approved by the TGCSA Awards Committee in June and will be published on the organisation’s website at that time.

Staff and assessor training will occur between July and September and the new criteria will be implemented from October.

I think the CEO is in need of serious help!

Just found the link to their new grading application form – designed to drive customers away rather than attract…
follow the link
http://www.tourismgrading.co.za/default.aspx?pid=34&stepid=2713&oid=73

What a CIRCUS the so called “newly grading system” became .The auditors haven’t a slight idea of how any grading system works .My establishment in Kimberley was graded for 8 years and every year I receive a well deserved 3 star grading with satisfied customers whose needs is adressed over the past 15 years of my establishment .The auditors/assessors is supposed to have auditing and or an assesment qualifications and could not produce such .With any audit protocol the audit criteria is supposed to be send 6 weeks ahead so that the establishments could well in advance prepared for the assessment . The assessors definately not used the same criteria for every establishment.Not half of the requirements was verified and she the assesors decide to downgrate from a 3 to a 2 star. I will definately not register and asked for any grading in the future unless this unqualified one track minded auditors /assessors/clowns is get rid of out of the tourism grading board This is South Africa not Europe. Board “This is rural not metro area “.I will go ahead with my establishment without any grading as long as I satisfied my customers needs and not that of a Tourism Board.It is of great concern that only 1000 of the 7000 establishment in is graded .Where lies the problem? This grading became another govermental money making sceam ,milking now the “newly cows” the Establishments in South Africa