The DCMS this morning confirmed that the Government is likely to pull its backing for the official star rating system, after deciding that customer reviews posted online are more reliable.
http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2011/01/24/336678/government-poised-to-abandon-official-hotel-star-rating-system.htm
The move is likely to prove unpopular in some quarters - especially given the strength of feeling towards TripAdvisor - although many people feel the star rating system is 'outdated'.
What are your thoughts? Is there still a place for official star rating? Are customer websites robust enough to replace them?
In the wake of this announcement does this make the AA quality rating more relevant, or less so? Are AA quality ratings out-dated? How many hotel guides do they sell, who reads them...?
Hopefully all of our visitors and not just those coming for the Olympics in 2012 will be able to find and book quality accommodation that matches website descriptions/reviews. Whilst Trip Advisor has its own strengths and weaknesses, some of the other review sites out there are a little more robust in terms of accuracy of review.
Chris
www.AssuredCustomerExperience.co.uk