CLASSIFICATION

OF HOTEL
 Department of Tourism, Government of India classifies hotels
under the star system in our country. There is a committee
known as Hotels and Restaurants Approval and Classification
Committee (HRACC) which is headed by D.G. Tourism. It
CLASSIFICATION comprises representatives from the Hotel Industry, Travel
Agents Association of India, Department of Tourism Ministry &
OF HOTELS the Principal of Regional Institute Of Hotel Management.

BASED ON STAR In the * Rating, 1* is the min rating and 5* deluxe is the max.
rating. 5* deluxe is considered to be equivalent to 1st Class
hotel by international standard. Once the hotel gets standard
classification from HRACC they become eligible for various
benefits and relief from the Government of India.
 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON
CLIENTELE AND LOCATION
A hotel may target many markets and can be classified according to the
market or Clientele and Location they attempt to attract and serve. The
most common types of properties based on these criteria include:-
Commercial
Airport
Residential
Resort
Timeshare
Bed and breakfast
Casino
Conference center
Convention hotels
• Floating hotels

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CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION

Commercial Hotels
Commercial hotels are situated in the heart of the city. Mostly the businessmen or commercial
executives patronize these hotels. Guest facilities at these hotels are – complimentary newspaper,
color TV with cable, E- mail, fax connection, car rental, airport pick up, coffee shop, bar, specialty
restaurant, swimming pool, health club, room service, concierge, business center, conference room,
etc. length of stay in these hotels are from one day to few days.

Airport Hotels
These hotels are situated near the airport and are frequented by businessmen, airline passengers,
layover passengers, crew members, etc. The facilities provided are similar to that of commercial
hotels but the only difference is that airport pick up is provided from the hotel to the airport and vice
versa. The length of stay in these hotels is from few hours to few days.

Residential Hotels
These hotels provide long term or permanent accommodation. Advance rent is collected while other charges
are billed weekly. There may be a restaurant serving all types of cuisine and there will be laundry
service. These hotels normally work on the European plan. Recently these types of hotels are
converted into cooperative hotels or condominiums. The length of stay is from a week to one or
more months.

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CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION

Resort
A resort may be located in the mountains, on an island, or in some other location away from the
crowded areas. Most of the resort hotels provide extensive food and beverage, valet, and room
service for the vacationers. These hotels also provide special activities such as golf, tennis,
horseback riding, nature hikes, sailing, skiing, swimming, and dancing, etc. resorts also try to be a
destination within a destination by providing a wide range of services, facilities, and activities giving
guests with many choices. A more leisurely, relaxed atmosphere distinguishes most resort hotels
from their commercial counterparts. The length of stay is for one week or more.

Casino Hotels
Hotels with gambling facilities are casino hotels. Although the guest rooms and F&B operations may
be quite luxurious, their function is secondary and supportive of casino operations. Similar to resort
hotels these hotels also cater to leisure and vacation travelers. These hotels attract guests by
promoting gambling. A recent trend in casino hotels now days is to provide a broad range of
entertainment opportunities, spas, golf, tennis court.
These hotels also have specialty restaurants. The length of stay is one week or more.

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CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION

Conference Centers & Convention Centers

Most of the hotels provide meeting space & they also offer overnight accommodations and because
meetings are their focal point these centers place great emphasis on providing all services and
equipment necessary to ensure the success of a meeting – technical production assistance, high-
quality audiovisual equipment, business center, flipchart, display chart and so forth. These centers
also provide extensive leisure facilities like a golf course, swimming pool, tennis court, fitness center,
jogging track [Link] amenities may not be plentiful at conference centers since these centers
concentrate more on fulfilling the needs of meeting planners and organizers then on meeting the
needs of program attendees.

Convention hotels are another segment of the lodging industry that has grown significantly in recent
years. These hotels have 50,000 sq; feet or more of exhibit hall space plus ballroom and assortment
of meeting rooms. These hotels also have sufficient no. Of guestrooms to accommodate all the
attendees of most conventions. These hotels are primarily directed towards business travelers and
offer business services such as secretarial assistance, language translator, fax machines, computer
room, teleconference, etc. convention hotels usually attract the convention market from the state,
national and international associations and other corporate houses.

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CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION

TimeShare And Condominium Hotels

Timeshare hotels are referred to as vacation ownership hotels. The concept is that for a set period
which may be one week or more in a year the person gets the right to enjoy the stay and other
facilities and services in an apartment are any other type of lodging in a tourist complex. It is like an
advanced purchase of time in holiday accommodation. Here the purchaser has to pay a one-time
capital sum and then an annual contribution towards the maintenance of the property. The fee usually
covers services such as cleaning and maintenance of apartment and public areas, electricity, gas,
water, etc. Avalon resorts. Sterling resort, Mahindra holding, etc. are the few time-share hotels in
India.

Condominiums involve joint ownership of a complex. Each owner has the full benefit of a unit and
shares the cost that is common to the entire complex such as taxes, maintenance, upkeep of the
building, etc. each owner can occupy or sell his unit independently but is obliged under the terms of a
contract to contribute towards the pool of common facilities and services. The owner can enjoy
recreational exclusive to the complex and the management looks after the unit in the absence of the
owner and if permitted by the owner let it out to provide income to him.

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CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION

Bed and Breakfast Hotels

These hotels are houses with a few rooms converted to the guest rooms. The owner lives on the
premises and is responsible for looking after the guest, in these hotels only breakfast is served and
meeting rooms, laundry, lunch and diner, and recreational facilities are offered in these hotels,
however, some hotels do offer limited food service.

Floating Hotels
As the name implies these hotels are established on luxury liners or ships. These are generally
located on river, sea or oceans. On cruise ships, rooms are generally small and all furniture is fixed
down. It generally caters to the long-stay guests. It is a complete hotel in itself consisting of all
facilities as provided by any hotel on land. It not only provides accommodation but other necessary
facilities and services like food and beverage, recreational facilities, swimming pools, etc. Example
AB Celestial Mumbai first Floating Hotel.

Boatels
A houseboat hotel is referred to as boatels. The Houseboats of Kashmir and Kettuvallam of Kerala
are houseboats in India which offer luxurious accommodation to travellers. Besides this, all other
necessary facilities are taken care of such as food and beverage, etc.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION
Rotels
These novel variants are hotels on the wheel. Our very own “Palace on Wheels” and “Deccan
Odyssey” are the trains providing a luxurious hotel atmosphere. Their interior is done like a hotel
room. They are normally used by a small group of travelers. They are costly and hence cater to elite
guests providing an elaborate menu and other services to the occupants.

Motel
The term motel has been derived from the word ‘motor’. They are located primarily on highways, they
provide lodging to highway travelers and also provide ample parking space. The length of stay is
usually overnight.
These hotels are generally small in terms of the number of rooms.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS BASED ON CLIENTELE AND LOCATION
Supplementary Accommodation
It consists of all types of accommodations other than the convention type, it may be described as
premises that provide accommodation but not the other services which is provided by the hotels. The
main distinctive features of supplementary accommodations are:

• Standard of comfort is modest as compared to that of a hotel,

• They can sell accommodation at a very low price,
• There is an informal atmosphere and freedom regarding dress code.

Supplementary accommodation plays a very important role in the total available tourist
accommodation in a country; it caters to both the international and domestic tourist traffic.

Types of supplementary accommodations are:

• Dharamshalas or sarai,
• Dak bungalows,
• Youth hostel,
• Dormitories,
• Sanatoria,
• Paying guest accommodation,
• Tourist bungalow etc.

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CHAIN HOTELS

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 Must have at least 10 lettable rooms which can be rented.
The carpet area of respective rooms and area of the bathroom should
adhere to the following units : –

5 Star Deluxe & 5 Star hotels

Single Room – 180 Sq. Ft.
Double Room – 200 Sq. Ft.
BASIC Bathroom – 45 Sq. Ft.
4 Star Hotel & 3 Star Hotel
REQUIREMENTS Single A.C. & Non-A.C. – 120 Sq. Ft.
Double A.C. & Non A.C. – 140 Sq. Ft.
FOR HOTEL The extra area may be provided if twin beds are provided in the room

CLASSIFICATION Bathroom – 36 Sq. Ft.

2 Star and 1 Star Hotel
Single A.C. & Single Non-A.C. – 100 Sq. Ft.
Double A.C. & Double non A.C. – 120 Sq. Ft.
Bathroom – 30 Sq. Ft. (or subject to local by-
laws)
All rooms should be provided with proper vitalization & ceiling fans. (2 Star and
1
Star hotel’s case)
5 STAR CATEGORY
• It must have at least 25 lettable rooms with attached bathrooms having modern shower chambers.
• Construction, locality, and architect of the hotel should have a distinct quality of a 5 Star hotel.
• All public & private areas should be centrally air-conditioned, carpeted, and equipped with high-
quality
furniture.
• There should be a well designed and properly equipped swimming pool having
lifeguards in attendance.
• There should be adequate numbers of guest elevator & service elevator functioning 24 hrs.
According to laws if more than 4 floors definitely lift should be there. Escalator also.
• There should be well-equipped ladies and gents cloakrooms and well designed and well-lit lobby
area.
• There should be a reception, information, and a cash counter functioning 24 hrs and attended by
highly qualified experienced staff members. Also at the cash counter 24 hrs money changing
facility available.
• There should be a shopping arcade having a Flower Shop, Beauty Parlour, Barbershop,
Book shop, Antique shop, and a recognized travel agency.
• Each room should be provided with a telephone having an STD & ISD facility. Also in the
lobby, there should be pay telephones and house telephones
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5 STAR CATEGORY
• There should be a provision of channel music in public and private rooms. Each room is provided
with
color T.V. and refrigerator.
• There should be well-equipped specialty restaurants serving different cuisines.
• There should be at least one bar or at least a permit room (whichever by law)
• Pantry & Cold storage facilities should be professionally designed.
• Hotels should offer both national & international cuisines and F&B Service should be
of the highest quality.
• There should be professionally qualified, experienced trained staff members who are smart
& courteous having good communication skills.
• 24 hrs room service & coffee shop service.
• 24 hrs service for telephone
• 24 hrs service for hot and cold running water.
• Provision for laundry and any cleaning services.
• There should be adequate parking facilities for guest cars.
• Each room is provided with a vacuum thermos flask with iced cold drinking water.
• H/k in the hotel should be of the highest standards. With a plentiful supply of clean linen,
towels, and blankets which is of the highest quality.
• There should be a dancing facility in the restaurant of the hotel having light music, ghazals, etc.

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5 STAR CATEGORY
• There should be a business center in the hotel.

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OTHER STAR CATEGORY
4 Star Category
• Services provided in a 4 Star hotel are the same as in a 5 Star hotel except there is no provision
for swimming, pool, and also 50% of guest rooms do not have guest baths.
3 Star Category
• The hotel must have at least 20 lettable rooms with at least 50% rooms AC and the rest of the rooms
are well
ventilated having a ceiling fan or air coolers.
• Facilities provided are similar to that of the 4
Star hotel. 2 Star Category
• At least 10 lettable rooms out of which 75% rooms must have attached bathroom having a
modern shower chamber and rest of the rooms will have a bathroom for every four of the
remaining rooms with modern sanitation and running cold water.
• There should be an adequate supply of hot H2O, soap, and toilet paper.
• 25% of rooms should be air-conditioned & all the rooms should be ventilated clean and comfortable.
There
should be a reception counter with a telephone and this is maintained by trained staff members.
• If all rooms are not provided with a telephone then each room should have a call bell and a
telephone on each floor corridor.
1 Star Category
• Minimum 10 lettable rooms out of which 25% with attached bathroom and a bathroom for every 4 of
the
remaining rooms.
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• At least 25% of the bathroom should have a W.C. with an adequate supply of hot and cold water.
• All the rooms should be properly ventilated & all rooms are provided with ceiling fans.
• Should be reception counter manned by trained staff members and a telephone for guest use.

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 FACILITIES AND SERVICES
REQUIRED FOR THE
CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL
General Facilities
• Full-time operation 7 days a week in season
• Establishment to have all necessary trading licenses
• Establishment to have public liability insurance
• 24 hr. lifts for buildings higher than ground plus two floors
• Mandatory for all hotels. Local laws may require a
relaxation of this condition.
• Easy access for the differently-abled guests
• Bedrooms, Bathroom, Public areas and kitchen fully serviced
daily
• All floor surfaces clean and in good shape

SAS
 FACILITIES AND SERVICES
REQUIRED FOR THE
CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL
Guest room facilities
• Minimum 10 lettable rooms, all rooms with outside windows / Ventilation.
• The minimum size of bedroom excluding bathroom in 200sq ft
• Air-conditioning 100% of the rooms
• Room temp. should be between 20c -28c.
• A clean change of bed and bath linen daily & between check-in
• Hairdryers, Where not provided in the bathroom, must be available on request
on a
• complimentary basis.
• Safekeeping / in-room safe
• Minibar / Fridge
• Drinking water with minimum one glass tumbler per guest
• Wardrobe with a minimum of 4 clothes hangers per bedding
• Sufficient lighting, 1 per bed 5 amp earthed power socket, A bedside
table and drawer, 1 per
• two twins and two for a double bed.
• TV – cable if available.
• A writing surface with sufficient lighting, Chairs- Preferable one per bedding 17
FACILITIES AND SERVICES
REQUIRED FOR
THE CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL
Bathroom facilities
• Attached bathroom
• Minimum surface area: 45sq ft
• One bath towel and one hand towel to
be provided per guest
• Hot and cold running water 24*7
• Shower cubicle
• Bottled toiletries, one of each per person
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FACILITIES AND SERVICES REQUIRED
FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL
Public Area facilities
• Lounge or seating area in the lobby
• Reception facility
• Valet services
• Heating and cooling available
• Public restrooms with proper sanitation
• For differently-abled guests
• At least one guestroom and one bathroom for differently-
abled guest
• Width of corridors should be a minimum of 1m to
allow wheelchair access
• Anti-slip ramps

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FACILITIES AND SERVICES REQUIRED FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR HOTEL

Food and Beverage outlets

• Grade A cities: One 24 hours Multi-Cuisine Restaurant cum Coffee Shop, one
Specialty
• Restaurant, and 2 4hours. Room Service.
• Grade B cities: One multi-cuisine restaurant cum Coffee Shop open from
7 am to 11 p.m and
• 24 hours. Room Service. One Specialty Restaurant would be desirable.
• Other than A &B cities: One Multi-Cuisine Restaurant open from 7 a.m. to
11 p.m. and 24
• hours Room Service

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FACILITIES AND SERVICES REQUIRED FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR HOTEL

Kitchen/Food production area

• Refrigerator with deep-freeze storage
• Segregated storage of Meat, fish, and vegetables
• Meat, fish, and vegetables in separate freezers
• Colour coded synthetic chopping boards
• Wooden chopping boards
• Tiled walls
• non-slip floors
• Head covering for production staff
• Daily germicidal cleaning of floors
• Good quality cooking vessels/utensils
• Use of aluminum vessels prohibited except for bakery
• All food grade equipment containers
• Drinking water
• Water treated with UV + filtration Ventilation system
• Garbage to be segregated
• Receiving areas and stores to be clean and distinct from garbage area
• Six monthly medical checks for production staff

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FACILITIES AND SERVICES REQUIRED FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL

Guest services • payments by digital transactions.

• Provision of the wheelchair for the
differently-
abled guest
• Wheelchair to be available on a
complimentary basis in hotels of all
categories Valet
• (parking) services to be available
• Dry- cleaning /laundry
• Tea / Coffee making facility in the room
• Iron and Iron Board facility
• Paid transportation on call
• Shoe cleaning, shoehorn & slippers
• Ice (from drinking water) on-demand-
Complimentary on request
• Acceptance of common credit cards and
facilities/infrastructure for accepting/
making

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• Assistance with luggage on request • Utility shop/kiosk
• A public telephone on-premises. Unit
charges made known
• Wake – up call service on request
• Messages for guests to be recorded and
delivered
• Name Address and telephone numbers of
doctors with the
front desk
• Doctor on call
• Stamps and mailing facilities
• Newspapers available
• Access to travel desk facilities
• Left luggage facilities
• Provision for emergency supplies toiletries
/first aid kit
• Health – Fitness facilities
• Indian system of treatments should
preferably be offered
Beauty Salon and Barber’s Shop

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 FACILITIES AND SERVICES
REQUIRED FOR THE
CLASSIFICATION OF A STAR
HOTEL
Staff
• Staff uniforms for the front of
the house
• English speaking front office staff
• Percentage of supervisory staff- 80%
• Percentage of skilled staff- 60%

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CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF MANAGEMENT AND AFFILIATION
Various types of hotels on the basis of Affiliation and Management are :
• Independent hotel
• Chain hotels
• Management contract hotels
• Franchising and referral groups

Independent Hotel
These are family-owned and operated hotels that are not required to confirm any policy or procedure,
they also do not need to adhere to a particular image and can offer a level of service geared towards
attracting a specific target market and can quickly adapt to changing market condition. However,
these hotels do not enjoy the advantage of volume purchase, advertising exposure, or management
insight and consultancy power of a chain hotel.

Chain Hotel
Chain hotel ownership can take a number of forms. Depending on the association that the chain
organization has with each property. These hotels usually impose certain minimum standards, rules,
policies, and procedures, which is to be followed by other properties of the same chain. These hotels
are usually classified as operating a management contract or as a franchise or referral group.

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CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF MANAGEMENT AND AFFILIATION

Management contract hotel

These hotels are the properties owned by other entities. Under this type of contract, the owner or
developer usually retains the financial and legal responsibility for the property, the management
company pays its expenses and in turn, receives an agreed-upon fee from the owner or developer
and the remaining cash goes to the owner who also pays for debts, insurance, taxes.

Franchising and Referral groups

Franchising is simply a method of distribution whereby one entity that has developed a particular
pattern or format for doing business. The franchiser usually provides a strong brand name, national
and international central reservation system, management training programs, advanced technology,
and central purchasing services.

Referral groups consist of independent hotels, which have joined together for some common
purpose. While each property in the referral system is the same but there is no similarity in the quality
of service and guest expectations. Hotels within this group refer their guests to other affiliated hotels.
With this kind of approach, a hotel may gain a much greater level of exposure.

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 CLASSIFICATION
ON THE BASIS OF
SIZE
Classification on the basis of size refers
to the number of rooms (bed capacity)
and should not be confused with the
building height, or the area of the
property, or the gross sales, etc. The term
number of rooms refers to the lettable
rooms and does not include those rooms
which are convened for other use such as
for manager, housekeeper, accounts, etc.
and rooms on the ground floor and
basement which are generally used for
offices, rentals, support services or other
operational facilities leased for
businesses and associations.
Usually, the distribution is,
(i) a hotel of 25 moms or less is called a
small hotel
(ii) one with 26 to 99 rooms is an average hotel
(iii) from: 100 to 299 it is called as
above average
(iv) a hotel of more than 300 rooms is classified
as a large hotel.
26
 CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF FOLLOWINGS
Types of service
• Economy/ Limited Service Theme
Hotels • Heritage hotel
• Mid- Market Hotels • Ecotels
• All- Suite Hotels • Boutique hotels
• First Class or Executive • Spas
Hotels
• Luxury or Deluxe Hotels
Target market
• Commercial Hotel/ Business Hotels
Length of stay • Convention Hotel
• Residential Hotels • Resort Hotels
• Semi Residential Hotels • Suite Hotels
• Transient/ Transit Hotels • Casino Hotel
• Resort Hotels

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SASIKUMAR NATARJAN - EDUCATIONALIST & HOSP