Hostel Accommodation (Includes Bunkhouses, Camping Barns, Backpacker, Group and Activity Accommodation) Quality Standard
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Hostel Accommodation (Includes Bunkhouses, Camping Barns, Backpacker, Group and Activity Accommodation) Quality Standard To find out more about VisitEngland’s quality assessment scheme for hostel accommodation please contact: Sustainability and Accessibility Sustainability: Doing Business Even Better Green tourism and sustainability practices in your business are one and the same thing; it's all about taking small steps that enable you to do business even better, not differently. Small changes will not only save money, improve employee relations, enhance profitability and provide a richer experience for customers but over time you will also improve your business' impact on the local economy, community and environment. ‘Going Green’ does not have to be a chore and is just as applicable to properties in a city centre as a rural location. VisitEngland Can Help VisitEngland is committed to promoting the adoption of sustainability practices among all tourism businesses. It is our aim to ensure that a sustainable approach is complimentary to improving the overall visitor experience in England. Your help is needed in this aspiration. For further information on how to enhance your business to be more sustainable, please visit www.better-tourism.org for tools to help “green” your business. Or visit www.visitengland.org/green for further information and case studies on the benefits of adopting sustainable practices. Sustainable Tourism Certification If your business is already a successful sustainable business and you wish to demonstrate this to new or existing consumers, you may wish to join one of the certification schemes that exist in England. These schemes are not operated by VisitEngland but by independent organisations which have been verified to ensure they are offering a rigorous and well-founded sustainable certification scheme that will allow you to confidently promote your green credentials. Visit www.visitengland.org/green for more information. Improving your Accessibility – A Lucrative Market Many people have access needs including disabled people, such as those with hearing and visual impairments, wheel- chair users, older and less mobile people and people with pushchairs. The accessible tourism market is worth around £12bn to tourism businesses in England and is growing due to an ageing population. By making some small adjustments to your facilities, providing information on your accessibility and understanding the needs of disabled people, your business will appeal to a wider range of visitors and attract more business. Demand for accessible accommodation outstrips the current supply. Find out how other tourism businesses are benefitting from this loyal market at www.visitengland.org/access Legal Obligations Tourism businesses have obligations under The Equality Act 2010, which replaced the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 (DDA) on 1 October 2010. Tourism providers should treat everyone accessing their goods, facilities or services fairly, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and guard against making assumptions about the characteristics of individuals. The Equality Act 2010 requires that service providers must think ahead and take steps to address barriers that impede disabled people. Providers should not wait until a disabled person experiences difficulties using a service, as this may make it too late to make the necessary adjustment. 1. Make ‘reasonable’ changes to the way things are done – such as changing practices, policies or procedures where disabled people would be at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ e.g. amend a ‘no dogs’ policy. 2. Make ‘reasonable’ changes to the built environment – such as making changes to the structure of a building to improve access e.g. altering or removing a physical feature. 3. Provide auxiliary aids and services – such as providing information in an accessible format, an induction loop for customers with hearing aids. A service provider cannot legally justify failing to provide a reasonable adjustment. The only question is whether the adjustment is a ‘reasonable’ one to make. What is ‘reasonable’ will depend on a number of circumstances, including the cost of an adjustment, potential benefit it may bring to other customers, the resources an organisation has and how practical the changes are. 2 Sustainability and Accessibility We Can Help VisitEngland provides tourism businesses with a range of guidance, tools and resources to help increase engagement with the valuable accessible tourism market. Go to www.visitengland.org/access. It is important to provide information on the accessibility of you facilities and services. This can be achieved by producing an Accessibility Guide (an improved format that replaces Access Statements), which is a requirement for all scheme members. To produce and publish an Accessibility Guide go to www.visitengland.org/accessibilityguides. More detailed guidance and accessibility ratings are provided by the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) www.visitengland.org/nas. 3 Contents Contents Page Promoting Sustainable Businesses 2 Accessibility 2 Code of Conduct and Conditions for Participation 6 General Overview 7 The Quality Standard for Hostel Accommodation 7 Use of this booklet 9 Sub Categories/Designators 11 Minimum Entry Requirements for Hostel/Backpacker Accommodation 13 Minimum Entry Requirements for Group Accommodation 18 Minimum Entry Requirements for Activity Accommodation 18 Minimum Entry Requirements for Camping Barns 19 Minimum Entry Requirements for Bunkhouses 21 Hostel/Backpacker/Group/Activity Accommodation Quality Guidance Notes 25 1. Exterior 26 1.1 Appearance of Buildings 26 1.2 Grounds, Gardens and Parking 27 1.3 Environment 27 2. Hospitality and Service 28 2.1 Hospitality 28 2.2 Service and Efficiency 28 2.3 Personal Touches and Tourist Information 29 3. Cleanliness of all Areas 30 3.1 Public Areas 30 3.2 Bedrooms 30 3.3 Bathrooms 31 3.4 Self Catering Kitchen 32 4. Food Quality and Service 33 4.1 Food Quality - Breakfast 33 4.2 Food Quality - Dinner 33 4.3 Meals Service 34 4 Contents Contents Page 5. Public Areas (includes all stairs, landings, corridors, dining and restaurant areas) 35 5.1 Decoration 35 5.2 Furnishings, Furniture and Fittings 35 5.3 Flooring 36 5.4 Lighting and Heating 37 5.5 Space, Comfort and Ease of Use 38 6. Bedrooms 39 6.1 Decoration 39 6.2 Furnishings, Furniture and Fittings 39 6.3 Flooring 40 6.4 Lighting and Heating 41 6.5 Beds and Bedding 42 6.6 Space, Comfort and Ease of Use 42 7. Bathrooms and WCs 43 7.1 Decoration 43 7.2 Sanitary Ware and Fittings 44 7.3 Flooring 44 7.4 Lighting, Heating and Ventilation 45 7.5 Space, Comfort and Ease of Use 45 8. Self Catering Kitchen 46 8.1 Décor and Flooring 46 8.2 Lighting, Heating and Ventilation 46 8.3 Furniture and Fittings 47 8.4 Cookers and Electrical Equipment 47 8.5 Kitchen and Dining Ware 48 8.6 Space, Comfort and Ease of Use 49 9. Other Facilities 50 9.1 Laundry and Drying Rooms 50 9.2 Recreation / Additional Facilities 50 5 Code of Conduct and Conditions of Participation 6 5 The Quality Standard for Hostel Accommodation General Overview The Quality Standard for Common Standards Hostel Accommodation VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales, with the support (This includes Backpacker, Group the government, have worked together to agree, support and develop common standards for assessing the quality of and Activity Accommodation) hostel accommodation in Britain. Quality Assessment Each organisation is using these common standard requirements to determine the Star rating for your There are five levels of quality ranging from One to Five Star. establishment. The rating will be the same whichever To obtain a higher Star rating a progressively higher quality of organisation has carried out the assessment. This will enable services and physical facilities should be provided across all VisitEngland to more easily promote hostel accommodation areas with particular emphasis in six key areas - cleanliness, across Britain. hospitality/service, bedrooms, bathrooms, public areas and kitchens. The Requirements At the highest levels of quality, some additional and appropriate facilities and services are expected in addition to The requirements for the Star ratings have been based on the the very best in guest care. existing standards of all the organisations plus extensive research into the needs and expectations of visitors. We have also consulted widely with the industry. Quality Terminology The feedback received from the industry shows strong The phrases such as 'good', 'very good' etc. to signify support for a common quality standard for hostel ascending levels of quality are used in broad terms only. accommodation throughout the countries where the These standards indicate typical consumer expectations of schemes operate. The aim for this revised common quality each star level. They are neither prescriptive nor definitive standard is to work continually with industry to raise quality because we recognise the wide variety of quality elements standards in line with the ever-evolving expectations of that can be included. consumers. What is Quality? Dispensations When we are assessing quality we take into account the Dispensations for certain individual requirements within the following: quality standards may be given as long as all the remaining • Intrinsic quality - the inherent value of an item. requirements and quality levels for that rating are met or exceeded. This flexibility will be on a case-by-case basis and • Condition - the maintenance and appearance of an item. will have to be agreed by the Standards Review Group Is it fit for the purpose? (SRG), which represents all the three organisations who • Physical and personal comfort - does the quality or lack of operate the Common Standards - VisitEngland, VisitScotland an item detract in any way from the comfort of the guest? and VisitWales. Any exceptions will need a proportional increase in quality in other areas to compensate for the area • Attention to detail - the evident care taken to ensure that where an exception is sought. the guest experience is special and of the same high standards for all.