The Ministry of the Economy and Horesca (the national federation of hoteliers, restaurateurs and café owners) offer an official and voluntary classification system (5 star rating system) of hotel accommodation establishments in Luxembourg.

This rating system allows establishments:

• to position themselves in relation to other establishments;

• to offer increased transparency about their services;

• to provide their customers with reliable information;

• to increase quality.

Who is concerned

The hotel accommodation establishments in Luxembourg can submit a request for classification on a voluntary basis.

All establishments that apply are classified in one of the 5 star categories.

Hoteliers may retract their participation in the classification at any moment.

Costs

The 1^st classification is supported by the Ministry of Economy and is free of charge, provided that the request is made in 2017 or 2018.

For first classification requests made as from 2019 or second classification requests, the fee will vary depending on the size of the establishment:

• EUR 550 per hotel with up to 20 rooms;

• EUR 850 per hotel with up to 75 rooms;

• EUR 1,150 per hotel with more than 75 rooms.

How to proceed

Self-assessment

This is an obligatory step in the classification process. Hotel owners must complete the self-assessment form in order to submit their classification application.

Operators can familiarise themselves with the criteria and place their establishment in one of the existing categories.

Each category includes mandatory criteria that the establishment must meet to qualify for classification in this category. A set number of points is awarded for each of these criteria, and each category requires a cumulative number of points which must be reached by the operator. These 2 conditions must be fulfilled simultaneously.

Once the self-assessment has been completed and validated, operators can submit their classification application, along with any necessary supporting documents (service guide, hotel information brochure, etc.).

The information provided must be complete and sincere to ensure a proper classification process.

Visit of the establishment

Once they have received the classification request, inspectors contact the operator and schedule an appointment for a detailed inspection of the establishment.

At least 2 inspectors will come, one representative from Horesca and one representative from the Ministry of the Economy who will check the information received through the self-assessment.

The presence of an official representative of the establishment is necessary during the inspection.

After the inspection, a report is sent to the hotelier who has 2 weeks to take position in writing.

Once the inspection file is finalised, it is submitted to a classification commission. A classification decision is taken within a maximum of 3 months.

The operator signs a contract and agrees to respect the conditions of the classification during its 4-year period of validity. The possibility of control visits is provided for in the contract To extend the classification in time, the hotel must undergo a new inspection.

Hoteliers receives a badge which must be displayed in the entrance of the establishment.

This badge can be recovered by the ministry if the establishment's classification has changed or has been revoked.

Who to contact