DTCM Director-General Khalid A bin Sulayem stated that the 10-year old system in place for the 5 star system of hotel ratings will soon be replaced (possibly in the first quarter of 2008) with a tougher system which will be mainly applied to all new hotels and hotel apartements.

The number of visitors to Dubai reached seven million last year, according to statistics from the department. The emirate’s hotels netted earnings of up to Dh11 billion in the first 10 months of 2007, compared with Dh8.7bn in 2006. Hotel occupancy in the emirate is the highest in the world. Last year, the rate stood between 70 per cent and 100 per cent in winter, and from 60 per cent to 90 per cent in summer,” said Bin Sulayem.

The new rating system would mean better quality standards and tougher control, ensuring that even self-service hotels apply for classification. This may be an important move in ensuring that Dubai's aim to become a premier tourist destination in the Middle East is boosted by the quality expected by visitors. With the number of hotels and hotel rooms in the market on a steady rise, service quality will become a crucial competitive factor that may decide if hotels fill up or not!

tags: dubai, hotels, hospitality, DTCM, classification, 5-star, ratings, rating-system, dubai-hotels