The Mexican Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) announced launching a system of hotel rating in Mexico. The project has been delayed for more than seven years.
Currently, local hotels assign themselves the stars as they see fit, without any standard or approval by any competent authority.
According to the guidelines for the classification system published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF), all accommodation service providers will have one year to request a specific rating.
The Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels expressed its approval to the implementation of the hotel rating in Mexico which is finally established in conjunction with the Tourism Secretary, Enrique de la Madrid.
"We talked with the secretary and reached an agreement to add an option for 'Unclassified’ to facilitate hotels that delay classification, but supervision was also left solely to the Tourism Ministry, bypassing The Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer (PROFECO). Now the parameters are more flexible and if a star is lost, with improvements it can be regained," said Rafael García, president of the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels.
Hoteliers will fill out a questionnaire which will provide them with a ranking of between 1 and 5 stars. The questionnaire includes items covering eight areas: access, outdoor and general facilities; communication; room and bathroom; food and drink; reception; temperature control; services and, finally, public areas in the hotel.
According to estimates by the Tourism Ministry, in Mexico there are approximately 700,000 hotels in operation. The aim of the new hotel ranking in Mexico is to maintain the same standards throughout the country.