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Assessment Awards explained

VisitBritain Awards

VisitBritain's unique Gold and Silver Awards are given to establishments in recognition of exceptional quality within their existing rating. Properties therefore already need to be accredited in order to enter these awards.

Gold Award
This award is given to Hotels and Guest Accommodation. It reflects a very high level of quality. Properties achieving the Gold Award have exceptional levels of quality, comfort and cleanliness in bedrooms and bathrooms, and outstanding levels of customer care and food.

Silver Award
This award is given to Hotels and Guest Accommodation. It reflects a high level of quality, comfort and cleanliness in bedrooms and bathrooms with very good levels of customer care and food provision.

Rose Award
Rose Awards are given to individual caravans where the overall holiday parks services and facilities provide very good or exceptional levels of quality. These can only be found on 4 or 5 star Holiday Parks.

walkers cyclists Welcome for Walkers & Cyclists
This accolade is given to establishments who make a conscious effort to welcome walkers and cyclists and go out of their way to meet specific needs. Two sets of criteria have been drawn up which focus on the specific requirements for walkers and cyclists such as somewhere to dry wet outdoor clothing overnight, somewhere to clean off cycles or walking boots, appropriate food arrangements etc.

The AA Awards (percentage %)

AA Merit Scores
In addition to the star classification, the AA gives each hotel an AA Merit Score in the form of a percentage. This indicates the level of quality achieved within each star rating and will help you to compare hotels with the same number of stars.

Good Quality - (64% to 70%). A hotel, which more than satisfies the minimum standards and in certain areas offers higher standards than its star rating requires.

High Quality - (71% and above). A very good hotel, which is strongly recommended for achieving excellent standards in most areas of its operation.

Red Diamond Award & AA Rosettes (for outstanding cuisine)

Diamonds
Bed & Breakfast accommodation assessed by the AA before January 2006 was graded using a Diamond rating. Establishments were awarded one diamond at the simplest level and up to five diamonds at the luxury end, based on an assessment of cleanliness, service, bedroom comfort, bathroom facilities and the standard of food.

Red Diamonds
Recognise the very best establishments within the three, four and five Diamond rating levels, and are amongst the top 10% of establishments in the country.

Red Stars
These hotels are amongst the top 200 Hotels in Great Britain and Ireland. The awards are made annually in recognition of excellence within each star rating.

The AA's Rosette Award Scheme
Is the only homegrown nationwide scheme for assessing the quality of food served by hotels and restaurants. They are annual awards, on a rising scale of one to five, and the emphasis is solely on the quality of the food served, although presentation and competent service are important, they cannot affect the rosette assessment. Not all hotels and restaurants qualify for an award, but will generally serve enjoyable food.

RAC Accolades

Formally the RAC assessed serviced accommodation with the grading being honoured up until the 31st December 2006.
RAC graded the service establishments with either stars or diamonds, in addition to these assessments, accolades such as Little Gem, Gold, White & Blue Ribbons were awarded for further standards of quality.

Establishments are not permitted to use their gradings or certain accolades after the 31st December 2006. However the accolades Little Gem, Gold, White & Blue Ribbons are allowed to be used within promotional or advertising material showing the year that they were attained.

Other Awards

David Bellamy Conservation Award (BH&HPA)
The David Bellamy conservation awards are made each year to parks which can demonstrate policies showing active concern for the environment. Assisted by local nature groups and holiday makers themselves, David Bellamy looks at virtually every aspect of park management - from the protection of plant and animal habitats to the efficient use of energy and recycling. Helping visitors to understand conservation is also considered an important qualifying feature. These three levels of excellence can be achieved: Gold, Silver, Bronze.

Green Island Awards
The Green Island Award is a certification scheme which encourages tourism businesses to go green. This includes saving water, reducing energy use, gardening for wildlife, cutting down waste and using local produce. The Awards are based on an accumulative points system that is translated into a percentage score and depending on what percentage the business achieves will determine the type of award given, either Gold, Silver or Bronze. For further information visit www.greenislandtourism.org