Setting up and growing a successful visitor accommodation business such as a B&B, hotel, guest house or self-catering house, cottage or flat, camping and caravan sites can be daunting.
The Thanet Tourism Team and Thanet District Council work with Visit Kent and national organisations, such as VisitEngland, to ensure everyone setting up an accommodation business has access to the most useful and up-to-date information and advice.
Thanet District Council is committed to working with existing and potential providers of all forms of visitor accommodation. Visitors need to be assured that the accommodation in which they stay is clean, safe and welcoming and complies with relevant legislation.
Thanet District Council has a policy of promoting quality accredited accommodation or accommodation which been signed-up to the Accommodation Charter.
Quality accredited accommodation includes accommodation which has been inspected and received a quality grading through the National Quality Assessment Scheme or the Kent Accommodation Scheme. It also includes accommodation which has been inspected by an agency or organisation such as Alistair Sawdays, Michelin, Good Hotel Guide or Airbnb Plus and various self-catering agencies which have an inspection scheme and minimum standard. See Grading Schemes and Start Ratings below for further information.
The Accommodation Charter is for properties that have not received a quality grading or are not part of an agency or organisation which carries out its own inspections. Accommodation owners signing up to the Charter commit to meeting a certain level of standards. Please click here to request further information.
Follow the links below to find out the essentials for setting up a business, building your business, the low-down on how to meet and exceed your guests’ expectations, quality grading schemes, sustainability and accessibility, and how to meet the growing demand of visitors keen to enjoy local produce.
Grading Schemes and Star Ratings
2024 New VisitEngland Quality Assessment Scheme
The AA, the UK’s leading hospitality assessment scheme provider, alongside VisitEngland, the national tourism agency, has announced plans to futureproof the hospitality industry. This will be achieved through a modernisation plan which simplifies current quality standards and introduces a free Visitor Ready scheme.
The review was developed over two years. Research indicated that users found the current assessment rating systems and schemes confusing, while support remains for a ratings systems. . As a result, the rating scheme has been simplified and now contains three easily understood categories: Visitor Ready, Quality Assessed, and Quality Star Rated (three to five stars). The new systems aims to provide enhanced clarity and understanding for both tourism businesses and consumers, fostering a more informed decision-making process.
Businesses can sign up to the new Visitor Ready scheme free of charge. It enables businesses in the UK hospitality, leisure, and tourism sectors to showcase their commitment to operating safely within current industry standards and legislation. It enables businesses to access compliance information more easily, and to understand the key safety and cleanliness requirements that today’s visitor expects.
The Visitor Ready scheme is open to all businesses in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors. Businesses can check eligibility at www.visitorready.com, and upload evidence and documentation, confirm key requirements and finish the application in just 20 minutes. Read the FAQs to check what documents you'll need before you start. To learn more about the Visitor Ready Scheme, visit www.visitorready.com
VisitEngland’s Assessment Service and The AA offer inspections and gradings for hotels, B&Bs and guest house. Ratings are determined by the services and facilities provided for guests, the quality of the welcome, service and hospitality of the staff, the food and the cleanliness. Having an official rating helps potential guests know what to expect before they arrive.
Look out for VisitEngland’s Gold, Silver and Breakfast awards, marking out exceptional quality within a property's star rating, or for outperforming a star rating.
Quality in Tourism's Safe, Clean and Legal Scheme helps to reassure potential guests that the property they plan to stay in is safe and compliant. Assessors ensure that businesses have the correct documentation and checks in place from fire safety to food safety, confirming that the accommodation meets or exceeds minimum standards.
The local entry scheme, the Kent Accommodation Scheme, checks purely legal compliance, cleanliness and maintenance for hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and serviced accommodation.
Accommodation providers pay to participate in all schemes, with the local entry scheme being cheaper than the star rating scheme.
Accommodation business which sign up to Thanet District Council’s Accommodation Charter are committing to meet a certain level of standards, including legal responsibilities, a good standard of service and cleanliness and have policies in place for complaints and cancellations. While no physical checks will be carried out, once signed up to the Charter these properties can be promoted by the tourism service. Click here to request further information on the Charter and sign-up forms.
National Accessibility Scheme
The National Accessible Standards, provided by the National Accessibility Scheme (NAS), provide prospective disabled visitors with an indication of the accessibility of serviced and self-catering accommodation covering three types of impairment – mobility, hearing and sight. A fee is charged to take part and more information is available on the corporate information page of the VisitBritain website
Find out more about making your accommodation accessible
Sustainability and Going Green
Find out more about making your accommodation more green
