Hotels are usually classified in accordance with different criteria. The most widely used are the following criteria: level of comfort; number of rooms, functional purpose; location, nutrition, duration of staying and some others.
The level of comfort is probably the most important factor taken into account by all tourists when buying a tour. This criterion is a complex entity consisting of the following elements: condition and structure of premises: area of rooms, the share of single rooms, apartments, presence of amenities etc.; condition of furniture, inventory etc.; presence, condition and working regime of public catering enterprises like restaurants, cafes, bars and so on; condition of buildings, driveways, adjacent territories; informational and technical equipment including telephones, satellite communications, TV sets, refrigerators, mini-bars, and so on; and the possibility of providing additional services.
There are over thirty systems of classifying the level of comfort of hotels around the world today. The most widespread among them is the star system (or the European system) that many of us have at least heard of. Depending on the level of comfort hotels are given a certain amount of “stars” that are a direct sign for travelers about what they should expect. This system is used in France, Austria, Egypt and many other countries. There is also a system of letters (A, B, C, D) used in Greece, a system of “crowns” used in Great Britain and the system of categories like the ones in Israel or Italy.
