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Contents

Star!Rating!Guidance!................................................................!3!

Mandatory!and!Minimum!Requirements!........................!4!

Barrier!Free!Facilities!for!Persons!with!Disabilities!!

(PWD)!.............................................................................................!7!

Cleanliness!Guidelines!.............................................................!8!

Service!Guidelines!...................................................................!10!

Quality!Guidelines!...................................................................!14!

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Star!Rating!Guidance!
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! These enterprises appeal to budget minded travellers. There is a

limited range of facilities and services
! (251 – 400 Points)
These enterprises appeal to the tourists seeking more than basic
! accommodations. They offer expanded facilities and a higher level
(401 – 550 Points) of comfort
!
These enterprises offer a very good level of accommodations. There
! are more spacious public areas, higher quality of facilities and a greater
(551 – 700 Points) range of services
!
These properties are upscale in all areas. Accommodation is refined
!
and stylish. Service is responsive, often including an extensive array
(701 – 850 Points) of facilities

These properties reflect the characteristics of luxury and

sophistication. The facilities are world class in every manner and
(851 – 1000 Points) the meticulous service exceeds all guest expectations
Mandatory!and!Minimum!Requirements!
Mandatory requirements (M) are requirements without which an enterprise shall not be accredited. Minimum
requirements (m) are requirements to a certain classification, without which the establishment will not be
awarded such classification but instead be downgraded to a lower one, regardless of the total points
accumulated

Mandatory Requirements M
• Building Appearance (1 – 5 Stars)
! Exterior in a clean fit for purpose condition
! Name clearly visible from the street and during night time

• Entrance / Exit & Parking (1 – 5 Stars)

! Driveway is in sound condition and free from significant potholes with no obvious obstructions
! Driveway entrance is clearly marked and is visible at night time
! Clearly designated parking / docking area (if applicable), that meets relevant provisions of the
National Building Code

• Security (1 – 5 Stars)
! Professional security in place 24 hours at main entry point
! Property and security services designed to ensure guest safety at all times

• Reception – Service Hours (1 – 2 Stars)

! Reception service available 16 hours

• Luggage Services (1 – 5 Stars)

! Left luggage services available without dedicated space

• Other Arrival / Departure Aspects (1 – 5 Stars)

! Guests must be provided with Official Receipt on departure

• Public Areas – Room Climate (1 – 5 Stars)

! All public areas are ventilated or have temperature control initiatives and maintain a temperature
between 20 – 30 degrees year round; except in areas where elevation is 2,000ft above sea level

• Bedroom – Accessories and Amenities (1 - 5 Stars)

! Drinking water and one glass per guest
• Bedroom – Cleanliness (1 - 5 Stars)
! All rooms are cleaned daily and all beds are made daily
! Waste bin provided and emptied daily

• Bathroom (1 – 5 Stars)
! Baths and / or showers with functioning hot and cold water. Hot water reaches 38 degrees within
20 seconds
! Toilet system in working order

• Toiletries – Availability (1 – 5 Stars)

! Toilet paper provided

• Food and Beverage – Availability of Restaurants (1 – 5 Stars)

! Breakfast room available

• Kitchen – Quality of Appliances (1 – 5 Stars)

! Compliance with Health and Sanitation Code of the Philippines

• Amenities – Guest Services (1 – 3 Stars)

! Room Services availability for minimum of 12 hours

• Business Practices (1 – 5 Stars)

! Emergency and fire evacuation procedures are followed and in place
! Backup generator or emergency power is available, capable of providing full power
! Resort meets all current regulations and legislative requirements to operate a Resort (Air pollution,
Sanitary Code, Fire Code, Accessibility Law).
Minimum Requirements m
• Entrance / Exit & Parking (4 – 5 Stars)
! Valet parking provided

• Reception – Service Hours (3 – 5 Stars)

! Reception service available 24 hours

• Porter Services (3 – 5 Stars)

! Porter Services are available

• Bedroom – Room Size (including bathroom)

! 1 Star: 16 sq. m
! 2 Star: 18 sq. m
! 3 Star: 20 sq. m
! 4 Star: 25 sq. m plus minimum 2% of rooms are suites
! 5 Star: 30 sq. m plus minimum 5% of rooms are suites

• Bedroom – Accessories and Amenities

! 2 – 5 Stars: In-room compendium with basic information on
emergency contacts
! 3 – 5 Stars: Tea / coffee facilities in room
Telephone provided in each room with direct dial
In-room compendium with extended information including minim bar price list
and restaurant menu
! 4 – 5 Stars: In-room compendium with extensive regional
information on what to see and do

• Food and Beverage – Availability of Restaurants

! 3 – 5 Stars: Full service restaurant open 7 days a week (including
breakfast)
! 4 – 5 Stars: Additional specialty restaurant / fine dining

• Amenities – Guest Services (4 – 5 Stars)

! Room Service 18 – 24 hours
Barrier!Free!Facilities!for!Persons!with!Disabilities!(PWD)!

• Bedroom Availability (M)

! One PWD room for every 50 up to 150 room, and 1 for every 100 rooms thereof, for less than 50
rooms at least one PWD room

• General
! 5% of all rooms shall be designated for PWD, but not less than 2 rooms
! Reception areas shall provide low and recessed or split-level counters that can both accommodate
standing persons and those seated in wheelchairs
! All interior doors shall have at least a width of ninety (90) cm to accommodate big and motorized
wheelchairs

• PWD Bedrooms
! Lever type door handles
! Dual height peepholes with the lower one at 39 inches from the floor
! Light switches at maximum 47 inches from the floor
! Electrical outlets at a minimum of 18 inches from the floor
! Bed height at maximum of 20 inches
! Easy to open (preferably sliding) closet doors
! Dual height hanger racks with lower rack at 55 inches from the floor

• PWD Bathrooms
! Toilet flooring of non-slippery surface materials even when wet
! Toilet bowls should be positioned where a vertical or climbing bar shall be positioned on the wall at
12 inches from the front tip of the toilet bowl to offer support when users pull or elevate
themselves to a standing position
! Grab bars should be placed on both sides at 28 – 30 inches from the floor for the safety and
effective utility, the distance between the bars not exceeding 30 inches
! Toilet bowls should be elevated to a range of 18 – 20 inches from the floor

• PWD Elevators
! Can accommodate a minimum of two (2) wheelchairs
! The exterior and interior button panels shall not exceed 47 inches from the floor
! The panel buttons shall feature braille signs or otherwise embossed with familiar signs for those not
educated in braille
! Speaker system shall also be in place to inform he blind to what floor the elevator is already at
! Equipped with handrails placed on both sides at 28 – 30 inches from the floor

!
Cleanliness!Guidelines!

BEDROOMS Area Looking for / at:

First Impression Overview of whole room Well aired, clean look, tidy appearance

Furniture Surfaces Dust

Drawers Crumbs, hairs, lost property
Inside / outside wardrobe Dust and additional bedding
Behind mirrors / tv’s Dust levels
Under furniture Dust levels and objects from previous guests

Beds / Bedding Sheets and blankets
Pillows and cushions
Mattress / pillow protectors
Headboard
Behind / under beds
Bedding
Holes, stains and standard of laundering
Plumpness and stains
Hairs, stains and frequency of laundering
Grease marks and hairs
Levels of dust and debris
Hairs, stains and dirt

Lamps Lamp shades and bases Dust, spillages from drinks

Switches Finger marks and dust

General Pictures Levels of dust

Heating / cooling units Debris and dust
Mini-fridges Sticky drink spillages, items from previous guests
Tea / coffee trays Dust, drink spillages, cleanliness of coffee maker
Telephone Greasy marks on receiver, dirty key pad
Guest directory Presentation, rings from cups, food, etc…

D Walls Light switches Finger marks

Wall coverage / moldings Marks and dust

D Carpet Pile Stains, frequency of vacuuming

D Soft Furnishings Upholstery Stains, frequency of deep cleaning

Under cushions Dust and debris
Sides / arms Marks and dust

D Windows Casements Dust, insects

Window coverage Check valances and curtains for stains and tears

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 BATHROOMS Area Looking for / at:

First Impression Overview of whole room Clean, neat, towels in place

Toilet Inside / outside bowl Stains, hairs, etc…

Under rim / seat Scrubbed clean, free of streaks, stains and hairs
Adjacent walls Splashes of urine, cleaning fluids
Behind toilet Dust, dirt, toilet paper, hair, etc…
Toilet brush holder Toilet paper residue, stagnant water, etc…

Bath / Shower Drain Hairs, sparkling chrome

Behind taps Plumpness and stains
Sealant / grouting Scum, mildew, and mold
Ventilation Levels of dust, noise
Curtains Mildew, hairs
Screens Smears, splashes, dust
Showerheads Limescale, mildew

Washbasin Taps Sparkling chrome, slime, scum

Overflow Hairs, other residue
Underside / pedestal Hairs, splashes
Mirror Smears, splashes

Flooring Edges / ledges Levels of dust, stains and residue

Lighting Light coverings and switches Dust, flies, finger prints

D Drinking Utensils Glasses Lipstick, toothpaste, smears

D Towels Freshness Fresh smelling, plumpness, stains

PUBLIC AREAS Area Looking for / at:

First Impression Overview of whole room Polished surfaces, fragrance, etc…

General Inside / outside bowl Stains, hairs, etc…

Under rim / seat Scrubbed clean, free of streaks, stains and hairs
Adjacent walls Splashes of urine, cleaning fluids
Behind toilet Dust, dirt, toilet paper, hair, etc…
Toilet brush holder Toilet paper residue, stagnant water, etc…

Flooring Hardwood Dust, scratches, etc…

Carpet Depth of pile, vacuuming, etc…

General Pictures Levels of dust

Heating / cooling units Hairs, other residue
Telephone Greasy marks on receiver / dirty key pads
 Service!Guidelines!
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Service

What is service? Good quality service is essentially about identifying a guest’s needs and meeting, and trying to
exceed, their expectations. Within the DOT Accommodation Standards the assessor’s role is to identify the key
elements of good quality service at each of the 1 to 5 star grading levels. These will inevitably be stronger or
weaker within each establishment, and will ‘spill over’ each star grading band. The assessor’s role and skill is to
recognize each of these standards as ‘outputs’ by the staff and management, and, importantly, the likelihood of
their delivery being consistent.

These service guidelines will help you make judgments when assessing and scoring for accreditation. As in all
the other areas of the DOT Quality Guidelines this section will also help you when you are providing advice
on strengths and weaknesses during the assessment, and in the assessment meeting and debrief.

Service Delivery

Service delivery is identified as meeting the hotel or resort guest’s needs, and then trying to exceed these to add
more value. These needs are:

1. Providing secure, safe and clean accommodation.

Hotels and resorts must provide guest rooms within a well-managed and clean property. The product
that guests are purchasing differs from many other tourism products, such as activities and retail, in
that it is an essential and fundamental human need to find safe and secure accommodation for the
night. Guests should be comfortable and confident that the hotel has their welfare at heart at all times.
Rooms should be safe and secure for guests and their belongings, and all hygiene rules met and fulfilled
by the management.

2. Providing food and drink.

Guests need to find hotels and resorts that provide well-prepared, well-presented and well-served food
and drink. All must be provided in accordance with good safety and hygiene standards.

3. Providing satisfaction of all other needs.

Guests will appreciate a friendly welcome and happy smiling faces. This should be provided within
pleasant, relaxing surroundings. Guests wish to have all their questions answered and their requests
met.

4. Providing skillful service, with appreciation and respect.

The hotel and resort management are professional hospitality providers. They should be proud of this,
their knowledge and their expertise. They should, accordingly, treat their paying guests with interest and
respect.
What we expect

At the 1 and 2 star grades, we expect a relatively straightforward range of services to be provided. These may
often be provided by the owner of the enterprise and their family as well as staff members. All enquiries,
requests and bookings and complaints from guests will be dealt with efficiently, promptly and in a polite
manner.

Service and efficiency skills overall will be of an at least competent standard. A hotel or resort that is actually
aiming for a 1 or 2 star grade will usually have identified that its target market is the budget sector, whether
business, backpackers, families etc.

At 3 stars, we are looking for very good guest service with appropriate staffing levels to provide a prompt and
efficient service to the individual guest without detriment to other service areas being provided at the same
time.

They will have identified that its guests may also often stay in 4 and 5 star hotels and resorts.

Assessors need to identify good social skills and anticipation of individual guests’ needs. This should be evident
in dealings with all guests at all times.

All staff should demonstrate a positive attitude and a willingness to help.

All service, efficiency and technical skills should be of a very good standard.

At 4 stars we are assessing a much smaller number of higher quality hotels and resorts. Excellent guest service
will be identified, giving the guests the impression of being well cared for by trained, professional and attentive
staff.

Excellent social skills will evident as will anticipation of individual guests’ needs evident in dealings with all
guests.

High quality service, efficiency, friendliness and hospitality will be provided for all guests without adversely
affecting any other services at any time.

5 stars hotel and resorts will be very small in number. Assessors will be aiming to identify flawless and
unobtrusive guest service in the very best hotels and resorts in the Philippines, SE Asia and the world.
 These properties will give the guests the impression of being very well and individually cared for by highly
trained, professional proactive and very well managed staff.

The staff and management will display outstanding social skills and anticipation of all guests’ needs at all times.

Service delivery will be provided by a highly structured team, even in the smallest enterprises, with a clear
management and supervisory hierarchy. Hotels and resorts with an international market will be multi-lingual.

How To Identify Good Quality Service

The DOT Standards provide indicators as examples to help identify and score service delivery in each area that
is assessed.

However, it is helpful as assessors to ask yourself some key questions – to get ‘in a frame of mind’ - at all times
before and when you are assessing a hotel or resort. This will help you make a judgment and decide on the final
score for each area.

1. Does the hotel and resort, and its staff, make a good first and lasting impression?

• Are staff smiling, speaking softly, knowledgably, confidently and politely?

• Are they dressed in appropriate clothing?

• Do they guide the guest easily into the hotel, through arrival and to and towards/or into their
room?

• Do they make any adjustments for the guest’s comfort and needs?

• Do they note that some guests do not stay in hotels frequently and may be nervous, and that
other guests are familiar with a hotel environment?

• Do they note that some guests arrive tired after travel and may be stressed?

• Does each member of the staff carry out their role professionally and effectively?

• Do staff members provide an acknowledgement every time they come across a guest, such as
greeting, a smile or a simple nod of the head?

• Do they remember guests when encountered?

 2. Are staff knowledgeable?

• Are the entire staff team well versed in the hotel or resort’s services and facilities?

• Do they know the answers to all likely guests’ questions about the hotel, and the surrounding
area?

• Do staff know about, for example, the benefits of each different room level on offer, or about
items on the menu, how long they will take to be delivered?

• If they do not know an answer, are they able to remove themselves and return with it, or ask
someone else to respond?

3. Do they accommodate all reasonable wishes of the guest?

• Do the staff and management appear to make every effort to accommodate the needs and
wishes of their guests relating to their own responsibilities, and do it with a smile?

• Do staff do this even when the request may seem strange or unusual (such as food or beverage
at an unusual time)?

4. Do the staff and management appear to work as a team?

• Do staff work ‘seamlessly’ together?

• Do staff help and support each other?

• Do they willingly complete another team member’s work for the benefit of the entire team?

Keeping these key areas and outputs in your mind when carrying out an assessment will help you when scoring
for each hotel and resort accreditation. It will also help you when providing constructive advice on service
standards for each hotel and resort during the assessment, and during the final assessment meeting and debrief.