All accommodation on this website is registered with the Padstow Tourist Information Centre and has been quality assessed by VisitEngland or the AA. We also run our own Approved Accommodation Scheme which ensures that all accommodation not assessed by VisitEngland or the AA, is still of a high standard.
All the national assessing bodies (VisitEngland, VisitScotland, VisitWales and the AA) now assess accommodation to the same criteria and award one to five stars or pennants. The ratings reflect the overall quality of the experience. As a general rule, you can expect the following:
1 star: Simple, practical, no frills.
2 star: Well presented and well run.
3 star: Good level of quality and comfort.
4 star: Excellent standard throughout.
5 star: Exceptional with a degree of luxury
More Information
The information provided below is intended as a guide to help you book your accommodation.
For more information on the VisitEngland star ratings please visit www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com
For more information on AA awards, visit the AA website
Grading for Serviced Accommodation
For serviced accommodation, there are two separate categories – one for hotels and one for other guest accommodation. Within this there are service designators, here is a guide:
Classifications
HOTEL
Formal accommodation with full service. Minimum six guest bedrooms but more likely in excess of 20. Hotels have to be licensed, offer dinner at least 5 nights a week (unless categorised as a Metro Hotel) and have all rooms en suite or with private bathrooms.
COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
A Country House Hotel with ample grounds or gardens, in a rural or semi-rural situation with an emphasis on peace and quiet.
SMALL HOTEL
Smaller Hotels with a maximum of 20 bedrooms. They will be personally run by the proprietor and are likely to have limited function business.
TOWN HOUSE HOTEL
High quality town/city centre properties of individual and distinctive style with a maximum of 50 rooms. High staff-to-guest ratio. Public areas may be limited. Possibly no dinner served but room service available instead. Where a dining room is not available room service breakfast is acceptable.
METRO HOTEL
A town/city Hotel providing full hotel services with the exception of dinner. Within easy walking distance of a range of places to eat.
B&B
Accommodation provided in a private house, run by the owner and with no more than six paying guests.
GUEST HOUSE
Accommodation provided for more than six paying guests and run on a more commercial basis than a B&B. Usually more services, for example dinner, provided by staff as well as the owner.
FARMHOUSE
B&B or Guesthouse accommodation provided on a working farm or smallholding.
INN
Accommodation provided in a fully licensed establishment. The bar will be open to non-residents and provide food in the evenings.
RESTAURANT WITH ROOMS
Destination restaurant offering overnight accommodation with the restaurant being the main business and open to non-residents. The restaurant should offer a high standard of food and restaurant service at least five nights a week and have a liquor licence. The property may have no more than a maximum of 12 bedrooms.
GUEST ACCOMMODATION
Any establishment that meets the minimum entry requirements is eligible for this general sub category.
ROOM ONLY
Accommodation which may or may not offer breakfast. Accommodation may be annexed and is likely to be fully en-suite. If breakfast is offered this may be in the form of a tray placed in the room in the fridge, a breakfast pack available for separate purchase or a continental self service option.
Higher star-rated accommodation tends to have more spacious bedrooms and bathrooms, and in hotels a higher staff to guest ratio, so service should be very attentive. At five star, you can really expect to be pampered in luxurious surroundings!
Self Catering
For self-catering accommodation, the layout and design of the accommodation and the range and quality of the kitchen equipment is assessed, as well as the quality and comfort of the bedrooms and bathrooms and most importantly, the cleanliness. There are no separate service designators for self catering but Gold Awards have recently been introduced.
Holiday, Touring & Camping parks
VisitEngland Awards star ratings reflecting the overall quality of the park from one to five stars – five stars being reserved for parks of exceptional quality.
The designators for the Holiday Parks grading scheme are: Holiday Park, Touring Park, Camping Park. There will also be the opportunity to combine designators; Holiday & Camping Park, Holiday & Touring Park, Touring & Camping Park, Holiday, Touring & Camping Park.
The choice of designator will be at the park owner’s discretion – whichever best fits his/her business, subject to approval by VisitEngland, that it does not mislead the consumer and to ensure a consistent approach across all parks.
A Gold Award is available to be awarded to 4 and 5 Star Holiday Parks. To gain this Award the park must have at least one static unit available to hire and must be open for the full letting season (June/July/August). Gold Awards reflect the standard of accommodation. For new applicants, the Gold Award can only be determined at the time of the first visit.
Ratings for campsites and caravan parks by AA inspectors are based on a five-point pennant scale. Pennant ratings increase with the quality and variety of facilities a park offers. The AA Pennant rating is only based on the touring pitches and the facilities at campsites and caravan parks. AA inspectors do not visit or report on rented static caravans or chalets.
More Information
For more information on the VisitEngland Quality Scheme and the star ratings please visit www.visitenglandassessmentservices.com
For more information on AA ratings visit the AA website.
Accommodation Inspections
Professional assessors visit the properties on an annual basis, carrying out a routine day visit or an overnight stay in the case of serviced accommodation. On these occasions, they book in as you would, as a normal guest and test all the facilities and services. A quality score is awarded for every aspect of the experience including the comfort of the bed, the quality of the breakfast and dinner and, most importantly, the cleanliness. They also score the warmth of welcome.
Our Approved Accommodation Scheme involves an annual inspection to ensure that it meets our high standards, in line with other inspecting bodies. Please contact Deborah on 01841-533449 for details.
Awards
VisitEngland Gold and Silver award
Places that ‘go the extra mile’ to make your stay a special one, will be awarded a high star rating and hotels and guest accommodation may achieve a Gold or Silver Award. Silver Awards recognise exceptional quality at all levels and Gold Awards are given to the very ‘best of the best’.
AA Highly Commended Yellow Star award
The Highly Commended Yellow Star award is given to the AA’s best hotels and guest accommodation in the country. From large luxury hotels to snug country inns, they are selected from each of the star-rating levels to recognise exceptional quality of accommodation and customer service.
AA Rosette awards for Restaurants
AA inspectors annually award Rosettes to restaurants for the quality of their food. Most Star-rated hotels have their own restaurants and these are also inspected. Not all receive an AA Rosette award, but they will generally serve enjoyable food of a reasonable standard.
Accommodation quality queries
We hope that you enjoy your stay or visit, however if you have experienced problems when visiting an attraction within the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme, or whilst staying in accommodation in the VisitEngland Quality Assessment Scheme, make your complaint to the management immediately, allowing them the opportunity to put things right.
If the accommodation or attraction is star rated by VisitEngland or AA, and you wish to report a disappointing experience or an experience which exceeded your expectations, please use the following contact details:
For VisitEngland star rated accommodation
VisitEngland Assessment Services
Floor 14 Fanum House
Basingstoke
RG21 4EA
T: 01256 491111
E: VisitEnglandAssessmentServices@theAA.com
For AA star rated accommodation
AA Hotel Services
Floor 14 Fanum House
Basingstoke
RG21 4EA
T: +44 (0) 125 684 4455
E: HotelServicesCustomerSupport@theAA.com