[Andrew Clay]

Originally Posted by Windy

Surprising isn't it that they haven't let us know that the QIT site now does have a Check a Quality Rating section.

It's not up to date or accurate based on a couple of local searches I did, but it is there.

It's fine if you want to check that a property is rated from its name; but the location of the properties are in the wrong places on the map. My cottage is mapped about 3 miles away from its actual location so people might easily think that my property is not assessed if they search by location.

[mrssusanmehta]

Just had a regular guest who asked where she could find quality assessed accommodation now that they are not listed on VE or VB. Have to say that we pay £266 a year and no free listing which I find appalling. The QiT site is a bit hit and miss and some properties land up nearer another location than the location they are in. We will probably abandon QiT come renewal in 31st March 2013.

Here is the link http://www.qualityintourism.com/?sea...r=location&s=#

[greenbarncottages]

I managed to make a little headway with getting our self catering properties appearing correctly in location searches, but it was like trying to run through treacle; in the end I gave up when I decided I was wasting energy on something that won't make a jot of difference to bookings.

Yes, the property search by location is a shambles, but let's be fair; the whole shebang is run by G4S, and right now they've got far more important things to worry about with their minor miscalculations regarding security at the Olympics. Nice to know that they'll be getting full payment despite not delivering the goods; I wonder if their business model would work in the holiday rental business?

[mrssusanmehta]

We have just had regular guests who asked where they could find a website or a publication with all the quality assured accommodation. The reply is nowhere unless you know where you want to go to and if the establishment has paid extra to publicise. The QiT website is very hit or miss whether you find all accommodation on there http://www.qualityintourism.com/# for instance we are located in our village but not in the major town 3 miles away which is also part of our postal address! However, we are also located in the next village also 3 miles away but probably not what our guests are looking for! So no listing in the handbook and no website yet no reduction in the fee.

[Sue: White Horse Walking Holidays]

I've tried checking ratings on that website and it's rubbish, most of our local B&Bs didn't even show up, including mine, and I know for a fact they've been assessed. Very misleading because it makes it look as if we're not actually rated.

[sarah.c]

Hi

I am just starting a self catering holiday let in Essex. It would be very helpful in any one can give me some advice on grading. Is visit Britain the best option or how about the AA?

Any help most grateful.

[greenbarncottages]

Originally Posted by sarah.c

Hi

I am just starting a self catering holiday let in Essex. It would be very helpful in any one can give me some advice on grading. Is visit Britain the best option or how about the AA?

Any help most grateful.

It depends on what you're hoping to achieve from a grading. The most useful outcome is advice and open discussion with the assessor as to where in the market you might want to be positioned, what you've got right and what you might easily improve. In theory, as they're both working to a common standard, VB and the AA should be similar; however, despite the "common standard", there are differences in requirements between the organisations. You can download the standards from both organisations and see how you match up, although the VB information can take a bit of finding.

The big question then is - having got your grading, what do you hope to achieve from it? As you'll have gathered from the rest of this thread, VB no longer do any active marketing on our behalf, and prospective guests have no way of searching for holiday lets of a particular standard. Therefore you won't get any business as a direct result of a VB grading. What it might do for you is provide a differentiating factor in the minds of prospective guests visiting your own website, but bear in mind that many properties claim a star rating on their websites long after they have dropped out of the scheme - if indeed they were ever in it - and you're competing against their false claims.

For the self-catering industry, the VB grading scheme is undoubtedly a sick patient and there's little sign of any future treatment, unless some miraculous new source of funding appears. If your marketing budget is tight, you're much better advised to spend extra on developing your own website with as many quality photos as possible to show prospective guests what they can expect. I've looked briefly at what the AA have to offer, and I'm not convinced they'll provide much more of a marketing benefit. The AA are relatively new into the self-catering industry, and I'm not sure they see it as a key part of their business; if they did, and given that they realise VB's funding situation, they might just be giving their own product a bit more of a push.

As a start up, you may well find a VB assessment visit to be a valuable source of initial advice; don't expect any other benefits and you won't be disappointed.

[sarah.c]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. Very helpful.

[Andrew Clay]

If you want to advertise with the local council sponsored leaflets/websites, some councils require you to be inspected. You should get some bookings from them, though whether it is cost effective is open to debate. I think some people like to use them because they are now one of the few places that only advertise quality assessed properties. Check with your local council about their requirements if you want to advertise with them.