From 25 to 27 October, Armenian Hotel Association, represented by President Mikayel Mayrapetyan, participated to 87th General Assembly of HOTREC (umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Cafés and similar establishments in Europe) and 6th General Assembly of the Hotelstars Union (European system of harmonised hotel classification with the common criteria for 21 member countries) in Brussels, Belgium.
On the occasion of their 6th General Assembly on 25 October, the members of the Hotelstars Union made an important decision on expanding the common hotel classification in Europe.
Armenia was newly admitted to the circle of member countries of the Hotelstars Union. Since May 2023, the country had observer status and was now declared an associate member of the Hotelstars Union after only six months. “With Armenia, we now welcome another country from the Caucasus to our Stars family. We have gained an important tourism partner,” HSU President Luthe welcomes Armenia as the 21st member of the HSU.
“Our vision is to achieve European standards for a dynamic development of our industry. One of them is the Europe-wide harmonised criteria of the Hotelstars Union for hotel classification. By finally joining the HSU as an associate member, we can start the implemetation of the system in Armenia next year”, underlined the President of the Armenian Hotel Association, Mikayel Mayrapetyan, during the 6th General Assembly of the Hotelstars Union.
Currently, the Armenian government, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism Committee, in collaboration with the Armenian Hotel Association, is developing new Tourism law, where it is anticipated that the Association will be in charge of setting industry standards, star ranking, classifying and certifying the hotels. “Thanks to membership to Hotelstars Union, we expect an enormous boost of recognition and trust for our country and competitive advantage for those hotels which join this system of internationally comparable and reliable criteria”, Mayrapetyan concluded.
During the meeting Markus Luthe (CEO at the German Hotel Association) was re-elected as the Hotelstars Union (HSU) president.
“Our harmonised hotel classification system is and remains at the cutting edge and will continue to offer orientation, transparency and high quality for guests and hoteliers in the future,” emphasises HSU President Luthe.
At the committee meeting in the Belgian capital, a preliminary catalogue of criteria 2025 – 2030 was also adopted as a common basis for awarding the hotel stars in the member countries. Every five years, the members of the Hotelstars Union put the criteria catalogue to the test so that the hotel classification does not lose its attractiveness and significance on the market. The current update of the criteria catalogue is to be completed in spring 2024. From 1 January 2025 at the latest, the new criteria will be mandatory for all 21 member countries of the Hotelstars Union and valid until 2030. As Armenia will start hotel certification in 2024, it will be the first country in Europe which will officially award the hotels stars using the new catalogue.
About Hotelstars Union
Under the patronage of HOTREC Hospitality Europe, the hotel associations of Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland form the Hotelstars Union. It was founded in 2009 and has been operating as an association under Belgian law with its headquarters in Brussels since 2021. The Hotelstars Union reliably classifies hotels in categories from 1 to 5 hotel stars according to a common catalogue of criteria in already 21 European countries. With already more than 22,000 classified hotels or 1.2 million classified hotel rooms in its member countries, it offers transparency, quality and security for guests and hoteliers. You can find detailed information at www.hotelstars.eu.
About HOTREC
HOTREC is the umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Cafés and similar establishments in Europe. It brings together 47 national associations in 36 European countries and serves as the voice of the European hospitality industry. HOTREC’s mission is to represent and champion the industry’s interests towards the EU and international institutions, foster knowledge sharing and best practices among its members to promote innovation and serve as an expert platform for the hospitality sector. The European hospitality industry is a vital economic contributor, comprising over 1.8 million businesses and employing more than 9 million people. It plays a vital role in driving economic growth and job creation, contributing approximately 2-3% to the total EU GDP. The industry is characterised by a high level of entrepreneurship, with 99% of businesses classified as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These companies bring innovation, creativity, and a personal touch to the industry. You can find detailed information at www.hotrec.eu․
