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Accordingly, on September 18th, online booking sites like Agoda and Booking no longer displayed the star ratings of many hotels in Hoi An that were considered "self-proclaimed 5-star hotels".
Le Pavillon Hoi An Gallery Hotel at 288 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Hoi An City, has removed its self-proclaimed 5-star rating from its Agoda website - Photo: BD
Many 5-star hotels suddenly... are fine.
On Agoda, the star rating for Le Pavillon Hoi An Gallery hotel at 288 Nguyen Duy Hieu (Hoi An) has been hidden. Previously, both in reality and on various platforms, the Le Pavillon Hoi An chain of accommodations displayed numerous 4-5 star ratings, even though the authorities had not yet officially certified these establishments.
When speaking to reporters, a representative from Le Pavillon Hoi An explained that the self-assigned star rating was merely a marketing ploy. The stone with four stars on the hotel's sign is simply… four stones! Although the hotel hasn't been officially awarded a 4- or 5-star rating, the standard they provide to guests is "local standard, stars according to… local ranking."
Similarly, on its fanpage, KOI resort Hoi An in Cua Dai ward has also removed false information about its standards such as "5-star service," "meeting 5-star standards," etc.
The four star-shaped ornaments at the entrance to Le Pavillon Hotel at 145B Tran Nhan Tong Street, Hoi An, have been explained by hotel staff as simply four stones - Photo: BD
However, many hotels that haven't been officially certified with 4-5 stars continue to mislead tourists. At 3 PM on September 18th, the Belleriver Hoi An hotel at 33 Le Dai Hanh Street was still displaying as a 5-star accommodation on the Agoda platform.
Similarly, although KOI resort Hoi An has removed the information from its fanpage, its star rating is still displayed inaccurately on online booking channels.
Cracking down on self-proclaimed "5-star" hotels.
The Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that following the Tuoi Tre newspaper article, they conducted surprise inspections and found many tourist accommodation establishments that had not been assessed and certified with star ratings according to regulations, but were still using terms such as "a five-star", "5 stars", "most reputable", "best"... to advertise on websites, Facebook, Booking, Traveloka, Agoda... This has caused confusion about star ratings for tourists.
To create a healthy tourism environment, the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism requires businesses to strictly comply with current regulations.
Despite not yet being officially rated 5 stars, this hotel continues to display a 5-star rating on its online booking platform - Photo: BD
Do not use words like "best," "unique," "finest," "number one," or words with similar meanings in advertising without legitimate documentation to prove it; do not use images or advertising language that is inaccurate or misleading regarding business capabilities or the ability to provide products, goods, or services.
Explaining why, despite official directives, many accommodations on online platforms still self-label themselves as 4-5 stars, a representative from the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that because the servers of these platforms are located abroad, it takes a considerable amount of time to process the information.
"We are asking businesses to work with the owners of these platforms to make corrections that will not mislead tourists," the representative said.
