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Hotels to Offer Flexible Check-in and Check-out Times and Rates for their Clients |
| March 2006 - At the last meeting of the of the International Organization
for Standardization Consumer Policy Committee (ISO - COPOLCO) held in Toronto,
Canada in 2005, COPOLCO called for the hotel industry to abandon its fixed
check-in and check out times indicating that consumers should be charged
only for the amount of time spent in a hotel room. For example, if a client
checks in at midnight and leaves at 6am the next morning, COPOLCO proposes
that a client only be charged for a 6-hour stay instead of a full night�s
hotel accommodation, �Instead of fixed check-in and check-out time, which
invariably affect the consumers adversely, the consumers should be charged
on the 24 hourly basis i.e. his check in time should start from the time
he actually checks-in a hotel and finishes when he leaves that hotel. It
is believed that such a standard policy, which should be made compulsory
for the hotel industry to follow, will go a long way in protecting the
interests of tourists/consumers."
IH&RA, serving as the industry�s international watchdog, steadfastly opposes this initiative which would have the adverse affect of harming the consumers�but how? Imposed Standards Mean More Expense to the Consumer � Not Less If hotels were imposed such a �standard�, the immediate effect would be an increase in rates � not a decrease. This is immediately obvious to any hotelier � but not obvious to consumer groups and standards organizations. This is precisely why IH&RA opposes international standards by organizations and policy agencies that do not understand the intricacies of the hotel business. Currently, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is engaged in a full blown campaign to draft �standards for tourism services� just as they currently propose standards for consumer products like cars and dishwashing detergents�it does not work for service industries that are unique and variable depending on location and the type of clients that they serve. IH&RA is vehemently opposed to Standards for Tourism Services and will take this message to the next meeting of ISO to be held in Tunisia on March 27-28 2006. Why Hotels are Opposed to Hourly Rates Fixed check-in / check-out times proposed by hotels are in the interest of the consumer as they ensure proper functioning of hotel operations - from housekeeping to safety and security. If hotels are mandated to check-in and check-out customers at all hours of the day � and charge them for their stay accordingly � rates would sky rocket to cover fixed costs associated with round-the-clock housekeeping, front office and back office personnel. The hotel industry has a fixed checked-in / check-out time policy that works well in the interest of their clients. Consumer Groups should also recognize that the majority of all hotels are already flexible with early check-in and late check-out requests based on the occupancy of the hotel. This flexibility is more or less dependent on the individual property � some hotels located by airports, train stations or auto routes already do offer flexible rates based on a 24-hour clock � but this should not be a sweeping policy applied to the entire industry at large. Every hotel is different and this is why blanket standards for tourism services (as is being proposed by the International Organization for Standardization) do not work. Some hotels cater to business travelers � some to leisure travelers. Some hotels cater to clients that arrive individually while others cater to groups that arrive by boat or for a week�s ski vacation with a Saturday check-in and check-out. Hotel Industry Is Proactive The hotel industry is in the business of providing the best possible service to its clients all of whom are themselves unique: Some arrive late and depart early; Some arrive early and depart late. On the operations side, cleaning and servicing the rooms depends on the flow of traffic which is different from hotel to hotel and resort to resort. What hotels & restaurants can do IH&RA is calling on all national hotel associations, hotel groups and individual operators to write to their national standardization offices to oppose such initiatives as Standards for Tourism Services by the deadline of 20 March. These standards, although deemed �voluntary�, could become used as reference for the creation of national legislation and additional standards for the hospitality industry � flexible check-in and check-out just one. IH&RA has a prepared template lobbying letter available on its website (www.ih-ra.com) along with information and contact details of the standards organization in your country. Go on-line today. To voice your opinion in this matter and join the fight against costly standards for the tourism industry, write to: Elizabeth Carroll-Simon, Director Industry Affairs and International Relations at: [email protected] What our members have to say
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| Contact:
International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA)
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