Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has updated the Abu Dhabi Hotel Classification Manual, establishing new standards for guest experience and service quality.
In a statement, DCT Abu Dhabi said a new edition of the manual, which was first introduced in 2007 and updated in 2018, was launched during Arabian Travel Market.
“The manual sets comprehensive and measurable standards for hotel classification, covering service excellence, facilities management, health and safety and sustainability practices,” the statement said.
The revised manual expands hotel classification categories, aligns the emirate’s classification system more closely with international hospitality practices and introduces enhanced sustainability requirements, the statement said.
It also refines the existing criteria covering service standards, facilities management, health and safety and sustainability practices to reflect changes in the global hospitality industry.
DCT Abu Dhabi said the updated system was intended to make hotel standards clearer and more consistent across the emirate, while providing establishments with specialised classifications through which they could distinguish their services and facilities.
A new recognition system comprising seven accolades has also been introduced to reward hotels that demonstrate excellence in specific areas. These include Emirati Dhiyafa, Green Excellence, Wellness and Hospitality Innovation. The statement did not identify the other three accolades.
According to DCT Abu Dhabi, the updated standards are expected to benefit visitors by providing more consistent hotel experiences. Hotels will be able to differentiate their offerings through the specialised classifications, while investors will benefit from adjusted infrastructure requirements.
The statement did not provide details of the expanded classification categories or specify how the infrastructure requirements had been adjusted.
The new criteria are also intended to align the hotel classification system with the objectives of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 and support quality and sustainable growth in the hospitality sector, DCT Abu Dhabi said.
Hamad Mohammed Alsudain, Executive Director of Support Services at DCT Abu Dhabi, said maintaining standards of quality, service and guest experience remained important as the emirate’s tourism sector continued to grow.
“The updated Hotel Classification Manual reinforces these standards while establishing a benchmark that reflects Abu Dhabi’s distinctive approach to hospitality and destination excellence,” he said.
“By providing greater consistency and clarity across the sector, we are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s competitiveness as a leading global destination while ensuring visitors continue to experience the exceptional quality and hospitality for which the emirate is known.”
DCT Abu Dhabi said the update followed consultations with hospitality-sector stakeholders across the emirate. Hotel establishments will be given a grace period to implement the new standards, although the statement did not specify its duration.
The department’s Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Department is overseeing the rollout and will support hotels during the transition to ensure that the standards are applied consistently across Abu Dhabi, the statement said.
DCT Abu Dhabi had previously launched the Emirati Dhiyafa Standards, a practical and measurable framework designed to incorporate Emirati hospitality and national identity into the guest experience at hotels and hotel apartments across the emirate.
