Atout France: the points behind your stars

Today we are taking another look at Atout France, how points are awarded and how hotels are rated. You know what is at stake and so do we. A digital welcome book will be your ally in meeting several of the required criteria, because our goal is for you to keep your stars, or better still, win some back.

Contents

1. What is Atout France's mission?

2. Keep or earn your stars easily with the StyQR digital welcome book

3. Meeting the food and drink requirements

4. Improving the hotel's spaces

5. Offering guests more services

6. Getting reception and the equipment on offer right

7. Clarifying or developing a CSR approach

What is Atout France's mission?

Atout France works alongside tourism professionals every day to showcase what France has to offer visitors: its historical and cultural heritage, its landscapes, its food and wine, and its wide range of leisure and relaxation activities. It also runs several schemes designed to improve guest satisfaction, namely:

* The rating of tourist accommodation: awarding stars to tourism professionals (hotels, furnished rentals, campsites, holiday villages, etc.)

* The registration of travel operators

* The Vignobles & Découverte label: awarded for a three-year period by Atout France following a recommendation from the Conseil Supérieur de l'Œnotourisme

The agency runs promotional campaigns aimed at foreign markets through social media, online advertising and its presence at trade fairs.

Keep or earn your stars easily with the StyQR digital welcome book

Now let's look at the benefits of using a digital welcome book in your property. The criteria are worth between 1 and 5 points each. All you have to do is add the following information to your welcome book to collect the associated points.

Services and products to list

Criteria

Atout France scope

Points

Requirement status

Number of rooms / services offered / room and service rates

Mandatory from 1* to 5*

Criterion 156

Scope: Number of rooms / services offered / room and service rates

No. of points: +3

Status: Mandatory from 1* to 5*

Booking engine accessible from the website

Mandatory for 4* and 5*

Criterion 157

Scope: Booking engine accessible from the website

No. of points: +5

Status: Mandatory for 4* and 5*

Contact form or dedicated email address listed

Mandatory for 1* to 3* and not applicable for 4* and 5*

Criterion 158

Scope: Contact form or dedicated email address listed

Status: Mandatory for 1* to 3* and not applicable for 4* and 5*

Foreign language 1

Mandatory from 2* to 5*

Criterion 159

Scope: Foreign language 1

Status: Mandatory from 2* to 5*

Foreign languages 1 + 2

Mandatory for 5*

Criterion 160

Scope: Foreign languages 1 + 2

Status: Mandatory for 5*

Foreign languages 1 + 2 + 3

Criterion 161

Scope: Foreign languages 1 + 2 + 3

Status: Not mandatory

Website kept up to date

Criterion 162

Scope: Website kept up to date

Pets: state your pet policy on the website

Criterion 207

Scope: Pets, state your pet policy on the website

Reduced mobility: state whether or not the hotel is accessible

Criterion 208

Scope: Reduced mobility, state whether or not the hotel is accessible

No. of points: +2

This first category alone can earn you up to 30 points towards keeping or gaining your stars.

Meeting the food and drink requirements

This category brings together all the food and drink criteria, whether mandatory, optional or not applicable, that need to appear in your welcome book in order to earn points.

Food & drink

Scope

Vending machine

Criterion 23

Scope: Vending machine

Minibar (stocked: 3 ranges of drinks + 3 ranges of snacks)

Criterion 87

Scope: Minibar (stocked: 3 ranges of drinks + 3 ranges of snacks)

Breakfast in a dedicated area

Criterion 190

Scope: Breakfast in a dedicated area

Breakfast on the terrace

Criterion 193

Scope: Breakfast on the terrace

Breakfast in the room

Criterion 194

Scope: Breakfast in the room

No. of points: +4

Status: Mandatory for 4* and 5*

Breakfast to take away

Criterion 195

Scope: Breakfast to take away

Restaurant

Criterion 196

Scope: Restaurant

Snacks

Criterion 198

Scope: Snacks

199 + 200

Room service: display the hours (19 hrs/24 minimum)

Criterion 199 + 200

Scope: Room service

No. of points: +0

Status: Mandatory for 5*

Category 1 drinks service

Criterion 201

Scope: Category 1 drinks service

Bar (Licence IV)

Criterion 202

Scope: Bar (Licence IV)

By including food and drink criteria, you can pick up as many as 30 points.

Improving the hotel's spaces

This category covers all the criteria relating to the hotel's spaces. The more facilities and specialised rooms your hotel has, the more points you will earn. You are almost certainly meeting several of these criteria already.

Hotel spaces

TV room

Criterion 46

Scope: TV room

Ironing room / irons and ironing boards

Criterion 132

Scope: Ironing room / irons and ironing boards

Car park

Criterion 134

Scope: Car park

Bicycle parking

Criterion 135

Scope: Bicycle parking

Area dedicated to an outdoor sport (tennis, etc.)

Criterion 138

Scope: Area dedicated to an outdoor sport (tennis, etc.)

Children's play area (minimum 2 types of equipment)

Criterion 139

Scope: Children's play area (minimum 2 types of equipment)

Games room (dedicated space, lobby, breakfast room, etc.) + board games

3 games for 1* and 2* / 5 games for 3* and 4* / 8 games for 5*

Criterion 140

Scope: Games room (dedicated space, lobby, breakfast room, etc.) + board games

Status: 3 games for 1* and 2* / 5 games for 3* and 4* / 8 games for 5*

Billiards

Criterion 141

Scope: Billiards

Video games room

Criterion 142

Scope: Video games room

Private screening room

Criterion 143

Scope: Private screening room

Gym

Criterion 144

Scope: Gym

Criterion 145

Scope: Spa

Indoor swimming pool

Criterion 147

Scope: Indoor swimming pool

Outdoor swimming pool

Criterion 148

Scope: Outdoor swimming pool

Coworking spaces

Criterion 149

Scope: Coworking spaces

Meeting room (minimum 15 people)

Criterion 150

Scope: Meeting room (minimum 15 people)

Fitting out the various spaces in your hotel will bring you up to 58 additional points.

Offering guests more services

You know better than we do that every hotel offers its guests extra services, but did you know that some of them can earn you points towards your stars? Here are the services and the points attached to them.

Hotel services

26 + 27

Wi-Fi in communal areas + free of charge; state how to connect (+ rates if chargeable)

+5 ; +5

Criterion 26 + 27

Scope: Wi-Fi in communal areas + free of charge; state how to connect (+ rates if chargeable)

No. of points: +5 ; +5

90 + 91

Wi-Fi in the rooms + free of charge; state how to connect (+ rates if chargeable)

Criterion 90 + 91

Scope: Wi-Fi in the rooms + free of charge; state how to connect (+ rates if chargeable)

Wake-up call

Criterion 94

Scope: Wake-up call

Shuttle

Criterion 136

Scope: Shuttle

Secure luggage room

Criterion 176

Scope: Secure luggage room

Valet parking

Criterion 177

Scope: Valet parking

Dry cleaning

Criterion 186

Scope: Dry cleaning

Shoe care service

Criterion 189

Scope: Shoe care service

Hairdresser

Criterion 203

Scope: Hairdresser

Personal trainer

Criterion 204

Scope: Personal trainer

Massage

Criterion 205

Scope: Massage

Childcare (with a dedicated space)

Criterion 206

Scope: Childcare (with a dedicated space)

The extra services you offer your guests can bring you up to 48 points.

Getting reception and the equipment on offer right

Do you offer extra items available at your hotel reception? Then you almost certainly meet some of the following criteria. Take a look at the list of mandatory and optional items below.

Available at reception/in the lobby

Safe at reception

Not applicable for 4* and 5*

Criterion 18

Scope: Safe at reception

Status: Not applicable for 4* and 5*

Luggage trolleys

Criterion 19

Scope: Luggage trolleys

Cots

Criterion 53

Scope: Cots

Different types of pillow (feather, memory foam, hypoallergenic, etc.)

Criterion 55

Scope: Different types of pillow (feather, memory foam, hypoallergenic, etc.)

Additional toiletries range

Criterion 63

Scope: Additional toiletries range

Telephone in the room

Mandatory from 3* to 5*

Criterion 89

Scope: Telephone in the room

Status: Mandatory from 3* to 5*

Shoe care kit

Criterion 109

Scope: Shoe care kit

No. of points: +1

Sewing kit

Mandatory from 4* to 5*

Criterion 110

Scope: Sewing kit

Status: Mandatory from 4* to 5*

Hygiene kit

Criterion 125

Scope: Hygiene kit

Baby equipment (at minimum a high chair, food-warming equipment and a changing mat)

Criterion 131

Scope: Baby equipment (at minimum a high chair, food-warming equipment and a changing mat)

Shoe polishing machine

Criterion 133

Scope: Shoe polishing machine

Newspapers (3 titles for 4*, 4 titles for 5* including 1 in English)

Criterion 137

Scope: Newspapers (3 titles for 4*, 4 titles for 5* including 1 in English)

Tourist information (brochures, maps, etc.)

Criterion 172

Scope: Tourist information (brochures, maps, etc.)

First aid kit

Criterion 173

Scope: First aid kit

Plug adaptors (1 per 15 rooms)

Criterion 179

Scope: Plug adaptors (1 per 15 rooms)

Together, these criteria will earn you 34 additional points.

Clarifying or developing a CSR approach

This category is a little more demanding and specific in terms of criteria. Here are all the criteria covering the CSR measures your establishment should put in place to earn extra points.

CSR approach

Staff awareness of welcoming guests with disabilities

Criterion 209

Scope: Staff awareness of welcoming guests with disabilities

Staff training in welcoming guests with disabilities

Criterion 210

Scope: Staff training in welcoming guests with disabilities

217 + 218

Energy-saving measures

+2 , +1

Criterion 217 + 218

Scope: Energy-saving measures

No. of points: +2 ; +1

Status: 217 mandatory from 1* to 5*

223 + 224

Water-saving measures

Criterion 223 + 224

Scope: Water-saving measures

Status: 223 mandatory from 1* to 5*

229 + 230

Waste reduction measures

Criterion 229 + 230

Scope: Waste reduction measures

Guest recycling facilities in communal areas

Criterion 232

Scope: Guest recycling facilities in communal areas

Hotel recycling (where available in the local authority area)

Criterion 233

Scope: Hotel recycling (where available in the local authority area)

Eco-friendly guest toiletries: minimum 2

Criterion 234

Scope: Eco-friendly guest toiletries - minimum 2

Environmentally friendly cleaning products

Criterion 236

Scope: Environmentally friendly cleaning products

Staff training in saving water and energy and reducing waste

Criterion 237

Scope: Staff training in saving water and energy and reducing waste

Staff awareness of saving water and energy and reducing waste

Criterion 238

Scope: Staff awareness of saving water and energy and reducing waste

Low-impact transport options

Criterion 239

Scope: Low-impact transport options

Products from French, regional or short-supply-chain farming and production (food/drink): minimum 3

Criterion 240

Scope: Products from French, regional or short-supply-chain farming and production (food/drink)

Fairtrade or organic products (food/drink): minimum 3

Criterion 241

Scope: Fairtrade or organic products (food/drink) - minimum 3

Environmental label

Criterion 243

Scope: Environmental label

So you can collect up to 46 points by bringing CSR-related criteria into your hotel.

We hope this article has given you a clearer picture of what Atout France expects when awarding your stars.