ABU DHABI Tourism Authority (ADTA) is to expand its hotel classification system to recognise properties judged to exceed five-star requirements.
ADTA chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan said the system revisions would apply to properties such as Emirates Palace – renowned as one of the world’s most opulent hotels.
“We are currently working on upgrading the system to include a new category which will, more accurately, represent properties deemed as above five-star,” he said.
And, speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai, where he received the 2010 AHIC Leadership Award for his vital role in developing Abu Dhabi as one of the region’s key tourism and cultural destinations, Sheikh Sultan said ADTA will also roll out classification standards for restaurants and desert camps.
“These refinements to our classification system will come into effect in the new year and will further enhance Abu Dhabi’s destination credibility,” he said.
Sheikh Sultan also revealed that within weeks, ADTA will roll out its Green Hotel Building Guidelines, which will also be absorbed into the upgraded classification system.
“We have been working on these guidelines for more than six months and expect to have them ready for piloting within the next fortnight. Once piloted, they will then be incorporated into the new classification standards,” said Sheikh Sultan.
Abu Dhabi’s mandatory Green Hotel Building Guidelines fall into two categories – those for existing hotels and those for properties now being designed and planned. The guidelines for existing hotels have been developed under a MoU with Estidama – the sustainability initiative of Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council and in consulation with engineers from more than 30 hotels. The guidelines for newly-designed hotels will act as a supplement to Estidama’s recently announced green building Pearl Rating Scheme which applies to all new buildings in Abu Dhabi. The ADTA guidelines will introduce further green design requirements specific to the hotel sector.
A key result of the guideline process has been the creation of a baseline of environmental performance, for energy, water and waste, for the emirate’s hotel sector – the first of its kind in the region.