Mystery Guesting

In all star classes (1 - 5*) an additional quality mark – ‚Superior‘ - can be reached when fulfilling the respective requirements.

What does this mean for the hotel guest?
The "S" in each of the star classes denotes "Superior", "service", "subjective perception" and "soft criteria" and defines a clear "extra" in service provision and quality.

What does this mean for the hotelier?
Nothing is as constant as change. It is time to take account of new market requirements and to incorporate the progress of time. On 1 January 2018 we start with a new Mystery Guest system.

What will be new?
Reviews play an important role in the hotel industry and should also be considered in the hotel classification. Therefore, for 3* Superior, 4* Superior, 5* and 5* Superior, the subjective and ongoing assessment of the guests will be used for checking the hotel’s software - in addition to the ‘hardware’- verification by the classification committees - in order to get a completed view. This comprehensive quality report is carried out, evaluated and documented at least once within the classification period using the online guest feedback platform TrustYou.

Mystery Guestings in the form of hidden self-control through hotel chains or hotel cooperations can still be regarded as equivalent. Also Mystery Guestings in the conventional sense will remain in the process of hotel classification: In case there is (still) no profile on the applied online guest feedback platform available or a total of less than 100 reviews have been available in the last 24 months. This review has to be carried out by an independent company from the current mystery guest pool on the initiative and on the account of the hotelier upon request by the professional group/Austrian Professional Hotel Association. The resulting processing fee of 200.00 Euro applies in all federal states. In addition, an accredited Mystery Guest company is commissioned to carry out a re-analysis in the event of an objection to the classification or non-classification into a category by the professional group/Austrian Professional Hotel Association. The mystery guest pool is communicated as before on www.hotelsterne.at. The current accreditation system is also upheld. Of course, it is also beyond the hotel's decision-making to perform Mystery Guestings outside the hotel classification. 

What steps will follow next?
The introductory phase will begin on 1 July 2017, with a broad-based application at the beginning of the year. In the introductory phase, the establishment should decide whether to choose a mystery guesting or a quality report.

3*Superior and 4*Superior establishments get classified by the relevant Professional Group in the respective federal state, 5* and 5*Superior by the Austrian Professional Hotel Association. Please contact the respective association in case of questions on the procedure itself. (Contacts Quality Report | Mystery Guesting)

Who can offer mystery guest visits in line with the classification procedures?
Mystery guest visits in line with the Austrian hotel classification can only be provided by firms that are listed in the Mystery Guest Pool organised by the Austrian Professional Hotel Association and evaluate according the questionnaire provided by the Austrian Professional Hotel Association. In case of questions please contact hotels@wko.at. 

Stand: 27.03.2024