Estonia Accommodation Services
An official hotel classification system exists in Estonia. This classification system is on a national level and is compulsory.
According to The Tourism Act of Estonia, section 30, http://www.legaltext.ee/text/en/X40063K3.htm the responsible authorities that are to exercise the supervision of hotel establishments are rural and city governments, the Consumer Protection Board, the Rescue Board and the Health Protection Inspectorate. In case of complaint regarding the hotel facilities and services offered, the consumer can submit a complaint to the Consumer Protection Board (contact details: Kiriku 4, 15071 Tallinn, ESTONIA; ph: +3726201700; e-mail: [email protected] ; web: www.tka.riik.ee ).
Based on the valid legislation for the Requirements for the Accommodation Establishments, there are 8 categories in Estonia:
Hotels, motels, guest houses, hostels, holiday villages and camps, holiday homes, visitor’s apartment and bed-and-breakfasts.
According to section 18 of Tourism Act those categories have the following definitions:
· Hotel (in Estonian language: Hotell) means an accommodation establishment with no less than ten guest-rooms which offers catering services.
· Motel (Motell) means an accommodation establishment, located in the vicinity of a highway, with no less than ten guest-rooms which is intended primarily for persons travelling by motor vehicle, where catering services are offered and where safe parking is ensured.
· Guest house (Külalistemaja) means an accommodation establishment with no less than five guestrooms which offers catering services.
· Hostel (Hostel) means an accommodation establishment which offers catering services or food-preparing facilities.
· Holiday village and camp (Puhkeküla ja -laager) means an accommodation establishment where limited services are offered, camp sites for tents and/or caravans and parking places for motor vehicles are provided and which may also include accommodation facilities.
· Holiday home (Puhkemaja) means an accommodation establishment intended for holidays where the entire accommodation facility with food-preparing facilities is rented out.
· Visitor’s apartment (Külaliskorter) means an accommodation establishment where the accommodation unit with food-preparing facilities is an apartment which is rented out entirely.
· Bed-and-breakfast (Kodumajutus) means an accommodation establishment where breakfast is offered and which is located on a farm, in a house or an apartment which is in the possession of a natural person
Accommodation Star System
In Estonia there is a star-system (for hotels 1 to 5 stars and for motels 1 to 3 stars). Applying for the stars is not compulsory.
An appropriate decree issued by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communication, the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association (www.ehrl.ee ) is authorised to give the stars to the hotels and motels.
The stars are given for three years and in order to get them, the hotel or motel, shall comply with the respective requirements and must be registered in the national database called Majandustegevuse Register.
In general, most of the bigger 4 or 5 star hotels are equipped with such facilities as spa, gym centre, sauna etc. However it is not always mandatory criteria for high star hotels.
Below are some basic criteria for each star:
* star - Single hotel room with minimum size 9 m/sq, double room with minimum size 12 m/sq (at least 70% of all the rooms). All the hotel rooms have a shower/bath and toilet. The hotel is open 24 hours, reception is open at least 07.00 am to 23.00 p.m. Breakfast included, possible to order hot breakfast. In the bathroom one hand towel should be available and one bath towel per one bed.
** stars – An elevator if there are 4 or more floors in the accommodation. Minimum 10% of all the hotel rooms are for non-smokers.
*** stars – single hotel room with minimum size 10 m/sq, double room with min. size 14 m/sq. Reception is open 24 hours. Possible to use the computer and have Internet access. TV available in all the hotel rooms. Restaurant. Possible to order breakfast in the hotel room. Also possible to order other meals to the hotel room (room service) at least 12 hours per day.
****stars – Single room minimum size 12 m/sq, double room min. 17 m/sq. Elevator in the hotel if there are more than 3 floors. Armchair in the hotel room. Room service at least 16 hours per day. TV with international news program and entertainment programs. Minibar in all the hotel rooms. Internet access in the hotel room. Two hand towels and two bath towels per one bed.
***** stars – Single room minimum size 14 m/sq, double room min. size 23 m/sq. At least two armchairs and sofa in the hotel room. Room service 24 hours. Swimming pool or spa centre in the hotel if it has more than 50 rooms. A la Carte restaurant open 07.00 am to 23.00 p.m. Wide choice of bath and other similar products available. Exchange of bed sheets/towels every day.
Estonian legislation stipulates certain rules for accommodation service providers such as name of the hotel/motel etc, ventilation, water, lighting, different rooms (bedroom, bathroom etc), towels, sheets etc.
For example:
- All the rooms meant for costumer use, shall be signed respectively;
- The quality of water shall be in line with the requirements on water;
- The temperature of warm water must be at least +50 C;
- In the accommodation rooms must be natural lighting, artificial all-round lighting and near to bed artificial spot lighting;
- A light for reading shall be at least 300 Lx;
- The temperature of the accommodation rooms must be at least +18C;
- The minimum single bed size must be 80x190 cm and double bed size 140x190 cm;
- The pillow shall be 40x50 cm minimum size;
- The blanket must be at least 40 cm wider than bed and shall fully cover the bed;
- In the accommodation room, there must be one chair or other sitting place per one bed;
- The minimum size of the hand towel is 40x60 cm and bath towel 65x130 cm.
According to Estonian Consumer Protection Act (section 8), the trader shall notify the consumer of the price of the service and of any charges or rates added to the price of the service before offering a service.
Based on the rules applicable for star hotels (*,**,***,****,*****), they all must ensure the possibility for disabled persons to move freely with a wheelchair in every commonly used rooms. For ** to ***** star hotels, there must be at least 1 hotel room customized for disabled persons if there are up to 50 hotel rooms in total, and 2 such hotel rooms if there are more than 50 rooms.
Respective complaints can be submitted to Consumer Protection Board of Estonia (www.tka.riik.ee/en)who deals with national cases, however, in case of cross border issues, the consumer can turn to ECC Estonia (www.consumer.ee/1082 ), which is working under the Consumer Protection Board of Estonia.
The basic provisions of any kind of service providers come from the Consumer Protection Act of Estonia, which says that:
Before consumers acquire goods or use services, traders and producers are required to provide the consumers with detailed information concerning the characteristics and conditions of use of the goods or services as well as on the price, conditions of payment, performance of the contract, and the rights, obligations and liability arising from the contract, including the possibilities for submitting complaints regarding the goods or services.
Indication of prices for services: When offering a service or immediately before providing a service to a consumer, the trader shall notify the consumer of the selling price of the service. If it is not possible to determine the selling price of the service beforehand, the trader shall notify the consumer of the components of the price of the service, the rates or the bases on which the price is calculated such as to enable the consumer to calculate the selling price of the service with sufficient accuracy.
