Brussels, December 16, 2024 – Hotelstars Union (HSU) is celebrating its 15th anniversary and reflects on a successful history of harmonising hotel classification in Europe. With a relaunch of its website and new classification criteria, HSU sets new standards for quality and transparency in Europe’s hotel industry.
What started in 2009 as an initiative of seven national hotel associations from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland has grown into a Europe-wide network of 21 member countries. The star classification system has proven to be an effective tool for improving service quality and strengthening the competitiveness of European hotels, making it easier for travellers to choose their accommodation.
"In the past 15 years, Hotelstars Union has demonstrated how successful industry-wide collaboration can be. We are proud to have consistently provided our guests and members with a reliable framework for hotel quality," emphasises Markus Luthe, President of the Hotelstars Union. “We look forward to the future with optimism and will continue to develop our classification system to meet the changing needs of our guests and the industry.”
The new classification criteria for 2025-2030 reflect the latest trends and guest expectations in the hospitality sector, including further enhanced digital services and comprehensive sustainability. These updates will ensure that the HSU classification system continues to meet the expectations of both guests and hoteliers, maintaining its position as a quality standard for the whole of Europe.
As part of its anniversary, Hotelstars Union is also unveiling its completely redesigned website, hotelstars.eu, with a modern layout and improved functionality. Markus Luthe explains: “With the relaunch of our website, we are setting new standards for transparency and user-friendliness. Detailed information and interactive elements make the star classification system transparent and easy to understand.”
The new website also offers guests an intuitive search function to quickly and easily find and book classified hotels across Europe. Hoteliers receive comprehensive information on the classification process and can self-assess their business with a non-binding digital test classification. This provides them with a transparent insight into the criteria and requirements. Additionally, HSU offers extensive marketing opportunities to increase the visibility of classified hotels.
Milestones of the last 15 years of Hotelstars Union:
- 2009: The founding of HSU by seven national hotel associations was to create a unified and transparent hotel classification system in Europe.
- 014: Introduction of common classification signs to ensure the visibility of the unified brand across all member countries.
- 2015: The expansion of HSU to 15 member countries increased its impact on the European level.
- 2020: Integration of sustainability criteria into the hotel classification system to address the growing environmental awareness in the sector.
- 2021: Formation of a non-profit organisation (AISBL) based in Brussels, highlighting the significance of HSU as a recognised European association.
- 2024: Hotelstars Union now includes 21 member countries and celebrates its 15th anniversary with an updated set of criteria and a redesigned website.
"Hotelstars Union looks back on a successful past and forward to a promising future. Our goal is to continue providing guests and hoteliers with a reliable framework", Markus Luthe underlines. "With this 15th anniversary, we not only celebrate past achievements but also underline our commitment to the future of European hospitality."
About the Hotelstars Union
Under the patronage of HOTREC Hospitality Europe, the hotel associations of Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland form the Hotelstars Union. It was founded in 2009 and has operated as an association under Belgian law, with its headquarters in Brussels since 2021. The Hotelstars Union reliably classifies hotels in categories from 1 to 5 hotel stars according to a common catalogue of criteria. With more than 22,000 classified hotels or 1.2 million classified hotel rooms in its member countries, it offers transparency, quality and security for guests and hoteliers. You can find detailed information at www.hotelstars.eu.