MELAKA: Hoteliers here are willing to counter false online reviews that attempt to boost the star rating of properties, says the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH).
Its Melaka chapter chairman Khairulnizam Kasim said there was a possibility of fake reviews to elevate the ratings of some properties.
“MAH will work with stakeholders issuing such certifications to curb any attempt of falsifying online reviews in a bid to get five-star recognition,” he said yesterday.
Khairulnizam said Melaka MAH had 69 members, and all those under its organisational structure made sure that they provided the quality and standards expected from their respective ratings.
Furthermore, he said the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac) implemented a very strict checklist for hotel ratings.
Khairulnizam said Motac’s checklist would look at service, room size, operating hours, health and safety, housekeeping and the range of facilities offered before awarding its star ratings.
He said among the Melaka MAH chapter members, six hotels had a five-star rating while 17 others were four-star establishments. This was followed by 28 three-star operations and eight two-star outlets.
He said its members also complied with quality expectations, including providing clean toilets and certified restaurant staff.
“Our priority is to ensure that our members provide the quality and standards expected of their star rating. We welcome the move by relevant agencies to audit the star ratings of hotels here,” he added.
On April 29, Melaka tourism, heritage, arts and culture committee chairman Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman said the state government and relevant agencies would review the star ratings of hotels in the state to ensure the services provided met expectations.
He said this was to ensure that all hotels in Melaka maintained their quality and cleanliness of accommodation.
