Subjective hotel evaluation and hotel categories
In each country, hotels are classified according to certain standards and criteria set by that country. There are usually five categories of hotels (indicated by symbols from one to five). The assessment can be carried out by international, national or local authorities, tourism commissions, trading companies, travel catalogue publishers, hotel owners (Explanatory Dictionary of Tourism Terms, 2009, Vilnius).
Article 6.748(1)(1)(c) of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania states that, when offering the purchase of its services, a tour operator must, prior to the conclusion of a contract for an organised tourist trip, provide the tourist with clear, comprehensible and non-misleading information in writing, on paper or on another durable medium, on the place of stay, the main features of the accommodation, and, if required by the relevant rules of the host country, the information on the tourist category or class of the tourist. However, hotels and other accommodation establishments do not in all cases have officially defined categories or classes. If the hotel or other accommodation does not have an official category in the country, the travel contract, website and/or other material describing the trip organised by the tour operator Tez Tour shall contain the following statement: "Hotel's official category in the country: hotel not categorised".
Please note that on the website of the tour operator Tez Tour (next to the name of each hotel), hotel categories are additionally marked with a yellow ball symbol, but this does not equate to an official rating of the hotel in that country. It is only a subjective assessment of the hotel, determined by the hotel itself, according to the specificities of the country, the condition of the hotel, the size of the area, the amount of services provided, etc. The official hotel category in the country is indicated in the contract, website and/or other materials describing the trip, as well as in the hotel descriptions provided by the tour operator Tez Tour, by means of the phrase "Official hotel category in the country: 1/2/3/4/5 stars".
Please note that the same category of hotel may vary from country to country and within the same country, depending on the condition of the hotel, the size of the hotel grounds, the helpfulness of the staff, the choice of meals and the range of services provided.
The name of the hotel may be prefixed with HV-1 (1st Class Holiday Village) and HV-2 (2nd Class Holiday Village). This type of accommodation may have a larger area with chalets and/or villas.
Before deciding to buy accommodation in a particular hotel, try to get as much information about the hotel as possible, both directly from the travel agency where you are buying your trip and from other sources such as accommodation portals, holiday makers' reviews, online ratings, photos, the hotel's website, etc. Please note that the photographs and visual information on Tez Tour's website www.teztour.lt and other materials describing the trip may differ from the actual room booked (i.e. the furnishing, colour scheme and/or actual condition of the room may differ).
"Economy Class" means hotels marked "Economy Class Hotel" in the organised tour contract, on the website or in other materials describing the tour. This designation is based on an objective assessment by the tour operator and feedback from tourists. Economy class hotels may have deteriorating rooms, other facilities, furniture and/or equipment, a lower level of service, a smaller number of services, a more modest choice of food, and a more sluggish staff than in a normal hotel with the same category.