Morocco Launches "Mystery Visits" to Overhaul Hotel Ratings and Boost Tourism Quality

Verifying the compliance of establishments with service quality criteria, in particular targeting the initial classification of new hotel establishments, reclassifications or renewals after the expiration of the legal validity, as well as periodic checks to ensure the continuity of compliance. This is the objective of the unprecedented operation called "mystery visits". The mission of the inspectors will be to play the role of average customers by booking a room, testing the reception, dining, while checking the hygiene, assessing the bedding, cleanliness, the condition of the swimming pools and even the quality of the infirmary for certain complexes.

"The aim is to objectively assess the quality of service and to verify that it really corresponds to the displayed classification," summarizes an official from the ministry quoted by L’Économiste. What about the categories to be evaluated? There are four of them: hotels (luxury, five-star, four-star, three-star), hotel-clubs (Club) of the same categories, tourist residences, guest houses, riads and kasbahs. This evaluation concerns all establishments classified in these categories, whether they are independent or affiliated with hotel chains. The evaluated hotels must comply 100% with the mandatory criteria, and the complementary criteria of which at least 70% must be met.

Moroccan hotels, particularly in the high-end segment, whose standing does not correspond to their official classification, will be subject to the law. "There are pseudo 5-star hotels that deserve no more than 4, or even 3 stars. This operation will bring order," confides an industry professional, also quoted by L’Économiste. The operation is welcomed by Chérif Alami, president of the Regional Tourism Council (CRT) of Casablanca-Settat. "France has applied the same system for five years. This is a project that should structurally organize the hotel industry and raise our standards," he points out. According to an operator, "if we want to remain competitive, we have to stop selling dreams and offer an offer that really keeps its promises."

In early July, the Tourist Engineering Company launched four tenders divided into four markets in order to recruit experienced evaluators, who must carry out their mission with neutrality, discretion and respect for the ethical rules specific to the surprise audit. The first concerns the evaluation of "luxury" and "five-star" establishments, for an amount of 48.4 million dirhams, while the second is dedicated to "four-star" establishments in the Marrakech-Safi region, for an amount of 50.3 million dirhams. As for the third market, it covers the evaluation of other "four-star" establishments nationwide, for 28.8 million dirhams. Finally, the fourth aims to evaluate the "three-star" establishments for 20.3 million dirhams.

With this operation, Morocco is strengthening the competitiveness of the tourism sector, improving the customer experience in Moroccan hotel establishments, aligning the tourism offer with international standards and strengthening Morocco’s image as a high-end and quality destination.