2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

Assessment Information for Hotels

Purpose of the Quality Assurance Assessment Program

Reference 400.01

The Quality Assurance Assessment Program is designed to assist the property and
Best Western in identifying potential problems at the property. The report
measures the cleanliness and condition of the property, the amenities and services
furnished, and how well the property complies with the established Standards.
Reference 400.02

The purpose of Best Western's Quality Assurance function is to ensure that our
hotels’ guests are assured of a high level of cleanliness and comfort wherever and
whenever they stay with a Best Western branded property.
Reference 400.03

The primary objective of the assessment is to provide an accurate, reliable, useful

report on the condition of the property, as it exists on the day of the Assessment.
A primary purpose of the report is to identify existing, developing, or potential
deficiencies.

Portions of the Property Subject to Assessment

Reference 401.01

It is required that each Best Western Organization and hotel permit Quality
Assurance Assessments of all accommodations, facilities and procedures by a
certified Best Western Assessor/RSM to determine compliance with standards.
Reference 401.02

All facilities and staff associated with the property, leased or owned, must be
available for assessment and renovation unless established to the contrary by the
member and a waiver is secured from Best Western International. Copies of all
waivers must be available at the property for review by the Assessor/RSM. If such

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 1

2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

waiver is not available, the property will be assessed allowing no consideration for
the unavailable waiver.
Reference 401.03

All facilities associated with a property shall be made available for assessment.
These facilities include:
1. All land, buildings and improvements which are owned or leased by the
hotel owner; or
2. Facilities, which are represented by the hotel as being available to provide
goods, services, or amenities to the hotel’s guests where the goods, services,
or amenities provided by the facility are represented as being owned,
managed, or led by the hotel. A guest makes the final determination as to
what areas of the complex are, or appear to be, part of the Best Western
complex. If the guest typically perceives or is led to believe that a facility is
part of the Best Western complex, that facility is assessable and subject to
renovation requirements.
Reference 401.04

All leases or management contracts for facilities associated with the hotel property
shall include provisions permitting assessments and renovation.
Reference 401.05

All properties will be scheduled for Quality Assurance Assessments in the manner
provided generally in this Manual and specifically in the manner provided in the
Administrative Procedures section as may be amended.

Principles of Assessing a Property

Reference 402.01

Four common sense principles will be used in the Quality Assurance Assessment
of the property:
1. The evaluation will accurately reflect the conditions seen at the property
on the day of the Assessment.
2. Practical judgment will be applied when evaluating deficiencies. Points
will be deducted for deficiencies that need correction, and conditions
observed that are not severe enough to warrant a point deduction will be
noted as marginal.
3. Points will not be deducted for deficiencies where significant corrective
action is underway unless the deficiency has been previously noted and is
a recurring problem. There will be no arbitrary concessions for obvious

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 2

2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

token efforts or for work promised in the future. This is known as the
“Work in Progress” rule.
4. The same good judgment will be used throughout the entire assessment.
An arbitrary limit on point deductions will not be set simply because the
problem is widespread.
These principles are aimed at providing a reliable, factual, and objective report on
the quality condition of the property.

The Assessment Reports

Reference 403.01
Forward Copy to the Hotel Owner
A copy of the Assessment Report (all sections) is to be forwarded, by the property,
to the hotel’s owner if the owner did not receive a copy of the report at the time of
the Assessment.
Reference 403.02

Summary Report
This report summarizes the point losses and scores from the various Quality
Assurance Assessments.
Reference 403.03

Main and Property Update Report

This report provides a qualitative assessment as well as basic information such as
rooms assessed, who accompanied the Assessor/RSM on the Assessment, and
topics discussed during the Quality Assurance Assessment.
Reference 403.04
Guest Rooms/Public Areas Quality Assurance Assessment Report
1. This report evaluates deficiencies associated with clean, condition and
update for the public areas, guest rooms, and guest bathrooms
2. Public areas include all interior and exterior areas that are part of the
common public area buildings (usually includes the lobby/reception area)
and the public areas of the guest room buildings. It includes the grounds,
parking areas, and building exteriors for the entire complex. This is part of
the Guest Rooms/Public Areas Quality Assurance Assessment Report. In
determining the point deduction, the Assessor/RSM evaluates the severity,
extent, and visibility of the deficiency.
3. Guest rooms include everything that is unique to the room including the

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 3

2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

bathroom and patio/balcony (if present): door, door plaque, window, etc.,
the exterior as well as the interior of the guest room windows and doors. It
would not include exterior walls, walkways, stairways, and overhangs.
4. Number Guest Rooms Assessed (10)
a. Ten (10) guest rooms are to be assessed at each Quality Assurance.
Guest rooms are to be randomly selected by the Assessor/RSM.
5. Guest Rooms to Scan or Assess
a. Other guest rooms may be scanned to ensure the guest rooms assessed
provide an accurate representation of the property, as per Section
604.10. All guest rooms and all of the facilities may be assessed at
the discretion of the Assessor/RSM. Guided tours where the property
selects the guest rooms to assess are not allowed. The Assessor/RSM
should assess representative guest rooms throughout the property and
at all locations of the property. The Assessor/RSM should assess
guest rooms on every floor and in every building.
Reference 403.05
Supplemental Facilities Quality Assurance Assessment Report
1) This report evaluates clean, repair, replacement and update deficiencies for
the supplemental facilities, such as but not limited to dining rooms
(restaurants), breakfast rooms, bars, swimming pools, recreation areas, and
meeting rooms.
2) Supplemental facilities include all interior or enclosed facilities extra to the
basic hotel, and include restaurants, breakfast rooms, bars, swimming pools,
recreation areas, and meeting rooms, etc.
3) Each facility is listed separately on the report.
4) A maximum of 6 Supplemental Facilities are to be assessed.
a. The Assessment of the major facilities, such as Restaurant or Breakfast
Room, Bar/Lounge and Swimming Pool/Leisure Area/Spa Facilities, is
required.
b. All other optional Supplemental Facility areas of the hotel must be
assessed for deficiencies. Record on the QA report the three
Supplemental Facilities with the most deficiencies and list all other areas
as “scanned”. If no deficiencies are found, the assessor would record any
three Supplemental Facilities on the QA report with no points lost.

Reference 403.06

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 4

2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

Brand Standards Quality Assurance Assessment Report

This report checks for compliance in providing required facilities, amenities and
services. Specific point losses are selected based on the existence, not condition
of an item.
If only 5 rooms are assessed (at properties of 15 or fewer rooms), the normal point
losses double to compensate for fewer rooms being assessed.

Reference 403.07
Staff & Service Evaluation Reports
1. The Staff and Service Evaluation Report is used to assess the performance
of Hotel and Supplemental Facilities Staff, and also other areas of the hotel
and its operation.
2. The Assessment is based on observations and/or service experienced by the
Assessor/RSM during the visit to the property.

Reference 403.08
Brand Identity Assessment Report
1. This report evaluates the correct use and display of the logo and other Best
Western marks.
2. This report is used to record improper use or display of the Best Western
logo. Signage, printed material and guest room supplies are among the
items reviewed, but any improper use or display of the logo is to be
reported.

3. On the Brand Identity Repot, deficiencies will be recorded as follows:

a. Category 1 deficiency will incur a 240 point loss.
i. Category 1 includes all exterior Best Western logoed signs
such as the hotel’s primary sign, billboards, courtesy vehicles,
exterior signs, highway logo panels, membership plaque,
exterior logoed flags, etc.
ii. A Category 1 deficiency is only recorded if there is major
distortion, logo is heavily damaged (extensive cracking,
splitting, heavy fading, multiple lights out) logo is missing on a
sign when required or an old logo (including the legacy
curvilinear shaped logo) is being used on any item.
iii. If minor damage or minor distortion is observed on one of the
Category 1 items, a marginal call is recorded.

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 5

2019 Global Quality Assurance Manual Section 400 – Assessment Information for Hotels

iv. Condition issues on signage poles or similar (not the sign,

cabinet or logo) is a GRPA call only, not a BI call (and not
both). BI calls are for logos/branding issues

b. Category 2 deficiencies will incur a 60 point loss per item if the

deficiency is not corrected at the time of the Assessment.
i. Category 2 includes all items not included in Category 1.
ii. If a Category 2 deficiency is observed, the RSM/Assessor is to
request the property to permanently remove/throw out the non-
compliant items and note this on the report as a marginal call
(do not take points). If the property refuses, or if the hotel is not
able to correct the issue at the time of the Assessment, then
note this and take the applicable points.
iii. If points were deducted on the previous Assessment and the
item has not been corrected, then the point loss doubles up to
240 points per item.
iv. If minor distortion is observed, a marginal call is recorded.

Effective 1 January 2019 Page 6