Accommodation

Classification and meaning of Accommodation labels

Hotels

Classification by star
This official classification by the French tourism industry is determined by the hotel's degree of comfort and the level of its accommodation facilities.  

• Hotel offering very high comfort - Luxury ****>
• Hôtel offering very high comfort ****
• Hôtel offering high comfort ***
• Hôtel offering satisfactory comfort **
• Hôtel offering average comfort *
• Hôtel offering basic comfort (without a star) 

Qualité Tourisme / Quality of tourism

In order to continually improve your welcome and upgrade the quality of tourism-related performance in France, the French tourism ministry has created a national brand name entitled « Qualité Tourisme ». It federates under a single symbol the different quality approaches undertaken for your satisfaction. From your standpoint, it is a sign of recognition and a performance guarantee allowing you to make your choice among service providers with the utmost confidence. Quality of hospitality, service, professionalism, reliability and safety are deemed to be keystone values.

Hôtelcert

The upshot of a nationwide cooperative endeavor, the reference document HOTELcert is based upon a number of specified quality criteria such as, essentially, quality of hospitality, of the stay, of accommodations, of breakfast service, of bedding, of cleanliness. This national framework valorizing quality in the French hotel industry has been validated by both consumers and tourism professionals. 

Logis de France

The « Logis de France » chain brings together more than 3000 independent hotel-restaurants, all of them having signed on to a quality charter attributing importance to a given establishment's comfort, quality of the table and hospitality, charm of the overall environment. Monitored at least once every three years, they are classified with 1, 2 or 3 chimneys in accordance with their degree of comfort and guarantee highly satisfactory value for one's money.The Logis de France establishments are assorted into 3 categories on the basis of a form of classification established thanks to a new grid taking involving more than 280 yardsticks. The ratings take into account the hotel's comfort level, the quality of its dining facilities and service, as well as breakfast and the overall environment.Special attention is paid to the human qualities of the establishment's operator and his team. 

• One chimney: Basic comfort, a satisfactory table, excellent value for one's money.
• 2 chimneys: A hotel offering satisfactory comfort, flavorful cooking — the whole package at an optimal price.
• 3 chimneys: Excellent comfort, sophisticated cooking, attractive services.

TOURISM AND HANDICAP LABEL

(hotel accommodations, campgrounds, vacation rentals and vacation villages)

Tourisme et Handicap / Tourism and disability 

Thanks to the setting up of this label, customers with specific needs at long last benefit from reliable and fully elaborated information on the accessibility of vacation sites; this is the case regardless of the specific deficiency. This national label is attributed (for one or several types of disability) following evaluation of site accessibility and validation by departmental and national commissions.

Camping areas

Classification by stars 

The official classification of the French tourism ministry is determined in accordance with the comfort level and the quality of the campground's facilities and equipment. 

• Campground offering very high comfort ****
• Camping offering high comfort ***
• Camping offering satisfactory comfort **
• Camping offering average comfort *
• Natural camping area (The French Aire Naturelle de Camping, ANC)

Campground quality 

Created by the French national federation of open-air hostelry along with the association of consumer representatives (F.F.C.C.) and benefiting from the support of the French tourism state secretariat, "Camping Qualit" is the sole official French nationwide quality charter. 

Camping Qualit means 968 vacation sites in most French regions, that is to say 968 professionals concerned with your needs and striving to keep you satisfied; there are 65 of them in POITOU-CHARENTES.

Having signed on to Camping Qualit, they have taken on a strict and precise commitment, agreeing to undergo regular monitoring on over 500 yardsticks.

At every location, "Camping Qualité" campgrounds have agreed to offer you:

• a warm welcome 
• impeccable cleanliness 
• precise and accurate information 
• a carefully conceived private area  

Nature Sojourn Charter in Charente-Maritime

Put into practice in 2001, this quality-based approach is specific to our department and complementary with regard to the nationwide "Camping Qualite" charter..

The candidate sites undergo testing based upon 96 strictly applied environmental and landscape-based yardsticks for at least 10% of their facilities..

The Charter offers you the following guarantees:

1. SPACE and LARGE SPACE facilities of which the area is 20% or 40% higher than their classification standards.
2. Landscape-based and flower-marked facilities
3. Complete information on tourism and the local environment. In Charente-Maritime, 56 campgrounds have been labeled "Camping Qualite" and among them, 5 establishments have been awarded the "Nature Sojourn" charter:  

LA BRANDE ****, BOIS SOLEIL****, LES GROS JONCS****, INTERLUDE**** and CAMPINGCLUB Verbleu****.

Service areas for motor homes

In addition to private campgrounds, which generally provide service areas set up for motor homes, other service areas have been expressly installed for the servicing of camping cars. These service areas generally allow for the emptying of toilet and other waste waters, a steady supply of drinking water and an electrical service entrance. 

Holiday rentals

Meublés / Furnished tourist accommodations

A furnished tourism facility is a furnished villa, apartment or studio to be used by tourists alone; it is rented out to transitory customers undertaking a sojourn consisting in rental by the day, the week or the month; there is no domiciliation involved.  

It is classified by the departmental prefecture as 1 to 5 stars in accordance with its degree of comfort and inhabitability (inhabitable area and accommodation capacity). It is seasonal, which means that the renter must not rent it out to the same person for a lapse of time exceeding 12 consecutive weeks.

Tourism Residence

A tourism residence is a classified commercial accommodation establishment operating either permanently or seasonally; it consists in a group of furnished rooms or apartments organized in grouped or isolated units offered through rental for occupation by day, week or month; the customers are transitory, and there is no domiciliation involved. It is provided with the vital minimum of common services and facilities.   .

Tourism residences may be officially classified along a gamut ranging from 1 through 4 stars. 

Gîtes de France / French inns

The premier national network, Gîtes de France is presently comprised of some 42000 owners and 56000 accommodations on French territory. The Gîtes de France classification is concretized by the awarding of « ears » (1 to 5 ears). Gîtes de France benefits from a booking center; the accommodations are to be found mainly in rural areas.

Clévacances / Vacation key

As of now, the nationwide network represents more than 24000 vacation rentals spread out over 89 departments. It offers a wide variety of destinations (particularly in cities and on the seaside) and accommodations (villas, apartments, individual units and residences, typical or characteristic dwellings). 

Accueil Paysan / A farmer's welcome

The notion of farmer's welcome integrates the welcoming of a visitor into everyday pursuit of an agricultural undertaking. It involves a house, a chalet, an apartment as close as possible to the dwelling or the farm and in harmony with the site. Hospitality at an agricultural "gîte" is ensured not only by farmers but also by the people affiliated with the French "Accueil Paysan" (farmer's welcome).

Chambres d'hôtes / Country lodges

As of now, country lodges are not provided, as are other accommodations, with ratings determined by departmental prefectures; they may nonetheless be awarded quality labels, four of which make explicit reference to country lodges:  Gîtes de France, Clévacances, Accueil Paysan, Fleurs de Soleil.

Charmance Gîtes de France lodges

The Gîtes de France label guarantees precise comfort standards through classification of 1 to 4 ears along with respect of a national charter; it also posits a maximum capacity of 15 people or 5 rooms. The classification varies in accordance with the architectural quality of the house and the environment, the degree of comfort, the decoration and the services provided.  

Clévacances lodges

The Clévacances national quality charter guarantees the comfort and security of labeled lodgings and homogeneity of the offer, whatever may be the chosen destination. The essential yardsticks of a Clévacances room are customer autonomy and a breakfast placed at the guest's disposal. The « Chambre Clévacances France » brand name is awarded only for each room with 1 to 5 keys, for a maximum accommodation capacity of 15 people (or 5 rooms).  

Farmer's welcome lodges

The peasant room is located in the main dwelling or the farm itself; it is characteristically harmonious and individual. It integrally involves breakfast served at the family table and composed of products from the farm itself, including "house" or regional specialties.

Fleurs de Soleil (sun flower) lodges

This quality charter lays special emphasis on quality of hospitality as well as the quantitative aspect (5 rooms at most, with a capacity of 12 people). The service is a package deal obligatorily including night and breakfast. Fleurs de Soleil provides a label for lodges located on the seacoast, in rural and in urban settings.

Chambres aux Châteaux / Castle rooms

This quality charter valorizes hospitality in castles, manors and attractive dwellings that must be located in an estate, a park or a garden. The maximum number of rooms is 10, and they are all labeled. This charter exists only in western France. 

Villages de vacances / Vacation villages

Maisons familiales / Family houses

These common accommodations are hospitality structures particularly well-adapted to families; services are placed at the tourists' disposal. One of these common accommodations, Villages Vacances, is officially classified by the French tourism ministry. 

Label Loisirs de France / French leisure label

The Loisirs de France label denotes professionals committed to a quality approach. These villages are classified in accordance with the quality of the leisure, services and activities proposed, the wealth of the immediate environment at the site, as well as the comfort and quality of the accommodations themselves. 

Cap France

Cap France has created its own label as well as a quality charter classifying its outlets in terms of the comfort they offer. The outlets are classified as one, two or three hearts or "privileged" three hearts. 

Auberges de Jeunesse / Youth hostels

French youth hostels are brought together in the « Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse » (FUAJ = united youth hostel federation). The hostels are classified as 1 to 4 pine trees in accordance with the services they have to offer. 

CLEF VERTE label (hotels & campsites)

The "green key" label

La Clef Verte is a label of environmental management in tourist accommodation; spearheaded by the French educational and environmental foundation, it has existed since 1998. It awards campgrounds, hotels and gîtes for their dynamism as regards environmental issues.