HotelStars Union (HSU) reaches next level

The success story of the Hotelstars Union (HSU), a platform of member countries striving for a harmonised hotel star rating, has taken another consistent step. On 25 March 2021, almost 12 years after its foundation, HSU was transformed into an international non-profit organisation under Belgian law (AISBL) with its statutory seat in Brussels. The aim of this platform is to harmonise the criteria for hotel classification and to act together.

What started as a joint initiative of the countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland led to the formal founding of the Hotelstars Union in 2009 by the hotel associations from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland under the patronage of HOTREC Hospitality Europe. The initiative quickly gained momentum and underwent extensive expansion with the accession of Estonia (2010), Latvia (2010), Lithuania (2010), Luxembourg (2011), Malta (2012), Belgium (2013), Denmark (2013), Greece (2013), Liechtenstein (2015), Slovenia (2017) and Azerbaijan (2020).

On 31 May 2021, Georgia was granted associate member status and Romania and Ukraine observer status. The HSU members warmly welcomed both countries and assured all support in the implementation of the HSU system.

France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain remain observers, as national circumstances currently prevent full membership.