Heading: HRACC

Subtitle: Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification Committee

The Hotel & Restaurant Division is responsible for processing online applications and granting project level
approval to hotels under construction. The Hotel & Restaurant Division also classifies operational hotels
under the star rating system. Under this system, hotels are given a rating, from One Star to Three Star, Four
and Five Star with or without alcohol, Five Star Deluxe, Heritage (Basic), Heritage (Classic), Heritage (Grand),
Legacy
Vintage (Basic), Legacy Vintage (Classic) and Legacy Vintage (Grand). Classification is done on the basis of
inspection of hotels which is undertaken by the Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification
Committee (HRACC), set up by this Ministry. The Division also approves properties in other categories
viz, tented accommodation, apartment hotels, motels, Guest Houses, standalone restaurants, convention
centres, Time Share Resorts, Bed & Breakfast establishments, air catering units and restaurants and Online
Travel Aggregators. Issues plaguing the hotel industry which is brought to the notice of the Ministry of
Tourism are
taken up from time to time with concerned ministries like the M/o Finance, NITI Aayog.

Source - Hotels & Restaurants | Ministry Of Tourism | Government of India

The HRACC Checklist for inspection of hotels include the following areas that are
checked:

1. Guest rooms and bathrooms

2. Public areas
3. Rooms and facilities for differently abled people
4. Food and Beverage
5. Kitchen
6. Staff welfare
7. Code of Conduct for Safe Tourism
8. Guest Service
9. Safety and security
10. Communication Facilities

HRACC Classifies the hotels into the following

Stars

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 star deluxe

Heritage

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Heritage Basic, Heritage Classic and Heritage Grand

HRACC gives approvals for the following stages:

1. For starting a hotel project/construction

2. Classification (After becoming operational)
3. Reclassification (After the expiry of validity)

How HRACC does the classification:

1. At the preopening or the building stage the hotels get a rating of upto 5 star and Heritage
Basic
2. Only after the hotel is operational can they apply for a rating of 5 star deluxe and Heritage
Classic and Heritage Grand
3. The validity of the classification is 5 years
4. The hotel must apply for a classification within 3 months of being operational
5. Hotel should apply for a reclassification at least 6 months prior to the date of expiry.

The HRACC Committee for classifications

The committee is chaired by ADG (Tourism)/Chairperson (HRACC).

The representatives come from FHRAI (Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India),
HAI (Hotel Association of India), IATO (The Indian Association of Tour Operators), TAAI (The
Travel Agents Association of India), IHM (Principle of an Institute of Hotel Management) and
Indian Tourism Office.

An example of some of the licenses the hotels need

Trade license, Fire departments licence, Municipal health officer/Sanitary inspector, Police
department, State Pollution Control Board, Land Use Permission, sanctioned building plans,
Sewage Treatment Plant, Bar license, Ministry of environment and forests, airport authority.

Below are the examples of the requirements in various categories of hotels for food and
beverage

Food and Beverage requirements for 5 star Category

Grade A city

1 24 hours operational multi cuisine restaurant/coffee shop, 1 speciality restaurant and 24

hours room service

Grade B cities

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 1 multi cuisine restaurant/coffee shop from 7 am to 11 pm, 24 hours room service and a
speciality restaurant is desirable
Other than A and B cities

One multicuisine restaurant open from 7 am to 11 pm, 24 hours room service.

1 and 2 star category hotels

1 dining room serving all meals

In room dining is not needed

3 star hotels

1 multi cuisine restaurant/coffee shop open from 7 am to 11 pm

A separate dining area is desirable for 1- and 2-star hotels but is necessary for 3-to-5-star
deluxe hotels

Bars

Bar is necessary for 4 to 5 star deluxe hotels, for other star categories the bar is only desirable.
Wherever the bar license is prohibited for a hotel as per local law, bar is not mandatory. In a
normal scenario. the hotel will have to obtain a bar licence before applying for any 4 to 5 star
deluxe classification.

Minibar

In conformation with the local laws all 3-to-5-star deluxe hotels need to have an in room
minibar as a mandate.

Drinking water with a minimum one glass tumbler is necessary in all category of hotels

All category hotels need to provide 2 sealed bottles of bottled water of a minimum 500 ml, per
person per day on complimentary basis.

Ultra Violet treated water will not be acceptable.

TCMF

Tea coffee making facility needs to be complimentary in 4 to 5 start deluxe hotels as a

mandate, in all other categories it is just desirable to have this facility but not mandatory.

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2021 Date: SeptemberEffective
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 Ice should be available on demand in 4 to 5 star deluxe hotels as a mandate, for all other
categories its just desirable to have this.

Business centre is mandatory in a 4 to 5 start deluxe hotels, its only desirable in other
categories.

Conference facilties are necessary in 5 star and 5 star deluxe hotels.

All hotel websites should clearly mention the complimentary facilities like breakfast, Tea coffee
making facility, fruits, water and other amenities and facilities., as “free of cost”.

If there is a facility which is included in a particular room rate, it should be mentioned as an

inclusion on the room rate on the brand website and when the guest arrives at the hotel the
staff should inform them of these facilities and amenities that are included in their room rate
as free of cost, in case the complimentary breakfast in not from a buffet, there should be a
menu placed in the guest room stating what all is complimentary in breakfast.

Effective Date: SeptemberEffective

2021 Date: SeptemberEffective
2021 Date: SeptemberEffective
2021 Date: September 2021
Review Date: June 2022 Review Date: June 2022 Review Date: June 2022 Review Date: June 2022