DEHOGA hotel classification (BTG-Hotelklassifizierung)

The DEHOGA hotel classification -- conducted by the German Hotel Classification Agency (BTG) on behalf of DEHOGA, the German Hotel & Restaurant Association -- evaluates hotels against more than 270 criteria. It assigns stars meant to give guests, tour operators, and booking platforms a frame of reference.

Stars tell you something about fittings and service. What they don't tell you: whether a property is using its category to full potential.

What we see in practice: Many properties invest in classification without knowing which criteria actually move the needle. The result is a star rating that doesn't position the house properly -- because preparation was never thought through from the guest side. I serve on the BTG inspection team and run classification visits myself. I know both sides: what a property presents about itself, and what a classifier actually sees. That perspective feeds into consulting engagements. Not as an edge in the procedure, but as understanding of what really counts.