Hotelstars represent a unified set of criteria to classify hotels to provide for more transparency and security for both tourists and hotel managers, the economy ministry said before the new rules took effect.
The Hotelstars Union brings together 17 countries, among them Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
The Slovenian tourism industry believes the new system's international comparability is its biggest asset for Slovenia's tourist development.
The new rules give more emphasis on quality, such as luxury equipment and the mood, than the mere size of the room or the window, as has been the case with the system that is now being phased out.
The new rules will apply to hotels, motels, boarding houses, restaurants, self-catering units, holiday homes, rooms, farms with accommodation and marinas.
The 1 April is the deadline to get recategorized for practically all types of accommodation bar the top-quality facilities which have been rated by hotel inspectors and still have a valid licence.
Their categorisation will be re-evaluated only once their licence has expired, according to the ministry.
Accommodation will be rated by its owners and not hotel raters, so the ministry recently organised a special seminar on how to categorise a tourist facility.
But since the owner will assume full responsibility for properly rating their accommodation, they will have an option of turning to a licensed hotel rater for help.
To supervise the implementation of the new rules, the ministry will appoint a special commission which will carry out random checks.
If major gaps in one's own rating and the actual situation at the facility are established, the commission will alert a market inspection service.
The ministry, however, stressed that quality tourism is much more than just rating accommodation.
The ministry and the Slovenian Tourist Board are working on a project termed Five-Star Experiences to offer a selection of exquisite experiences from around the country under the brand name Slovenia Unique Experiences.
The new criteria can be seen here
