What the Diamonds mean

Guest houses can be awarded from one Diamond at the simplest level, to 5 Diamonds at the luxury end.

To be awarded any Diamonds at all, establishments must provide sufficient quality in all areas of operation shown below. They are given a score from 1 to 5 in each section. If they do not achieve a sufficient quality standard, they cannot be awarded a diamond rating at all.

The standards they are judged on are:

• Cleanliness and Housekeeping
• Service and Hospitality
• Bedroom Facilities
• Bathroom, Shower, WC and en-suite Facilities
• Food Quality and Service
• Public Rooms such as guest lounges
• Safety and Security, Exterior and Interior Appearance and upkeep

The awards take all these factors into account.

At all Diamond levels, cleanliness and good housekeeping are of the highest importance and the emphasis of the assessment for a Diamond rating is on guest care and quality rather than the provision of extra facilities.

Once everything has been assessed, the scores are converted into a percentage which is then turned into a Diamond rating:

 1 Diamond - Standard Quality - reflects a score of between 20% and 34%

 2 Diamonds - Standard Quality - reflects a score of between 35% and 49%

 3 Diamonds - Good Quality- reflects a score of between 50% and 69%

 4 Diamonds - High Quality - reflects a score of between 70% and 84%

 5 Diamonds - Outstanding Quality - reflects a score of 85% and more