Rating System Created to Help the Inn Crowd

A much-needed revolution is sweeping the nation’s inn-keeping industry. And while it is good news for inn guests, at least some innkeepers aren’t at all happy.

For the first time, hundreds of inns throughout the country are being systematically rated much in the way that the American Automobile Assn. and Mobil Travel Guides scrutinize hotels, motels and resorts. A team of critics is handing out numerical scores ranging from “5” (outstanding) to “0” (not recommended) based on such factors as appearance, cleanliness and value for price.

Not surprisingly, some of the inns that don’t rate high are upset.

“I’ve been getting so much heat from innkeepers,” says Sarah Sonke, director of the American Bed and Breakfast Assn., which this year is inaugurating what Sonke hopes is a rigorous annual inspection procedure. The initial results will be published May 10 in two guidebooks, “Inspected and Approved Bed & Breakfasts,” one each for inns east and west of the Mississippi River.

About 800 evaluations have been conducted in the past five months, and almost 120 inns, or 15%, failed to score even as high as “1” (acceptable). The number of failures startled Sonke’s association. But the fact that so many inns have been deemed “not recommended” also seems to justify the decision to go ahead with the project.

“There are incredible problems out there,” says Sonke, who headed the five-member evaluation team. Some enterprising innkeepers actually have represented house trailers as bed and breakfast inns.

Inns have soared in popularity in the past decade because they are thought of as warm, friendly and a refreshing change from hotel and motel chains. But standards vary widely.

The inns evaluated this year were members of the association, although some no longer are. Those inns that didn’t score at least a “1” were dropped, and others that thought they got a lower rating than they deserved have quit, she says. Sonke’s hope, however, is that many other inns will join to be rated--if the inn-going public finds the guides useful.

Sonke estimates there are about 13,000 inns in this country. Her association divides them into three categories (representatives of all three were included in the evaluations):

--Homes: Private homes where one or more spare rooms is rented to paying guests.

--Inns: Usually bed and breakfast lodgings that have several rooms and are operated as a business.

--Country Inns: Inns with restaurants that serve other meals in addition to breakfast.

The evaluation process is funded by membership dues and receipts from the sale of the association’s guides. To maintain impartiality, says Sonke, the association accepts no complimentary lodging from inns under review.

An inspector spends about two hours at each inn rating it in five major areas: exteriors, common rooms, guest rooms, guest baths and administrative procedures.

One important factor is the noise level in the neighborhood. “Some inns have trains in their back yards,” says Sonke. Another is the quality of cleanliness and maintenance. “We pick up the shower curtain to make sure there’s no mold.”

About 80 of the inns, or 10%, received a score of “4” (excellent), the highest rating awarded this year. To earn a “5,” an inn must prove itself worthy in two or more annual evaluations.

The guidebook for the Western United States reviews more than 100 inns (92 pages) and sells for $6.95. The Eastern volume includes more than 400 inns (160 pages) and sells for $8.95. They will be available in most bookstores in May.

For more information: Contact the American Bed & Breakfast Assn., 1407 Huguenot Road, Midlothian, Va. 23113, (804) 379-2222.