AA Quality Ratings and Related Symbols

All full participants in the AA-recognised accommodation schemes have been assessed under quality standards agreed between the AA, the English Tourism Council and the RAC. Each hotel is given a classification that is based on an overnight 'mystery guest' visit by one of the AA's inspectors.

For hotels, star ratings from one to five are used to assess the standard of quality you can expect.

At this level, staff are polite and courteous and provide informal yet competent service. The majority of rooms are en suite and there is a designated eating area with a reasonable choice of food and wines available.

Staff are smartly presented and provide competent, often informal, service. All rooms are en suite and have a TV. There is at least one restaurant or dining room with a substantial choice of food and wine available.

Staff will be skilled in responding to guests' needs, and there will be a dedicated receptionist on duty. All rooms are en suite and have remote-control TV and direct-dial telephone. There is a restaurant open to residents and their guests and a bar or lounge serving drinks.

A formal, professional service is provided and staff anticipate and respond to guests' needs. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day, with porters available on request. Bedrooms offer superior quality and comfort than at the three-star level; en suite bathrooms have high-quality toiletries. Services such as porterage, 24-hour room service, laundry and dry-cleaning will be available, and the restaurant demonstrates a serious approach to cuisine.

Flawless guest services and professional, attentive staff are a must at this level. Accommodation throughout the hotel is spacious and luxurious, with impressive interior design and immaculate furnishings. En suite rooms offer exceptional quality and provide extras such as bath sheets and robes and an evening turn-down service. The restaurant produces dishes created with a high level of technical skill, complemented by superior wines.