Concerning grading and definitions has been taken from the South African Tourism Grading Website. For further information visit Tourism Grading Website

Acceptable quality in the overall standard of the furnishings, service and guest care. Clean, comfortable and functional accommodation. Guests should expect a continental breakfast or a quick, cooked, simple breakfast. Bathrooms should have soap and a bath towel.

Good quality in the overall standard of furnishings, service and guest car. Guests should expect a continental breakfast and limited variety of cooked items could be available. Bathroom should have soap puls a hand and bath towel.

Very good quality in the overall standard of furnishings, service and guest car. Guests should expect a breakfast with an extensive variety of cooked food. The bedrooms should be more spacious with additional furniture such as a destk. The bathroom should have at leas shower gel, wrapped soap, shampoo and both a hand and bath towel.

Superior (excellent) comfort and quality with a very high standard of furnishings, service and guest care. A full cooked breakfast must be served over an extended period. Guests can also expect table service if desired. The bedroom must have a working area with a desk. Guests can also expect to have 18 hours of service available. Bathrooms should have amenities such as shampoo, shower gel, wrapped soap, hair conditioner, body lotion, hand towel, bath towel, shower cap, bath sheet and a face cloth.

Exceptional quality and luxurious accommodation matching best international standards. Highest standard of furnishings, flawless service and meticulous guest care. Guests should expect 24 hour room service in hotels. Bedrooms much have a working area or desk. Bathroom should have a full range of amentities - bath sheet, hand towel, bath towel and face cloth. It should also have shower gel, shampoo, wrapped soap, hair conditioner, body lotions. Guests should expect a full cooked breakfast usually available all day and can also be served to the guest in the bedroom. The eating area must provide table service. Most 5 star hotels have health and beauty facilities on site or at least can provide them to the guest at a nearby facility. Most five star establishments will also provide business facilities such as internet access as well as fax facilities.

Bed and Breakfast accommodation is usually provided in a family (private) home and the owner/manager lives in the house or on the property. Breakfast is usually served. Bathroom facilities may or may not be en-suite and/or private. In general, the guest shares the public areas with the host family.

A Caravan and Camping Park is a facility that provides ablution and toilet facilities and space for guests to provide for their own accommodation, such as a tent, motorhome, and/or caravan. Only establishments that cater for transient guests (public travelling for recreational purposes) will qualify for grading.

A Country House is a large Guest House, usually situated in natural, peaceful surroundings such as near a nature reserve, a forest, a lake etc. It offers all the services of a hotel, including dinner. Only establishments that cater for transient guests (travelling public) will qualify for grading.

A guest house is either a converted house, manor, etc adapted to accommodate overnight guests or it may be a purpose built facility. A guest house is run as a commercial operation and is often owner-managed. A guest house has public areas which are for the exclusive use of the guest. The owner/manager either lives off-site, or in a separate area within the property.

A hotel provides accommodation to the travelling public, has a reception area and offers at least a "breakfast room" or communal eating area. In general a hotel makes food and beverage services available to guests, though these may be outsourced.

A lodge is an accommodation facility located in natural surroundings. The rates charged are usually inclusive of an experience offered at the lodge, viz game drives, battlefield tours, etc. In general, food and beverage services are provided for all meals. The accommodation grading process will only grade the hospitality aspects of Lodge operations and not the experience.

A house, cottage, chalet, bungalow, flat, studio, apartment, villa, houseboat, tents or similar accommodation where facilities and equipment are provided for guests to cater for themselves. The facilities should be adequate to cater for the maximum advertised number of residents the facility can accommodate.