Welsh hotelier objects to comfy chair treatment

By Angela Jameson

A hotelier who was given just one month to replace his bedroom chairs or risk losing his four-crown rating, has hit out at the Wales Tourist Board's "nonsensical" policies.

Michael Morgan, who became owner of Llansantffraed Court Hotel in Abergavenny, Gwent, last month, received a visit from a Wales Tourist Board inspector in early April.

The inspector praised the hotel, but went on to say Mr Morgan would have to replace the tub-style bedroom chairs with easy chairs to meet new minimum standards for four crowns.

"I support raising standards, but this is nonsensical," said Mr Morgan, who is already a member of the AA scheme. He said he planned to withdraw from the WTB scheme if he was downgraded.

The cost of replacing the chairs in all 21 bedrooms at Llansantffraed Court could come to more than £2,000."I just can't afford to pay that one month into a new business," Mr Morgan said.

But when Caterer contacted the WTB for clarification, the organisation backed down. "We would be prepared to ease on that ruling and reconsider," a spokesman said.

Accommodation inspection in Wales is contracted out to an independent company called Tourism Quality Services. "[The inspector] would never have threatened him in that way," claimed the spokesman, who added that the board received very few complaints about inspections.

The incident occurs at a critical point in discussions between the WTB and hoteliers on the future of the principality's grading scheme.

The WTB is expected to make a decision on whether or not it will join the new English Tourist Board, RAC and AA-run national accommodation scheme by the end of May.

The WTB currently appears to favour the Scottish approach, which places greater emphasis on quality.