The AA to offer online booking function following launch of new website

The AA has launched a new website featuring more than 12,000 hospitality businesses as the first step to offering an online booking function.

RatedTrips will feature hotels, restaurants, pubs and B&Bs rated separately by the AA and VisitEngland. Inspections by the two bodies, which also cover self-catering cottages, caravan and campsites, are carried out by different teams, but both have been operated by the AA since 2017.

The site will also rate attractions and recommend places to visit and things to do.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: "As the originator of hotel star ratings, and the first organisation to create a nationwide award for restaurants, the AA is in a unique position to offer independent recommendations across a huge variety of hotels, restaurants, pubs, experiences and beyond. RatedTrips.com is designed to be an invaluable tool to both users and establishments alike, making it easier than ever for customers to discover an AA and VisitEngland rated destination."

The platform will allow users to search by location or property name, and link through to a hotel and restaurant's own website, with a direct booking function set to be introduced later in 2020.

Establishments that are part of an AA scheme will be able to login into the RatedTrips.com portal to upload new images and build their own profiles.

Earlier this month the AA confirmed that it had introduced a £180 fee to be included in the AA's rosette scheme and annual restaurant guide in the future.

Restaurants with rooms and hotels have for some time been charged a fee to be part of the AA scheme and will continue to pay the same fee, based on the number of bedrooms, ranging from £551.50 for one-star properties up to £1,874.70, excluding VAT, for five-star hotels.