ESSENTIAL REVIEWS FOR GAY TRAVELERS

How often are Pink Choice awards presented?
Pink Choice Awards are presented at the end of each calendar year.

Who wins a Pink Choice award?
The award recognizes those hotels, guest houses and inns that have excelled in providing the very best in gay and lesbian accommodation, based on the reviews and ratings submitted by their guests.

How are Pink Choice ratings calculated?
Whenever a guest posts a review on the site, he or she is also asked to rate the hotel experience by giving a score of 1-5 (1= Unacceptable, 5= Exceptional) for the following criteria.

• FIRST IMPRESSIONS
  Rate the reservation process, either on-line or by phone. Was the staff helpful and welcoming?
• CURB APPEAL AND LOCATION
  Was the property well located and externally attractive?
• CHECK-IN
  Was it welcoming, informative and painless? Was the staff able to devote time to answer all your questions?
• COMFORT AND CLEANLINESS
  Was the bed comfortable, and the room and bathroom well appointed and clean?
• STAFF
  Was the staff friendly, helpful and efficient?
• DINING Did the quality of breakfast or other dining services meet your expectations?
• DETAILS
  How were the little personal touches that make all the difference?
• VALUE FOR MONEY
  Was your stay appropriately priced for what you received?

What are the 1 - 5 credibility ratings?

As reviews for a particular hotel are posted, the average score, based on those reviews is calculated. The more reviews a hotel receives, the greater the probability that the overall score is an accurate representation of what to expect at that hotel.

For example:

Hotel A has a rating of 100 and a credibility score of 1

A credibility rating of 1 means that the hotel has received just a small number of reviews. As a result, its overall score may not be representative of what to expect

Hotel B has a rating of 98 and a credibility score of 3

A credibility rating of 3 means that the hotel has received a number of reviews, so its overall rating is more likely to be representative of what to expect.

Hotel C has a rating of 95 and a credibility score of 5

A credibility rating of 5 means that the hotel has received a large number of reviews, so its overall rating is likely to be an accurate representation of what to expect.

Overall hotel rankings are based on a combination of numerical ratings and credibility scores.

Ratings posted over the previous 365 days are given a greater weight than those from previous years in order to keep the overall ratings current. Previous years' results and awards are posted on the individual accommodation pages of the site so that a record of previous annual results can be seen.

The algorithm used to calculate Pink Choice hotel rankings and individual ratings is under constant review to ensure that it accurately reflects the views of guests who have submitted their opinions. Mechanisms are in place to prevent manipulation of the rating system by the posting of multiple reviews from a single source.

From January 1, 2010 hotels will need to receive a minimum number of reviews for the calendar year as well as meeting the previously set criteria, in order to be eligible for an award.

How often do hotel ratings change?
Whenever a new review is posted to the site, the score for that hotel is recalculated, and all the hotel rankings within its group are adjusted to reflect that result. This means that the ratings are continuously being updated to remain absolutely current.

Why are properties split into one of four price bands?

In each destination, accommodations and their ratings are grouped into one of four price bands based on their room rates:

Price bands have been used because most travelers have a budget and need to be comfortable with the cost of their accommodation before making a choice. For any destination travelers can quickly pick the price band that best suits their needs, and then view the recommended hotels within that band.