In recent years, just like the rise in demand for more sustainable, environmentally conscious travel, there has been an acceleration of the demand for more Halal-friendly or Muslim-friendly travel. More and more destinations around the world are now trying earnestly to draw in more Muslim visitors by opening up more Halal certified restaurants and hotels and by building mosques; that can be used by both men and women, in locations that are popular and frequented by tourists.
Recently
Kyoto City, Japan launched a new website for Muslim visitors called “
Muslim Friendly Kyoto”. Their aim was to provide tourists with valuable information and tips on how to find Muslim-friendly locations in the city, including Halal certified restaurants,
Muslim-friendly hotels and much more. In addition to that, Japan is also making an effort to provide Muslims with prayer rooms, Halal meals and other Muslim-friendly facilities, in all their International Airports.
We at CrescentRating developed a rating system that allows hotels and service providers to be rated based on the services and facilities that they provide, catering to the needs of Halal-conscious travelers. The CrescentRating system rates overall Halal friendliness on a scale of one to seven, with seven being the highest rating. The service ratings are separated into four different areas; Halal food facilities, Salaah (prayer) facilities, services during Ramadan, and level of non-Halal activities in the hotel and additional Halal-friendly recreational facilities. In order for the establishment or service to be Crescent Rated, they must provide at least the minimum level of service in each area.
Rixos The Palm Dubai is one of our rated hotels. It is a 4 Crescent Rated, modern, luxury resort located on the world-renowned Palm Islands, in Dubai, U.A.E. The hotel offers Muslim’s a plethora of facilities including Halal meals, marked prayer directions and much more. However, it does serve alcohol and this is why the hotel has a lower rating. The
Holiday Villa City Center Alor Setar in Malaysia offers more amenities to Muslims staying at the hotel, and hence has a 5 Crescent Rating.
Hotels like
The Sands by Aitken Spence, located in Sri Lanka and
Amari Boulevard, located in Bangkok Thailand both have a rating of 3. Both hotels serve alcohol and the food served is either uncertified or not Halal at all. However each of the two hotels does provide facilities that would be considered Muslim-friendly.
One of the highest Crescent Rated Hotels on the site is the
Grand BlueWave Hotel in Shah Alam, Malaysia. This is a 7 Crescent Rated hotel which means it is an alcohol-free hotel that serves food certified by JAKIM, which is a credible Halal certification services centre in Malaysia. In addition to that, the hotel goes above and beyond to make sure all the facilities it provides is according to the standards its Muslim visitors expect.
The hotels; along with their ratings, mentioned above, are just a few of the hundreds of hotels that have been carefully reviewed and rated by CrescentRating. These ratings play a huge role in the hotels that Muslim travelers decide to stay at when looking for accommodation abroad. In addition to that, they also seem to give travelers peace of mind by not requiring them to prepare for unforeseen situations related to food, qibla, things to do and see and so on. Lastly, we’re glad that the ever evolving global travel industry is giving Muslims the opportunity to see the world without having to worry about a religion related thing. So go dig out your passport, book a Crescent Rated hotel and relax. Happy travels and Ma'assalama!
