A TF1 news segment broadcast on August 4, 2026 examined how hotels and holiday rentals in France are awarded their star ratings.
The report noted that a star rating for a furnished tourist rental brings tax advantages for its owner. Behind each star, nearly 250 criteria are checked by inspectors working on behalf of Atout France, a state body.
Who checks the inspectors
The report said the reliability of the rating system also depends on the inspectors themselves, who are evaluated in turn. The segment, produced by TF1info's video newsroom, ran for 7 minutes and 18 seconds as part of the channel's 8pm news broadcast.
