State Agency for Tourism (SAT) planned to suggest amendments to current hotel classification.

The agency would probably be ready with the suggestion in March 2007, medaipool.bg said.

Apartment buildings will be classified as hostels, SAT said. Vacation settlements built near golf and spa centres will also receive rating. Their categorisation will vary from one to three stars.

The new tourism accommodation regulation will define the concepts of a room, an apartment, an apartment building and a studio.

Mayors will receive the authority to rate family hotels, boarding-houses, guest houses, hostels and separate apartments with one to three stars.

Some requirement for specialised hotels will also be changed. Business hotels will have to have internet access in each room, while spa hotels will have to announce information on the content of all cosmetic products that they use, mediapool.bg said.

The rating will be termless, but local authorities will verify periodically whether accommodation meets the requirements for the rating.