Does this help?
http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/editorials/hotel-rating.htm
This might be of use: http://www.landes.cci.fr/upload/tourisme/pdf/hotel_normes.pdf
Below the details of the Arrete is a handy chart simplifying the classification criteria for hotels. It might also be worth while talking to someone at the Departementale de la Concurrence de la Consommation et de la Repression des Fraudes. They are responsible for the classification of hotels. Having been through the process last year, it is very formulaic and there isn't much room to negotiate but it might be worth explaining what you plan to do and see what they say.
Hope that helps.
Osie, there is not an actual 'legal requirement' to provide phones in rooms at all but the 'rating system' itself dictates that in-room phones be a feature. In short, you wont be fined or closed down for not putting phones in your rooms but you most probably wont get your 3* rating. We do not have phones in the rooms but do provide a phone in the foyer. We were informed that guests must have access to a phone whether it be in-room or in the form of a pay phone. Only two people have used it in three years though, everyone has mobiles these days!.
Speaking as a hotel user rather than proprietor, I suppose it rather depends on whether you offer room service. Or whether a party of guests may want to call each other in different rooms rather than (in the case of foreigners) use expensive mobile calls for that. Or to want an alarm call.Also there are often instructions by the bedside phone to say what to do in case of illness, fire or other emergency (i.e. dial xx for reception).
Angela
We would not be prepared to outlay the expense of installing in-room phones just for guests to phone from one room to another. When we have groups stay they all just bang on each others doors if they wish to communicate.
If guests wish an alarm call we ask that they notify us what time they wish to be woken up and we in turn bang on their door at that hour. We have only ever had this request on two occasions in four years. We provide clock radios with in-built alarms for this purpose. Never had any problems there either and we live right by an airport where our guests often need to be up early so they can eat and leave in order to checkin.
It is a legal requirement that emergency information (re: fire, illness, damage, tariffs, etc) be posted on the back of the room door so we do this according to law. Not one person in our four years here has ever complained about not having a phone in their room.
In a very large hotel i.e Mercure, an Ibis or such I would say in-room phones should be a feature, but in smaller establishments they tend to cost the owner more than they are worth. Thats why don't have 'em and don't intend to.
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