
For the 10th year running, one hotel chain has earned the unwelcome crown of being rated the worst in the UK.
‘Tired and tatty’ was just one of the criticisms collected from 4500 travellers, along with the description of a ‘rough and ready’ feel.
Meanwhile, one guest complained about dirt and mildew, while another stated their accommodation was ‘really terrible, drab and smelly’.
The startling findings came from a Which? poll in which people were asked to judge the best and worst 35 hotel chains in the UK, scoring items like cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service, and value for money.
But who is the recipient of this unwelcome honour for the 10th time?
Britannia, with participants giving the chain two stars out of a possible five across every single category – meaning it earned an overall customer satisfaction score of just 56%.
In response to the results, Guy Hobbs, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘With a decade of dismal reviews cementing its place as one of the UK’s worst hotel chains, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs.
‘With the average price of a UK hotel stay now costing a fifth more than it did last year, travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money.
‘Our results show that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality and many respondents reported fantastic stays with brands including Premier Inn and smaller chains like Warner Hotels.’
Premier Inn, in fact, topped the scoreboard with an overall customer satisfaction score of 78%, and received five stars for both cleanliness and how well the room descriptions met expectations.
Guests praised the chain’s’reliable’ and ‘excellent service,’ while also praising the comfort of the mattresses, customer service, and wi-fi strength.
In an unusual twist, despite being one of the most expensive hotel chains included in the assessment, with an average room charge of £173 per night, Warner Hotels received four stars for value for money.
Meanwhile, Travelodge, the lowest chain in the poll with an average room cost of £78, received only two stars for value for money.
The best of the rest
Top three large hotel chains in the UK
Winner: Premier Inn – customer score of 78%. Which? verdict: Comfortable accommodation you can count on.
Sofitel – 76%.
Crowne Plaza – 74%.
Best small hotel chains in the UK
Winner: Warner Hotels – 77%. Which? verdict: Great quality if you’re looking for an action-packed getaway.
Malmaison – 76%.
Hotel Du Vin – 71%.
Guests didn’t seem too impressed with the quality of the rooms either, with one claiming that their room was ‘extremely run down’, while another termed the bathrooms ‘cramped’ and ‘tired’ bathrooms.
Overall, the business received one star for food and drink, with respondents claiming the breakfasts are ‘not worth the money’.
A spokesperson for Travelodge said: ‘Annually we welcome nearly 19 million customers across our 581 UK hotels with over 500 hotels achieving a high score of 4+ Dots on Tripadvisor.
‘This year, we have consistently ranked 2nd for Value in the YouGov BrandIndex for Hotel & Cruises sector. We are dedicated to providing great value rooms and continue to invest in our hotels.
‘We are sorry that the respondents from this survey did not receive our normal high level of service.’