Being named the worst hotel in the UK is not a title any property wants, but this year’s winner has now achieved it ten times in a row, cementing its status as the hotel to avoid.
Britannia has been named the worst major hotel chain in Britain for the tenth year in a row by consumer organisation Which?
It scored just two out of five stars in every category, including cleanliness, food and value for money, and achieved an overall customer satisfaction rating of 56%, according to Which?
One guest described their room as “absolutely awful, dreary and smelly,” while another complained of dirt and mold. Plumbing problems such as broken toilets and lack of hot water were also common, with one in five (19%) of guests who encountered a problem complaining about such issues.
Almost one in three (28%) of guests who have stayed at a Britannia hotel reported a problem during their stay, and over half of them (54%) mentioned issues with cleanliness.
Hotel customers rated their stay in 10 key categories, including cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service and value for money.
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Premier Inn was once again voted the UK’s favourite hotel chain with a customer rating of 78%. The company received five stars for cleanliness and bed comfort.
Numerous travelers praised the chain for its “reliable” and “high-quality service,” and many respondents said they were repeat guests because of the consistency of the offering at all of the brand’s locations.
Despite being the second cheapest chain in the table, Premier Inn’s average nightly rate has increased by a whopping 35% compared to 2021 – significantly more than the national average (21%). The increase was noticed by guests, who gave the hotel just two stars for value for money.
Travelodge was the cheapest chain in the survey, with an average room rate of £78. It also only received 2 stars in the value for money category.
However, you get what you pay for: one customer said his room was “very run down”, while others noted the “cramped” and “worn” bathrooms and the breakfast that was “not worth the money”.
Overall, the chain received one star for food and drink, but only two stars for rooms, bathrooms, customer service, communal facilities and the correspondence between room description and reality.
Mercure and Jurys Inn/Leonardo Hotels also performed poorly in the survey: both achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 58%.
While many guests praised Mercure for the hotels’ “convenient location” with “helpful staff,” the facilities were described as “basic.” One guest summed up his experience as: “Not too bad, but definitely not good. Avoid if possible.”
Similar feedback was received at Jurys Inn/Leonardo Hotels: One guest described his stay as “good, but nothing special for the price”.
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Guy Hobbs, editor of Which? Travel, said: “After a decade of dismal reviews, Britannia is one of the UK’s worst hotel chains and our findings suggest it should be avoided at all costs.
“With the average price of a hotel stay in the UK now a fifth higher than last year, travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money. Our findings show that price is not necessarily an indicator of quality, and many respondents reported fantastic stays at brands such as Premier Inn and smaller chains such as Warner Hotels.”
Among the small hotel chains, Warner Hotels came out on top with a customer rating of 77%. Malmaison also did well in this category with a customer rating of 76%.
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