If you’ve been on low-budget work trips then you might be familiar with Britannia Hotels, a hospitality chain with more than 60 hotels across the UK. And if that is the case, then you might not be surprised to learn that it has just been named the worst such chain in the country for the tenth year running. Ouch.
Though the hotels are often in grand buildings and come with interesting histories — Winston Churchill was a guest at the Adelphi in Liverpool — they have a reputation for being ‘tired and tatty’. In an annual Which? survey, guests awarded the chain an average of two stars across ten categories, achieving an overall customer satisfaction score of just 56 percent.
The survey was based on 4,500 stays at 35 chains, and respondents rated their experiences across ten categories, including cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service and value for money. More than half of the respondents noted issues with cleanliness at Britannia Hotels. One guest described their room as ‘absolutely dire, drab and smelly’, while another complaint noted dirt and mould.
Guy Hobbs, Which? editor, noted that the average price of a UK hotel stay is now a fifth more than last year, due to rising costs and inflation.
He said: ‘Travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money... price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality and many respondents reported fantastic stays with brands including Premier Inn and smaller chains such as Warner Hotels.’
Two other chains, Mercure and the Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels group, also performed poorly in the survey, earning a customer satisfaction score of just 58 percent.
Premier Inn, however, won a satisfaction score of 78 percent and was the best-performing chain overall. Among smaller chains, Warner Hotels took the top spot, with a customer score of 77 percent, and was praised for ‘modern’ and ‘comfortable’ rooms and a ‘friendly welcome’. Mind you, it charges an average of £178 a night.
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