Best and worst UK hotels: where do Britannia, Premier Inn and Travelodge rank in Which? hotel chain survey

Britannia has been named as the UK’s worst hotel chain for the 10th year in a row.

The company’s hotels was rated just two stars out of five for categories such as cleanliness, bed comfort and value for money, and received an overall customer satisfaction score of just 56%, in the annual survey by consumer group Which?.

Britannia has 61 hotels across Britain, including Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel and Scarborough’s Grand Hotel and guests described the surroundings as “tired and tatty”, with a “rough and ready” feel.

Ranking joint second worst in the UK was the Mecure and Jurys Inn/Leonardo hotel chains, which both scored 58%.

Travelodge was voted as the worst budget chain hotel, gaining 63% on the customer service score. Guests complained of tatty decor and rooms desperately in need of an update, and it gained just one star out of five for its food and drink.

Several members told Which? there wasn’t a restaurant on-site and they received breakfast in a box. Others who did sample the buffet said it was ‘inedible’.

On the other end of the scale, Premier Inn topped the table for the best large hotel chain, with a 78% customer score. Guests paid an average price of £89 for the room - making it the second cheapest hotel on the list after Travelodge.

Guests praised the chain for as “reliable” and offering “quality service”, with many respondents saying they were return guests because the brand was consistently good across all sites

Respondents to the survey paid an average of £89 per night for a Premier Inn stay, compared with £119 at a Britannia hotel.

Following that was Sofite, with a 76% customer satisfaction score, with guests paying an average of £204 for their room.

Crowne Plaza came in third (74% - £129 average price paid), Village Hotel Club followed at 71% (£127 average price paid) and Days Inn was fifth, with a customer score of 70% and an average price of £98 paid.

For small chains (with a max of 30 hotels worldwide) Warner Hotels topped the list, with a customer score of 77%. The average price paid was £173. Following that was Malmaison, at 76% (£170), and Hotel du Vin (71% - £189).

The consumer groups’ ranking is based  on almost 4,500 stays at 35 chains, with respondents rating their experiences in 10 categories, including cleanliness, bed comfort, food, consumer service and value for money.

Which? reports that UK hotel guests are paying £22 more for a night’s stay compared with a year ago.

Guy Hobbs, editor of magazine 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.”

Which are the best and worst hotel chains in the UK?

Listed is the full ranking of UK hotel chains based on customer satisfaction, from best to worst, according to Which?:

1. Premier Inn -  78% customer satisfaction
2. Sofitel - 76% customer satisfaction
3. Crowne Plaza - 74% customer satisfaction
4. Village Hotel Club - 71% customer satisfaction
5. Days Inn - 70% customer satisfaction
6. Hilton - 70% customer satisfaction
7. Hilton - Hampton 69% customer satisfaction
8. Holiday Inn - 69% customer satisfaction
9. Ibis Budget - 69% customer satisfaction
10. Marriott - 69% customer satisfaction
11. Copthorne - 68% customer satisfaction
12. De Vere Hotels - 68% customer satisfaction
13. Holiday Inn Express - 68% customer satisfaction
14. Hyatt - 68% customer satisfaction
15. Wetherspoons Hotels - 68% customer satisfaction
16. Hilton - Garden Inn - 67% customer satisfaction
17. Ibis - 67% customer satisfaction
18. Novotel - 67% customer satisfaction
19. Radisson Blu - 67% customer satisfaction
20. Best Western - 65% customer satisfaction
21. easyHotel - 64% customer satisfaction
22. Hilton - Doubletree - 63% customer satisfaction
23. Old English Inns - 63% customer satisfaction
24. Travelodge - 63% customer satisfaction
25. Macdonald - 61% customer satisfaction
26. Jurys Inn - 58% customer satisfaction
27. Mercure - 58% customer satisfaction
28. Britannia - 58% customer satisfaction

Ranking for small UK hotel chains

1. Warner Hotels - 77% customer satisfaction
2. Malmaison - 76% customer satisfaction
3. Hotel du Vin - 71% customer satisfaction
4. Young’s Hotels - 69% customer satisfaction
5. Abode - 68% customer satisfaction
6. Apex - 66% customer satisfaction
7. QHotels - 62% customer satisfaction