A pub hotel group has come top of the table and beaten the likes of Marriott and Hilton in Which?’s hotel rankings, whereas Britannia has come last for the twelfth consecutive time.
The large chain that most impressed this year was the Coaching Inn Group with a customer score of 81 per cent. The group of 36 relaxed inn-style hotels are often historic buildings located in beauty spots or market towns where they aim to be ‘the best venue in town’.
The chain scored a full five stars for customer service and for the description matching reality. While the chain’s average room price of £128 was not the cheapest, the four out of five stars respondents rated it for value for money shows it is worth spending a few pounds extra on.
Coaching Inn was one of two Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) to earn four stars for value for money. One customer summed this up by saying the group was “a very good mid-price range chain that does all the basic things well”, another commented on the chain’s “lovely locations and excellent food and service.”
A large chain that also impressed guests was Intercontinental with a high customer score of 80 per cent. Customers rated the hotel chain five stars in most categories apart from value for money where it only managed two stars, Which? found it was over £300 on average for a one night stay. For this reason the chain missed out on WRP status.
Also receiving a high score in Which?’s survey with 79 per cent was one of IHG’s 20 hotel brands, Hotel Indigo. The large hotel chain stood out to customers for its boutique feel which aims to reflect the popular neighbourhoods they are situated in. Hotel Indigo earned five stars for cleanliness, quality of bathrooms, customer service, bed comfort and description matching reality. Customers praised the “superb room and impeccable service”, and one customer said the hotel “feels like a real treat as opposed to just having a bed for the night.” The chain also received a WRP award and was £115 on average per night.
Sofitel also impressed guests; the chain was given a 78 per cent customer score and a full five stars for bed comfort and cleanliness. However, with rooms at around £280 a night on average, it also fell down on crucial value for money and therefore missed out on WRP status.
The only chain to be awarded a Which? Great Value badge, as well as a WRP for the first time was J D Wetherspoon. At just £70 for an average night’s stay the chain received four stars for value for money and the majority of other categories, including customer service. One guest commented that the hotel was “clean, comfortable and good value”.
One large hotel chain that slipped down the table and has this year lost its WRP status is Premier Inn. While customers still consider its beds some of the most comfortable in the survey and it managed a score of 73 per cent, some guests told Which? that their stay wasn’t good value and suggested that standards were slipping. One guest said that “Premier Inn has lost its way. Prices no longer budget levels and service is no longer a priority”. An average night’s stay is £94.
Meanwhile Britannia received a poor customer score of 44 per cent and scored just one star for the quality of bedrooms and bathrooms – marking the twelfth consecutive time the chain has come bottom of the consumer champion’s survey for large chains. One Britannia customer at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone called the hotel a “total dive”. Another said they had three nights booked but left after one because of the poor service, room and food.
Which? also asked customers to rate their stays at smaller hotel chains. Five smaller hotel chains earned Which? Recommended Provider endorsements and another two were named Great Value providers. Top of the list were Andrew Brownsword and Brend Hotels, which both received a joint highest score of 83 per cent.
Andrew Brownsword hotels spans 10 locations, including manor houses and castles in Dartmoor, Bath and Chelsea and scored five stars in most categories. It managed four stars for value for money, even though rooms were £272 per night for an average stay. One guest commented: “Their service is very considerate and the rooms are clean and comfortable”
Meanwhile the family-run Brend Hotels, located in the West Country, also scored five stars for most categories, with four stars for quality of bedrooms and bathrooms and value for money reflecting the £244 average price per night. Guests complimented the clean rooms, good food and customer service, one said they “couldn’t wish for anything better”.
