Britannia tops list of UK’s worst hotel chains for seventh consecutive year

Britannia has topped a list of the UK’s worst hotel chains for the seventh year in a row with an average customer score of just 39%.

Consumer charity Which? reports that customers described the budget group's hotels as "dirty" and "neglected" with 44% experiencing a problem during their stay.

The experiences of more than 8,000 people contributed to Which?’s list of best and worst hotels, with Britannia mustering just one star in most categories including bedrooms, bathrooms, food and drink, cleanliness and value for money.

Which? checked into Britannia’s Gatwick Lodge hotel and reported finding stains on the bedsheets, dirty tissues in the bin and grime around the skirting boards. The ventilation fan was clogged with dust and dead insects, leaving a musty smell of damp, it added.

At the other end of the ratings Premier Inn and Wetherspoon Hotel received 79% approval ratings, with one customer commenting on the former: “You always know what you are getting at a Premier Inn. It’s not overly fancy but everything’s good quality, and at a very competitive price.”

Wetherspoon was praised for its “outstanding value for money”, central locations and “sympathetically converted period buildings”. However it received three out of a possible five stars for cleanliness.

Both Apex Hotels and Warner Leisure received five stars for cleanliness and were the top-rated small hotel chains.