Which? accuses hotel groups of ‘bait pricing’

Consumer group Which? has accused a number of hotel groups of “bait pricing” to lure in guests who have little prospect of realising the low rates.

 

It said Travelodge, Hilton and Accor were among those advertising discount rates that sometimes didn’t exist and were largely not available in any quantity to satisfy demand.

 

The investigation by Which? follows an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling that a Premier Inn advert promising Edinburgh rooms “from only £35 per night” was likely to mislead because of the small percentage of rooms available.

 

ASA guidelines stated that a “significant proportion” of the bait price must be available to satisfy demand. Which claimed that hotel groups were attempting to drive demand through the “commitment and consistency” principle, where consumers are more likely to buy – even at a higher price – if they’ve invested time and effort in the purchase already.

 

Those it investigated included Travelodge, which advertised rooms on Google for £55 with messages creating a sense of urgency, including “Book Your Room Now! Book Early So You Don’t Miss Out! Rooms from £55. Book Online Today. Book for Tonight”.

 

Which? found that 15 of the 138 Travelodge hotels it checked had fewer than 10% of rooms at the advertised price, and that the majority of rooms (64%) were upwards of £100.

 

Travelodge told Which? that the travel period covered 11 months and that more were available later in the year. It added: “While room availability at individual hotels is affected by customer booking patterns and local circumstances, our price messaging fully complies with ASA requirements. Our pricing and advertisements are regularly updated to ensure transparency and accuracy.”

 

Which? also checked 18 hotels participating in Hilton’s 20%-off sale. It found that 71% of nights were on sale at the promised rate for the DoubleTree in London Chelsea, though there was no availability at the advertised price at the Grand Hotel des Sablettes Plage on the French Riviera.

 

Its research accused Accor of advertising rates that didn’t exist, with no night available at a Mercure near the Eiffel Tower for the sale price of £129 a night.

 

Which? said it had shared its findings with the ASA and was also calling for a review of Trading Standards to ensure enforcement of consumer protection laws.

 

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