Staycations have grown massively in popularity as a result of the global financial situation. The Eurozone crisis has put many Brits off visiting countries such as Spain and France, while tight household budgets has meant that not everyone can afford to travel further afield in search of the elusive summer sunshine.
This, of course, means that British hotels around the country have become popular destinations for cash strapped families wishing to escape their usual surroundings and learn more about the country they live in. However, not all hotel chains are the same, and a survey released by Which? last week has revealed the best and worst hotel chains operating in the UK as voted for by consumers.
The consumer group polled 6,000 people who had recently stayed in a British hotel chain to rate their stay based on their overall satisfaction, and also asked whether or not they would recommend that particular chain to a friend in the future. Participants were asked about the levels of cleanliness, value for money, customer service and the quality of breakfast experienced whilst staying in their chosen hotel.
When all of the participants’ questionnaires had been received, Which? totalled up the scores of each hotel chain then calculated an average to figure out their total customer satisfaction score. This score was then used to compile the rankings of the UK’s hotel chains.
In all, 34 chains were examined as part of the survey, with everything from budget hotels to luxury country retreats included. The only specification was that the actual hotel itself had to be part of a chain, as opposed to being run independently.
Warner Leisure Hotels topped the bill, with a score of 79 per cent customer satisfaction. The chain operates 13 hotels in England and Wales, and was the most expensive chain included in the survey with an average room price of £366 per night.
Comfort Inn, meanwhile, scraped the barrel with a score of 41 per cent ensuring that it took the last place slot. This was based on customer reviews of the chain’s 20 nationwide hotels.
Poor quality as judged by consumers appeared to be something of a theme in some of the country’s largest hotel chains, with Travelodge coming 29th of 34 with a score of 46 per cent. It did have the second cheapest room price at £63 per night, yet room cost was not a determining factor as the cheapest rooms per night were in the Innkeeper’s Lodge’s 21 hotels – a chain which managed to score relatively highly for customer satisfaction and achieve 6th place on the list.
A spokesperson for Which? said of the results; “Our survey reveals big gaps in quality between some of the best known hotel chains in the country.
“The top rated hotels scored highly for customer service, cleanliness, location and a decent breakfast so it’s clear what people are looking for in a good night’s stay.
“Our findings show some of the no-frills hotel chains, in particular, need to raise their game and provide a better service.”
What is the most important factor for you when looking for a hotel on a holiday or mini break? Is value for money or a low price especially relevant given the current economic situation in the country, or would you prefer to pay slightly more for a spotless room, scenic location and high quality breakfast in the morning? Have you had any particularly good or bad experiences staying in UK hotel chains, thus forming your opinion about their chain?
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