Britannia has been ranked the UK’s worst hotel chain for the eighth consecutive year by consumers for Which? It was the only chain to receive just one star out of five for cleanliness following the survey of more than 4,000 people. Britannia, whose collection includes Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel and Scarborough’s Grand Hotel, received an overall customer score of 37%, putting it in last place. The top hotel chain was Sofitel with 86%.
Despite being one of the UK’s cheapest chains, guests gave Britannia one star for value for money. One customer described a Britannia venue as a “filthy hovel”, while another claimed it was “by far the dirtiest hotel room I have ever stayed in”.
When Which? visited the Folkestone Britannia, also known as the Grand Burstin, as part of a separate investigation into hotel hygiene, it found stray hairs and stained towels. Further tests indicated that surfaces had not been thoroughly cleaned between stays.
The chain said in a statement: “We are totally committed to providing a safe environment for visitors. We have so far spent around £2 million on Covid-19 precautions, but we accept there is more to do.”
Rory Boland, Editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “It appears that not even a global pandemic could force Britannia to clean up its act. At best, it’s drab and dated, and at worst it’s downright filthy – and after eight years at the bottom of our survey, our message is loud and clear: avoid these hotels.”
Top five large hotel chains according to Which? (customer score in brackets):
1. Sofitel (86%)
2. Premier Inn (82%)
3. Holiday Inn Express (77%)
4. Hilton Hampton (76%)
5. Crowne Plaza (75%)
Worst five large hotel chains according to Which? (customer score in brackets):
1. Britannia (37%)
2. Mercure (60%)
3. Days Inn Hotels (62%)
4. Old English Inn (65%)
5. Ibis Budget (66%)
