Extras making UK uncompetitive

British hoteliers are adding to the higher cost of hotels in the UK, compared with those on the Continent, by insisting on providing unnecessary extras, says the latest European Good Hotel Guide.

The guide's editors, Adam and Caroline Raphael, concede that British hotels are more expensive because they have to contend with one of the highest VAT rates in Europe, exorbitant taxes on wine and petrol, and higher mortgages and cost of food.

But the guide questions the "many extras which hoteliers seem compelled to provide", such as expensive toiletries.

The Good Hotel Guide 2000: Continental Europe, which lists more than 1,000 hotels and guesthouses, uses readers' recommendations for its entries. The guide claims that more of its readers are crossing the Channel, persuaded by the strength of the pound and the better value for money available in Continental hotels.

Child-friendliness of many European hotels also proved an attraction, with greater effort put into child menus rather than the "ubiquitous fish fingers and chips" found in the UK.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 17-23 February 2000