Guide accuses hotels of breakfast rip-off
Hotel guests are being ripped off at the breakfast table, according to a guide published today.
The Which? Hotel Guide 2001 reports that hotels are increasingly charging "room-only rates and an exorbitant extra for anything cooked".
Its editors Patricia Yates and Kim Winter, who describe the British breakfast as "the cornerstone of British hospitality", condemn the trend.
The editors also criticise the fixed coathanger that many hotels are encouraged to have if they are applying for a tourist board star rating.
They add: "No, they are not user-friendly. No, they are not easy to use. No, they do not make it easy to hang your crumpled clothes in the steam in the bathroom. And yes, they do double the time it takes to hang the contents of a suitcase."
The guide, which evaluates more than 1,000 hotels throughout England, Wales and Scotland, also reports that the volume of business being conducted over the Internet is growing fast.
Notable new entries are: the Wolfe, Wolf's Castle, Pembrokeshire; Oak Tree Farm, Hopwas, Staffordshire; Peacock Inn, Boraston, Shropshire and 11 Didsbury Park, Manchester.
The guide is based on consumer feedback and professional inspections. No entries are paid for and no free meals or hotel nights are accepted.
The Which? Hotel Guide 2001 is published by Which? It costs £15.99 and can be ordered on freephone 0800 252100. Or see www.which.net
by Louise Bozec louise.bozec@rbi.co.uk
