What you see on the packet
Just when you thought that the budget hotel market had reached saturation point, with every motorway junction seemingly guarded by a sentry outpost from one of the big three operators, along comes a recession that forces business travellers to "downsize" their expense accounts and - wham! - budget hotels feel the uplift.
Travel Inn, Travelodge and Premier are the leaders of the pack in this field, but another five groups, including Express by Holiday Inn, are making their mark.
Why? Is it the price, or new-build cleanliness, or the simple, anonymous comfort that they provide? It's all of these, but it is also more - it is the consistency of what they offer that draws visitors back again and again.
Lack of consistency, particularly in the independent, mid-market hotel sector, has long been a frustration for customers and officials in the industry, and the variation in standards has been a constant source of irritation for business travellers and foreign visitors alike.
Can they be sure that what they get for £50 a night in one hotel is going to be the same as what they get for £50 the next night in another hotel? Can they expect the same value in Penzance as in Penrith? The answer always used to be "don't know" or "maybe". Now, with the budget hotels spread nationwide, the answer is "yes" - there is a uniformity that suits a purpose and is being lapped up by business travellers and weekend revellers.
These customers are confident that, when they book their £50 room, it is going to be exactly what they expect, no matter the location. To quote a marketing phrase: "What they see on the packet is what they get inside." This is the key to the budget sector success story.
There will, of course, always be room for individual mid-price accommodation and the independent entrepreneur. But a new generation of mid-market customers is now demanding better value, and a guarantee that the hotels they choose will deliver what the brochure promises.
The budget chains may be in fierce competition, but the market continues to expand and, for sure, they continue to drive up overall standards in the mid-spend sector.
Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
