Britannia Hotels named worst hotel chain for twelfth year in a row

Britannia Hotels has been named the worst hotel chain for the twelfth year in a row.

The group once again came bottom in the Which? hotel chains survey, with one customer at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone calling the hotel a “total dive”.

The Coaching Inn Group came out on top of the survey of 4,631 Which? members, with a satisfaction score of 81%. One customer said that it was “a very good mid-price range chain that does all the basic things well”.

The recognition follows a strong year for the group of 36 properties, which said that from June to August 2025, total sales rose 8% year-on-year, with like-for-like growth of 7.5%. Revpar for the group was up 9.7%, ADR up 10.4%, and average length of stay increased by 20%.

The Which? Recommended Provider status is based on customer score and other criteria, including overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.

Britannia received a customer score of 44% and scored just one star for the quality of bedrooms and bathrooms – marking the twelfth consecutive time the chain has come bottom of the consumer champion’s survey for large chains.

Other groups of 30 or more hotels that ranked highly were Intercontinental, which was second in the list with a score of 80% and its Hotel Indigo brand, which was third with 79%.

Premier Inn was singled out by Which? as having slipped down the table, with respondents claiming that it prices were “no longer budget levels”.

A spokesperson for Premier Inn said in reply that the business was “always looking to improve and welcome comments and feedback”.

They added: "At Premier Inn we help millions of people have a great night’s sleep and sell over 20 million room nights every year to families, leisure and business guests.

“We’re pleased that the 2,746 Which? members who answered for Premier Inn as part of this summer survey awarded us five stars for bed comfort and that they also rated our customer service and cleanliness highly.”

Which? editor Rory Boland said: “A night away should be a real treat but with hotel prices climbing, finding a hotel chain that consistently offers comfort, good customer service and a charming location at a fair price has become harder.

“The good news is we’ve found that whether you’re after a boutique stay in the Brecon Beacons or a budget break in Broughty Ferry, travellers can still get a great experience at the right price by staying with better brands.”