Britannia has cemented its bad reputation on a historical level by being voted the worst hotel chain in the country for a tenth year in the row.
The firm has yet again come bottom in Which?’s annual survey which looks at cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service and value for money.
The British company, which also runs Pontins, has come dead last for the past decade.
This year guests awarded the chain two stars across every category, including cleanliness, food, and value for money, and it achieved an overall customer satisfaction score of 56 per cent.
The rankings was based on 4,500 hotel stays, with respondents invited to rate their experiences at 35 chains across 10 key categories.
Over the years Britannia has been regularly lampooned by guests who have been subjected to below par stays.
One couple recently forked out £340 for one night in a Britannia hotel's 'executive jacuzzi suite', only to be left "heartbroken" after being forced to spruce up a room with their own purchased cleaning products.
Meanwhile another pair say that they ended up stuck in a "dingy" hotel room "like prisoners" for seven days after using up £1,000 of their savings to go on their dream holiday.
A mum said she had a nightmare stay at the Blackpool Britannia after allegedly finding "blood stains and bed bugs" during a romantic trip away, as well as "filthy carpets, a broken shower and 70s Coronation Street style bed".
Last year the Mirror visited one of the worst rated Britannia hotels and found discarded drug paraphernalia and a condom.
At odds with their reputation now, many of Britannia's properties have illustrious histories.
The majestic Adelphi in Liverpool for example welcomed some of the Titanic’s wealthiest guests ahead of the ship’s fated departure from the city in 1912.
Contemporary Britannia guests however have found their stays to be far from first class, with respondents describing their surroundings as “tired and tatty,” with a “rough and ready” feel.
As many as 28 per cent of those surveyed who stayed at a Britannia hotel reported an issue with their stay, with over half of those (54%) noting concerns over cleanliness.
One guest described their room as “absolutely dire, drab and smelly”, while another complained of dirt and mould.
Plumbing concerns such as faulty toilets and lack of hot water were also common, with one in five (19 per cent) of those who encountered an issue reporting a complaint of this nature.
Mercure and Jurys Inn/Leonardo Hotels also performed poorly in the survey, both earning a customer satisfaction score of 58 per cent.
While many guests praised Mercure for “conveniently located” hotels with “helpful staff”, facilities were described as “basic”. Summing up their experience, one guest commented: “Not that bad but definitely not good. Avoid if possible.”
Jurys Inn/Leonardo Hotels elicited similar feedback, with one guest describing their stay as “Good, but nothing special for the price”.
Nonetheless, many praised the chain for their conveniently located properties and “good service”.
At the top of the table is Premier Inn, with a customer score of 78 per cent.
Guy Hobbs, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “With a decade of dismal reviews cementing its place as one of the UK’s worst hotel chains, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs.
“With the average price of a UK hotel stay now costing a fifth more than it did last year, travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money.
“Our results show that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, and many respondents reported fantastic stays with brands including Premier Inn and smaller chains like Warner Hotels.”
You can check out the full rankings below...
Which?'s ranking of hotel chains from best to worst
- Premier Inn - 78%
- Sofitel - 76%
- Crowne Plaza - 74%
- Village Hotel Club - 71%
- Days Inn - 70%
- Hilton - 70%
- Hilton - Hampton - 69%
- Holiday Inn - 69%
- Ibis - 69%
- Marriott - 69%
- Copthorne - 68%
- De Vere Hotels - 68%
- Holiday Inn Express - 68%
- Hyatt - 68%
- Wetherspoon Hotel - 68%
- Hilton - Garden Inn - 67%
- Ibis Budget - 67%
- Novotel - 67%
- Radisson Blu - 67%
- Best Western - 65%
- easyHotel - 64%
- Hilton - DoubleTree - 63%
- Greene King Inns - 63%
- Travelodge - 63%
- MacDonald - 61%
- Jury's Inn/Leonardo Hotels - 58%
- Mercure - 58%
- Britannia - 56%
A spokesperson for Jurys Inn Hotels said: “To date in 2022, we have experienced significant growth in occupancy and received over 213,000 guest reviews across our 52 hotels, located across the United Kingdom and Ireland, recording high customer satisfaction scores, which position us strongly amongst our competitive set.
“While Which’s? findings, based on a survey of only 58 guests, are at odds with this, all feedback is important to us and, as per our wider strategy, continually look at ways to enhance the customer experience across all our hotels, with product innovation, people and customer service sitting at the heart of this plan.”
A spokesperson for Mercure said: “We are surprised to see our position in this survey, it does not reflect the standard of guest experience which we strive for, and we will take action to address these comments.
"In fact, the most recent BVA BDRC Hotel Guest Survey ranks Mercure 14th out of 164 hotel brands in the UK and scores the brand highly for ‘excellent cleaning and hygiene standards’.
“We pride ourselves on the welcoming hospitality of our hotel teams, as your reader notes".
Britannia has been contacted for comment.
