British holidaymakers are big fans of a value stay, with budget hotel chain Premier Inn topping a list of the nation’s favourite places to check in.
Clean rooms and a guaranteed good night’s sleep — including a money-back scheme for travellers who don’t manage any shut-eye — cemented the hotel's position at the top of the annual survey by consumer group Which?
The UK’s largest hotel brand has more than 840 properties and 72,000 rooms across the country and scored 78 per cent in the survey.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the UK's top 10 hotels as per the survey
Designed for families, Premier Inn rooms can sleep up to two adults and two children, and come with TVs with Freeview and 30 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi.
This year, the budget hotel brand increased room rates by about 35 per cent compared with last year, but it remains the second-cheapest choice in the Which? survey, behind budget hotel brand Travelodge.
The UK's top 10 hotel chains
- Premier Inn — 78 per cent, average stay cost £89 ($104)
- Sofitel — 76 per cent, average stay cost £204
- Crowne Plaza — 74 per cent, average stay cost £129
- Village Hotel Club — 71 per cent, average stay cost £127
- Days Inn — 70 per cent, average stay cost £98
- Hilton — 70 per cent, average stay cost £188
- Hilton-Hampton — 69 per cent, average stay cost £119
- Holiday Inn — 69 per cent, average stay cost £112
- Ibis Budget — 69 per cent, average stay cost £99
- Marriott — 69 per cent, average stay cost £159
UK hotel stays cost 21 per cent more this year
Consistently clean rooms earned the chain five out of five stars, although its rising prices resulted in a score of only two stars for value for money.
An average night in a Premier Inn in the UK now costs £89. But it's not the only hotel chain to have put prices up.
Which? found that on average, UK hotel guests were paying £22 more for a night in a hotel compared with prices a year ago.
Notably, second-placed Sofitel had the highest average nightly cost, with travellers opting to stay at the luxury French hotel chain happy to pay an average of £204 per night.
This year's ranking was based on almost 4,500 stays at 35 chains across the UK with travellers rating their experiences in 10 categories, including customer service, value, cleanliness, food and comfort.
From glamorous to galling: the UK’s worst hotel
At the other end of the scale, Britannia was named the worst chain in the UK by Which? for the 10th year in a row.
Operating some 60 hotels across the country, the once-storied Britannia has some significant properties in its remit. It owns The Adelphi in Liverpool, which previously played host to Winston Churchill, and The Grand Llandudno in Wales where The Beatles once stayed.
Despite having historic buildings in prime locations, it seems to be a different story inside the hotels. Britannia received only two out of five stars in all categories, including cleanliness.
Room rates don't reflect the poor standards, with average nightly rates of £119 and Which? advises travellers to “avoid at all costs”.
Warner Hotels topped the consumer rankings for the best small hotel chains, which is for brands with 30 or fewer properties.
The adults-only brand scored 77 per cent, with four and five stars across the board.
Warner operates15 countryside and coastal properties in places including the Isle of Wight, Hampshire and the Cotswolds, and all stays include breakfast, dinner, evening entertainment and plenty of activities.
