As the UK has some really nice hotel chains, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about at least 3 of the most popular.
In terms of frequency used, you can’t get much better than, particularly if you are looking for a decent price, Premier Inn. I also looked briefly at Sofitel and Travel Lodge.
Premier Inn
In a recent survey, Premier Inn ranked second as the best British hotel chain that was decided by the public. Having been to Premier Inn in different cities on a number of occasions I can vouch for the fact that you do get a decent room and decent breakfast for the price they charge. The members of staff are also always first class and you are never made to feel unwelcome. They also respect your privacy and never come across as overbearing or too intense.
Premier Inn is also good in terms of the actual price and you will find that their rooms are usually a lot cheaper than those available in other hotels in the same city. Although you may not get the same level of luxury or service you do with other independent hotels and higher-end-of-the-market hotel chains; you get what you pay for. I tend to use Premier Inn if I need somewhere to sleep the night before going somewhere else the next day or for short weekend breaks visiting friends in other parts of the country because I know what to expect.
Sofitel
In the same survey, the Sofitel hotel chain was actually voted as Britain’s best according to customers asked. I have never been to a Sofitel hotel yet, but do know that it is considered the more luxurious side of Novotel’s hotels. It’s interesting that although the rooms cost £144 a night, in terms of the other things that I think are essential when looking at hotels; such as the range and quality of food, the customer service provided, the cleanliness of the premises and rooms and the actual value for money – Sofitel seems to be head and shoulders above the rest.
Sofitel even beat chains such as Marriot, Q Hotels, Hampton by Hilton, and Warner Leisure Hotels to get the top spot; which I wouldn’t have predicted as the result.
Travel Lodge
I actually do quite like Travel Lodge, for similar reasons to Premier Inn. However, the few times I have stayed in Travel Lodge hotels, I did feel a little uncomfortable and didn’t feel as if the quality matched Premier Inn. Again though, if you are not looking for a “hotel experience” and just want a room, some washing facilities, breakfast, and a bed from the night; then you could do a lot worse. Surprisingly, considering how popular it seems to be with British hotel users, it ranked quite low on the list of hotel chains rated in the same survey mentioned above.
I have found in my experience that Britain has just as many hotels to offer budgets of all sizes as any other place in the world. I actually think that Budget chain hotels in Britain are better than those that you may find in many European countries.