Reports in the press suggest budget giants Premier Inn and Travelodge are to merge, creating a £3bn super hotel group.
Both have huge plans for expansion so a combined company would dominate the budget sector, and as the newspaper points out, possibly leading to a competition inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading.
With the growth of the budget sector already prompting the closure of many independent hotels, this can't be good news for consumer choice.
Do you think this merger would be good for the hotel industry? Do you stay in budget chains or independent hotels?