Britannia Hotels has been rated as the worst in the UK for the eighth consecutive year by consumer group Whch?
The chain of 61 properties with 10,000 rooms received a customer score of 37% in an annual poll of more than 4,000 people based on their stays at hotels across the country.
Responding to the Which? investigation into hotel hygiene, a Britannia spokesperson said: “We are totally committed to providing a safe environment for visitors.
“We have so far spent around £2 million on Covid-19 precautions, but we accept there is more to do.”
Mercure and Days Inn were also at the bottom of the rankings but still scored higher rankings than Britannia at 60% and 62% respectively.
Sofitel topped the poll with a customer score of 86% ahead of budget chain Premier Inn at 82%
Both were named Which? recommended providers along with Holiday Inn Express and Hilton Hampton, on account of their high scores and their approach to refunding customers over the pandemic.
Warner Leisure (81%) and Hotel Du Vin (77%) came out on top when Which? asked people to rate their experiences at small and medium-sized hotels.
Abode hotels received the lowest score of the eight small and medium-sized chains ranked in the survey, but still with a score of 63%.
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “It appears that not even a global pandemic could force Britannia to clean up its act.
“At best, it’s drab and dated, and at worst it’s downright filthy – and after eight years at the bottom of our survey, our message is loud and clear – avoid these hotels.
“While Premier Inn remains a firm favourite, it’s clear that this year, UK hotels have become more than just a place to lay your head, but a destination in themselves.
“With fewer of us travelling abroad this year, our survey shows that when it comes to holidaying at home, we’re quite happy to pay more for a little luxury.”