Hotel chain used to house migrants ranked worst in UK

A hotel chain using some of its rooms to house asylum seekers has been rated the UK’s worst.

Britannia was ranked last out of 52 hotel chains by consumer group Which?.

It scored just one star out of five for cleanliness and bathrooms, achieving an overall customer score of 44%.

The average price paid per night among those surveyed was £84.

This is the 12th consecutive year Britannia has come bottom of the Which? survey for large hotel chains.

One customer at the company’s Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, Kent, described the property as a “total dive”, while another said they left after the first night of a three-night booking because of poor service, room and food.

The analysis of large and small hotel chains was based on a survey of 4,631 and 1,776 Which? members respectively, and members of the public, across June and July.

Britannia’s International Hotel in Canary Wharf, east London, is solely being used to house migrants, while the company has rented rooms out to the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers at other hotels for several years.

Anti-illegal migration protests and counter-demonstrations have been held outside the Canary Wharf property.

Premier Inn has lost its status as a Which? Recommended Provider, with some guests telling the consumer group that the chain was no longer good value, and its standards were slipping.

Survey respondents paid an average of £94 per night, resulting in a value for money rating of three stars, with an overall customer score of 73%.

Premier Inn was overtaken in the ranking by JD Wetherspoon, which has more than 50 hotels attached to its pubs.

It received a customer score of 76%.

At £70 for an average night’s stay, JD Wetherspoon received four stars for value for money and the majority of other categories.

Coaching Inn Group, with 35 inn-style hotels often in beauty spots or market towns, topped the ranking for large chains, with a score of 81%.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “A night away should be a real treat but with hotel prices climbing, finding a hotel chain that consistently offers comfort, good customer service and a charming location at a fair price has become harder.

“The good news is we’ve found that whether you’re after a boutique stay in the Brecon Beacons or a budget break in Broughty Ferry, travellers can still get a great experience at the right price by staying with better brands.”