Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Finding hotel rooms for under £100 a night is increasingly difficult – Which?

A Which? survey of its members found the average price paid in the year to July was above £100 at more than two-thirds of large hotel chains.

Neil Lancefield
Saturday 28 October 2023 00:01 BST
The average price paid at Mercure hotels was £106 (Alamy/PA)
The average price paid at Mercure hotels was £106 (Alamy/PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Finding a hotel room cheaper than £100 a night is becoming increasingly difficult, a consumer group has warned.

A Which? survey of 5,300 of its members found the average price paid in the year to July was above that level at more than two-thirds of large UK hotel chains.

This includes some of the most poorly rated.

Finding good value budget accommodation is increasingly difficult

Rory Boland, Which? Travel

The average price paid at Mercure hotels, which received the joint-second lowest overall customer score at 56%, was £106.

That score was matched by Travelodge hotels, where the average price paid was £79.

The annual research found that Britannia was the UK’s worst rated large hotel chain for the 11th consecutive year, with a score of 48%.

The average price paid at the company’s sites was £82.

Sharing the joint top spot with 77% was boutique chain Hotel Indigo, owned by IHG, and Premier Inn’s satellite brand Hub by Premier Inn.

The average price paid was £130 and £118 respectively.

Premier Inn was in third place with 75% (average price paid £93), followed by Wetherspoon Hotels in fourth spot with 73% (average price paid £84).

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows average UK hotel prices in September were £120, representing a 13% increase on a year earlier.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “With prices at many hotels rising further this year, finding good value budget accommodation is increasingly difficult.

“For those looking for a reasonably priced stay, there are big differences between the best and worst chains, with the likes of Premier Inn and Wetherspoons distinguishing themselves from the pack.

“When you’re booking your next trip, make sure to take time to research your options carefully, and read reviews from a range of sources to see what other guests thought of their stay.”

A spokesperson for Travelodge said: “Last year we welcomed over 21 million business and leisure guests to our hotels.

“Ninety per cent of our Travelodge UK hotels are rated four stars or above on TripAdvisor, and our new breakfast menu at our onsite bar cafes has been rated excellent value for money by over 70% of our customers.

“Travelodge is investing significantly in our UK portfolio to deliver a high-quality, premium look and feel hotel design and a great value for money proposition to our customers.”

Britannia and Mercure did not provide a comment.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in