I'm usually a Premier Inn/Travelodge user for most trips to cities, so it was interesting to compare a few other budget chains operating in the UK...
Tune Hotel London Kings Cross - The Asian budget chain which already has 4 hotels in Central London. Paid just £35 for a windowless double on a Friday night, so expectations were not high. However, the room was rather modern and extremely clean with a very comfortable bed and a powerful shower. Lots of mirrors to detract from the lack of window. Staff were very friendly and motivated.
It's pay-as-you-go, so you pay extra for the TV, toiletry packs and Air Conditioning. I could see this chain proving to be serious competition for Travelodge and Premier Inn, and apparently they are opening up in Edinburgh and Liverpool.
easyHotel Glasgow - This chain has been around for a while (indeed a spin-off from easyJet/Bus/Car/Gym e.t.c) and has quite a few locations around Europe. I paid just £19 for a Sunday night. The room reminded me of cabin on the North Sea ferries, very small and not a place you'd want to spend too much time in. Still if all you want is a clean sleeping space for the night and a bathroom to freshen up in, it's certainly worth considering.
Yotel Gatwick - Interesting, it's how I would imagine the sleeping quarters on a luxury space ship. Paid £39 for a night. Extremely modern, you check-in yourself via a machine. The room was tiny - however it was comfortable and very luxurious, but the walls are a bit thin, you could hear people coming and going.
Formule 1 Liverpool - Not good at all. Paid about £25. The rooms were a bit grubby and it's three or four rooms to one bathroom. No staff on duty during the night, meaning that some interesting characters were coming into the hotel. The only thing good about it is the location near Albert Dock.
ETAP Leeds - Not bad really. Good location and friendly staff, although this hotel seemed to attract a lot of stag and hen parties. At £33 standard rate for a functional room which sleeps three including capsule ensuite, TV and soap, it's extremely good value. ETAP exists all around Europe, you will find them everywhere. The rooms were a bit worn in Leeds, but not unclean by any means.