Hotel Chains Discussion

[rg177]

I'm a gold member of Accor so tend to end up in an Ibis or Mercure in the UK. Prices have gradually crept up this year though, but abroad I've found them to be generally stable.

Ibis can vary but you tend to know what you're getting. That said, a badly maintained and unrefurbished Mercure can be truly naff, while a refurbished one can be fantastic.

I opt for a Premier Inn if its cheaper as I find them to be decent. I used to do quite a few easyHotels when they first started as they used to be exceptionally cheap (£17 a night in Birmingham was quite normal) but not so much anymore.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Your budget must be about £100 a night greater than mine

The Renaissance with a runway view room is my choice, usually about £130-140... but I always keep the hire car I've driven there in, park it at the hotel overnight and drop it in the morning and let Hertz shuttle me to T5, because I did the Hotel Hoppa once, it is a disgrace of a service, and it's not even free or remotely cheap...

Hotel Hoppa is the ultimate in profiteering. Very Heathrow.

Ibis can vary but you tend to know what you're getting. That said, a badly maintained and unrefurbished Mercure can be truly naff, while a refurbished one can be fantastic.

I opt for a Premier Inn if its cheaper as I find them to be decent. I used to do quite a few easyHotels when they first started as they used to be exceptionally cheap (£17 a night in Birmingham was quite normal) but not so much anymore.

Ibis is my non-UK "safe default". Generally the standard is vaguely equivalent to Premier Inn. Some of the new ones e.g. Cambridge are quite trendy and nicer than the older ones, though I do find the "no reception desk" quirk quite annoying as you end up queueing blocking the way in the bar instead. Happy to use them in the UK but Premier Inns tend to be a bit cheaper.

The one exception is that if there's a Motel One I'm using that, though they seem to have introduced the really annoying quirk of not being able to book a Saturday without also booking the Sunday or Friday as well, even close to the time when that means they'll end up with a room empty.

 

[rg177]

Ibis is my non-UK "safe default". Generally the standard is vaguely equivalent to Premier Inn. Some of the new ones e.g. Cambridge are quite trendy and nicer than the older ones, though I do find the "no reception desk" quirk quite annoying as you end up queueing blocking the way in the bar instead. Happy to use them in the UK but Premier Inns tend to be a bit cheaper.

Yeah Ibis tends to be fine just about anywhere. Used them everywhere from Hungary to Japan and the standard is broadly the same.

Ibis Styles I've had some exceptionally odd ones with hotels that have clearly been independent and then rebranded without any refurbishment. There's one in Brussels (Brussels Louise?) that I used in 2019 and found to be absolutely terrible. The one in Trani is also quite quirky- you still get a big metal room key (but it was exceptionally cheap- £42 to pay on arrival with a decent breakfast thrown in).

Agreed on the Cambridge one too. My cheap default for London tends to be the one in Wembley.

 

[Kite159]

The one exception is that if there's a Motel One I'm using that, though they seem to have introduced the really annoying quirk of not being able to book a Saturday without also booking the

I've seen this sort of restriction in the past on some independent hotels, 2 night minimum stay if it involves a Saturday night. Guess they have had bad experiences with Saturday night drunks.

 

[nlogax]

Your budget must be about £100 a night greater than mine

Work travel budget so it goes on a corporate card and it's maybe once or twice a month. In a previous job I spent half my life living in corporate hotels around the SF Bay area and it was a miserable existence Never again.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've seen this sort of restriction in the past on some independent hotels, 2 night minimum stay if it involves a Saturday night. Guess they have had bad experiences with Saturday night drunks.

I thought it was normally more that if someone books just the Saturday they won't get a Friday booking, but that's tripe as I've very often stayed just a Friday night in a hotel.

If they wanted to guard against unsold rooms they could modify their software to allow a Saturday only to be sold if there's a corresponding Friday only booking (which they do allow).

 

[Ediswan]

The Renaissance with a runway view room is my choice

Lucky *******. The couple of times I stayed there, none were avaiable. Not to me anyway.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Lucky *******. The couple of times I stayed there, none were avaiable. Not to me anyway.

You have to request them when you book, not when you arrive - assuming you did request upon booking, how far ahead were you booking? I've recently done two nights in one of those rooms at about a month's notice for the purpose of a whole day's photography.

 

[D6130]

Just found out that our favourite Premier Inn in Glasgow - the former Yarrow's shipbuilders office block right next to Charing Cross station - has been sold to Britannia Hotels.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just found out that our favourite Premier Inn in Glasgow - the former Yarrow's shipbuilders office block right next to Charing Cross station - has been sold to Britannia Hotels.

That's going to be rubbish then

 

[Red Onion]

Just found out that our favourite Premier Inn in Glasgow - the former Yarrow's shipbuilders office block right next to Charing Cross station - has been sold to Britannia Hotels.

What an awful chain they are. It is a shame it is transferring as that Premier Inn was great for gigs at the hydro.

 

[D6130]

That's going to be rubbish then

What an awful chain they are. It is a shame it is transferring as that Premier Inn was great for gigs at the hydro.

Yes, I know. We stayed at the Britannia in Wolverhampton for a conference in April 2007....and vowed never to darken that company's doors again!

 

[Blindtraveler]

To those getting upset about the Glasgow Charing cross Premier Inn, I don't know if anyone has actually stayed in it recently but it is in a very sorry state indeed as far as Premier inns are concerned anyway. Perfectly acceptable for a Travelodge or indeed other chains standards but as far as Premier Inn a concerned, it's the very ugliest of sisters. I stayed a year ago and it was a case of count the bits that no longer work and clearly haven't done for some time. I've personally not had any really bad experiences with Britannia so actually quite glad as I'll probably payless to stay there in future and and will no longer be disappointed as will not be expecting usual purple standard Premier Inn

 

[Cdd89]

IMO hotels should universally have:

• Plug socket / USB-A by the bed — absolutely no excuse for that anymore; furthermore any recent refurbs should have USB-C PD there too (but I haven’t seen it once)
• A master light switch by the bed that overrides every light except the bathroom and bed reading lights
• TV that accepts HDMI input and casting
• An empty fridge

It’s remarkable that none of these things are standard. I’m currently at an Ibis that scores 1/4 (the light switch). Given that they are of negligible cost to provide, it’s even weirder that large chains haven’t sorted it out.

Instead you get the staples of far more reliable useless amenities, namely:

• Landline telephone
• Wi-Fi
• Cable television (that nobody watches at home, so why would they in a foreign language in a hotel?)
• Body lotion (whatever that is)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Premier Inn's premium rooms I think have the full list except USB C.

It would be nice if they'd provide plate, bowl, knife fork and spoon too, respecting that many people will prefer a takeaway to the often fairly rubbish restaurant, or a bowl of cereal for breakfast rather than a full English.

 

[Mojo]

Body lotion (whatever that is)

I take these with me and save them for when I go on holiday to a hot country (or when I’m in the UK and out in the sun given the wonderful weather we’ve had over the past month!)

I tend to mostly get them in American hotels, I’ve always assumed because they use soap bars which leave your skin dryer when compared to shower gel which seems more common in the rest of the world.

 

[Blindtraveler]

USB bedside is pretty basic these days and whilst I have many criticisms of other things they do I must respect Travelodge for increasingly removing bedside lights and replacing them with these or indeed incorporating them into any bedside lights that they refit.

 

[Mojo]

Landline telephone

These are quite useful if you need to speak to hotel staff, for instance to make a noise complaint, or if you require a repair or something extra.

I stayed at a five star hotel in Thailand a few years ago which for some reason didn’t have ice machines in the corridor and you had to call the room service department to request someone bring it to your room.

Of course my favourites are those that still have the landline telephones in the bathroom next to the toilet; some hotel rating agencies only removed this requirement for the higher end hotels in recent years.

 

[Blindtraveler]

They are also very useful for guests with disabilities like myself who might require assistance for example to get to and from the room or something like

 

[Cdd89]

They’re also great for ringing you up with “special offers” / timeshare sales / complimentary drinks / check-out reminders, and other such scourges.

These are quite useful if you need to speak to hotel staff, for instance to make a noise complaint

Funnily enough that’s exactly what I last used them for. I used to think it was more courteous to speak to the room directly, but the abuse I received the one and only time I tried that has convinced me it’s strictly a hotel employee job who has the implication of “or else” behind them.

 

[dgl]

Personally I don't care for USB sockets in the wall anywhere, you can't guarantee their quality or speed of charging and I would not want to plug an expensive phone into one.
As for Travelodge, when looking for hotels in London they had ones which appeared to have parking but in fact the parking was a local council run carpark that had time restrictions meaning that it wasn't really an option, pretty crap in my book.

 

[bspahh]

Landline telephone

I can call reception with my mobile when I'm in the UK. When I'm abroad, I can phone the UK from my allowance, but calling hotel reception would cost extra

 

[Davester50]

Just found out that our favourite Premier Inn in Glasgow - the former Yarrow's shipbuilders office block right next to Charing Cross station - has been sold to Britannia Hotels.

Oh no! That's a pity.
I didn't know it's former use though, so thanks for that.

IMO hotels should universally have:

• Plug socket / USB-A by the bed — absolutely no excuse for that anymore; furthermore any recent refurbs should have USB-C PD there too (but I haven’t seen it once)
• A master light switch by the bed that overrides every light except the bathroom and bed reading lights
• TV that accepts HDMI input and casting
• An empty fridge

It’s remarkable that none of these things are standard. I’m currently at an Ibis that scores 1/4 (the light switch). Given that they are of negligible cost to provide, it’s even weirder that large chains haven’t sorted it out.

Instead you get the staples of far more reliable useless amenities, namely:

• Landline telephone
• Wi-Fi
• Cable television (that nobody watches at home, so why would they in a foreign language in a hotel?)
• Body lotion (whatever that is)

1. Plug, yes, USB, no. I don't like USB. Often way too slack after a bit of use. Much prefer a standard 3 pin socket.​
2. Yes!​
3. Not a deal breaker.​
4. Yes​

You missed as an essential, simple, reliable Air conditioning. Some controls aren't the clearest. I want the room cold, and a the fan blowing a gale.


As for what you get

1. Landline phones on tiny bedside units are annoying. Often leave them on the floor.
2. Prefer data where it's decent. Even on roaming, but decent WiFi should still be provided.
3. I don't mind a variety of channels, and there's plenty FTA channels to broadcast anyway. Can't remember the last time I saw a place with additional pay, will appear discreetly on your bill as media services, channels
4. I used to hate the large pump action toiletries bottles in mid-level chains, but I get the waste, and often end up using more than what's supplied in the small bottles. But never use the lotion!

Oh, and the old Doubletree Cookie recipe to come back.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I used to do quite a few easyHotels when they first started as they used to be exceptionally cheap (£17 a night in Birmingham was quite normal) but not so much anymore.

I've noticed this too. You used to be able to easily get one of the central London ones for £50 a night but these days they seem to be £100 plus.

 

[Class172]

To those getting upset about the Glasgow Charing cross Premier Inn, I don't know if anyone has actually stayed in it recently but it is in a very sorry state indeed as far as Premier inns are concerned anyway. Perfectly acceptable for a Travelodge or indeed other chains standards but as far as Premier Inn a concerned, it's the very ugliest of sisters. I stayed a year ago and it was a case of count the bits that no longer work and clearly haven't done for some time. I've personally not had any really bad experiences with Britannia so actually quite glad as I'll probably payless to stay there in future and and will no longer be disappointed as will not be expecting usual purple standard Premier Inn

Have to agree there. I stayed there towards the end of last year and was without a doubt the crummiest Premier Inn I have ever stayed in. It wasn’t necessarily visibly dirty, but it clearly hadn’t been treated to any TLC or a refurbishment in years, with sections of carpet being held down with tape. The one intriguing quirk was my room was incredibly large, being an unusual triangular shape at the corner of the building.

 

[Mag_seven]

Have to agree there. I stayed there towards the end of last year and was without a doubt the crummiest Premier Inn I have ever stayed in. It wasn’t necessarily visibly dirty, but it clearly hadn’t been treated to any TLC or a refurbishment in years, with sections of carpet being held down with tape. The one intriguing quirk was my room was incredibly large, being an unusual triangular shape at the corner of the building.

I tend to avoid PIs that are conversions (as Glasgow CX is) and go for the purpose built ones.

 

[ABB125]

I tend to avoid PIs that are conversions (as Glasgow CX is) and go for the purpose built ones.

Conversions can be quite interesting though - this Travelodge in Scarborough was fascinating! I had a huge room...

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[Cloud Strife]

One issue with USB sockets is that they can be used for nefarious purposes. I do a little bit of cybersecurity work, and one rule that I managed to get introduced to the company is a blanket "no using unknown USB sockets" rule.

 

[johncrossley]

On a recent trip I forgot my charger but had a USB cable and a power bank. I managed to get through the three days by charging the phone on buses, coaches and overnight in the Airbnb which had USB sockets. I was expecting to have to buy a charger but I didn't need one in the end.

 

[Mike395]

One issue with USB sockets is that they can be used for nefarious purposes. I do a little bit of cybersecurity work, and one rule that I managed to get introduced to the company is a blanket "no using unknown USB sockets" rule.

At the risk of derailing this topic (I'll split it off if there's any further discussion generated) - in unknown locations I totally agree (Unless you've jailbroken the device, both recent versions of Android and iOS will ask for permission to share data with anything you plug into but its a very easy prompt to miss, with no confirmation prompt), but in chain hotels I think this is less of an issue, their USB sockets will pretty much always just be a module ultimately linked into the same power source as the nearby 3-pin plugs. I do tend to use my 3 pin to USB converter but that's more to do with charge speed than any security risk.

The biggest risk if there was a computer at the other end trying to send data that's trying to trigger a response back from your device would be connecting a laptop, and most of these aren't powered by USB (at least not at the typical 5v voltage a standard bedside USB outlet will provide).