Best hotel chains in the UK – and the worst

Only a handful of chain hotels earned more than three stars for value for money in this year’s survey. With hotel prices rising 13% in the past year, even a poky room in a budget chain with rubbish wi-fi will set you back £80.

Among those rated as good value was the ever-reliable Premier Inn. You can still get a room less than £100. This year, though, it was knocked off the number one spot by its spin-off brand, Hub.

Hotel Indigo, although pricier, joined Hub at the top of the large hotel chains table, scoring 77% overall.

None of the small hoteliers mustered more than three stars for value for money. Still, several impressed visitors with some lovely historic properties.

Leading the pack is Brend, a family chain where you’ll find the friendly welcome that many of us miss – but prices are steep.

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Hotel chains in the UK – best and worst rated

Hotel Indigo 77%

Average price per night £130

This global chain feels anything but. Most of its 18 UK hotels are in tastefully converted heritage properties, including a former power station in Glasgow, a wonderful Victorian department store in Exeter and a Georgian terrace in Bath. Rooms and communal areas are stylish, with decor that nods to the building and area’s heritage. For example, the reception desk at its Exeter hotel is a haberdashery cabinet displaying 1930's beauty products and the lift is decorated with handwritten receipts. Guests were also impressed by helpful staff, great breakfasts and city centre locations. Hotel Indigo earned four and five stars almost across the board, and it’s still a bargain compared with most other comparable moderately priced hotels, such as Hilton and Radisson Blu. 

Verdict Classy mid-range hotels packed with personality – and at a reasonable price. 

Book a room at Hotel Indigo

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Hub by Premier Inn 77% and Premier Inn 75%

Average price per night £118/£93

The UK’s largest hotel chain has landed one of the top spots in our past 10 surveys. This year it was pipped to the post by its spin-off brand, Hub, which you’ll only find in London and Edinburgh - find out how these cities ranked in our best city breaks survey. Its spotless rooms are small – some don’t even have windows – but they’re in great locations, right in the city centre. And they squeeze in everything you get in an ordinary Premier Inn, except a kettle. Instead, there’s complimentary tea and coffee at the refreshment stand. Both brands scored the maximum five stars for bed comfort. 

Verdict Premier Inn stays now push £100 a night, on average,  but customers still think it’s great value for money – choose a Hub if you want a central location.

Book a room at Hub by Premier Inn

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Chain hotels on a budget: Days Inn 65% vs Ibis Budget 64% vs Travelodge 56%

Average price per night £79/£69/£79

Travelodge was the second-most stayed-at chain in our survey, but it shouldn’t be. Lots of you complained that your room was tired and scruffy looking. Nor were you impressed by the breakfast buffet or patchy wi-fi, which cost extra. The customer score was a dismal 56%. A comparably cheap hotel chain, Days Inn, earned a great value-for-money rating, and its spacious rooms were awarded three stars. ‘Convenient’, ‘good value’ and ‘comfortable’ are the words most used to describe it. They’re usually found at motorway service stations, so fast food and coffee chains are likely to be the only options for breakfast and dinner. Ibis Budget is also better than a Travelodge if you don’t mind a poky room. ‘No frills, but nothing to complain about’ said one guest. Skip the basic breakfast, which costs extra. 

Verdict Days Inn is your best bet for a cheap adequate stopover.

Book a room at Days Inn 

Book a room at Ibis Budget

Best small hotel chains in the UK

This year's small hotel chain results, which includes hotel chains with 30 or fewer hotels worldwide, saw family-run and small pub and inn chains with excellent customer service come out top.

Brend Collection 80%

Average price per night £217

This family-run chain has some fantastic properties in Devon and Cornwall, but it’s the good, old-fashioned service that really makes Brend’s well-run hotels stand out. One guest told us that theirs was ‘the way a hotel ought to be: first-class and friendly service, superb food’. Rooms don’t come cheap at its grander hotels, such as Saunton Sands – a 1930's clifftop pile with a spa, creche and kids’ club – but the locations are second to none. 

Verdict The welcoming staff and food are first-rate for a treat.

Book a room at Brend Collection 

Heading to the seaside? Read our seaside hotel reviews - we checked in secretly to bring you honest and impartial reviews you can trust.

Coaching Inn Group 79%

Average price per night £139

Set in period buildings in attractive market towns or other scenic spots, Coaching Inn’s pub hotels are a cut above. Many have been thoughtfully restored, such as Forest Park, a gable-roofed Edwardian hotel in the New Forest with a high-end restaurant. One guest told us: ‘You can trust what you’re going to get – a well-stocked bar with a range of traditional ales, reliably competent cooking and a very good experience for the price.’ Dogs are also welcome.

Verdict Characterful inns in lovely settings.

Book a room at Coaching Inn Group 

Inn Collection Group 78%

Average price per night £141

Expect a warm welcome, posh pub grub and a decent beer selection at Inn Collection’s well-appointed, dog-friendly pubs with rooms. Its inns, dotted around the north of England and North Wales are cheaper, better and have more character than more famous brands such as Hilton and Marriott. Guests particularly praised the service and comfortable rooms. It doesn’t just do pubs: it recently took over Morecambe’s grande dame, The Midland, and an Art Deco hotel in Tynemouth. 

Verdict Spotless rooms and slick service.

Book a room at Inn Collection Group

Booking.com is the top-rated site in our accommodation booking site survey and received five stars for its flexibility. Most bookings can be cancelled at short notice without penalty. The only way to be sure you've found the best rate is to call or email the hotel directly.