UK hotels long suffered from the reputation of being over-priced and
under-modernised when compared to hotels in other parts of Europe. Yet
while hotels in some parts of the UK do remain to this day relatively
expensive compared to comparable establishments in many other parts of
Europe, the gap has been considerably reduced in the last decade or so,
thanks to changes in the structure of the industry, and also to its
internationalisation. According to a report published by Hotels.com, the average price
of a hotel room in the UK in the middle of 2009 was £83 sterling (for a
double room). On the other hand, the average price paid by
European visitors to the UK was a bit higher, at 112 € per night. The
difference can be explained by the fact that European visitors tend to
stay less in the parts of the UK, such as the north of England,
where hotel rooms are cheaper. The figure of 112€ per room per night
may seem high; and it is indeed higher, for instance, than the average
cost of a hotel room in France for the same period, which was only 92
€uros, i.e. almost 20% cheaper.
But the picture needs to be looked at in perspective.
Outside popular tourist destinations such as London, Bath and
Edinburgh, which attract and cater for a large number of international
visitors to the UK, hotel prices in Britain are not too different from
those found in France or Germany, even if there is not so much choice
in terms of bargain low-cost hotel accommmodation in the UK as in some
parts of the Continent. In addition, it must be noted that the cost of
a hotel room in the UK generally tends to include breakfast, often a
cooked breakfast with bacon, eggs and sausage, cereals, and toast and
marmelade. In other words, it is no longer accurate to suggest that
prices practiced by hotels in the UK are much higher than those
practiced in other parts of Europe.
Indeed from 2003 to 2009, UK hotel room prices dropped
relentlessly under the combined influence of three factors: a) highly
critical reports in the media and by industry watchdogs, slamming the
poor quality of many UK hotels. b) a realisation by the UK travelling
public that hotels tended to be cheaper and better value abroad, and c)
the profound changes that have affected the UK hotel industry in the
past twenty years.
It was in 1985 that the UK hotel industry really
began to change; this was the year in which Rocco Forte opened the
first "Travelodge", the first modern UK budget chain hotel. The
Travelodge chain was an immediate hit, and within two years a second
chain, Travel Inn, was getting in on the act, followed shortly after by
others, including the French ultra-low cost Formule 1 chain, whose
first UK hotel opened in the mid 1990s. The arrival of these chains,
with their sophisticated reservation and management techniques, was
like an electric shock for the until then rather complacent UK
hotel industry.
Traditionally, British hotels had quoted prices per
person, not per room. The new chains, well managed and more
international in their approach, began publicising prices per room that
were comparable to, or even cheaper than, prices per person offered in
many traditional UK hotels of the same quality. The traditional hotels,
virtually all of them independent, were forced to react to the new
situation, lower their prices, or risk going out of business – which
many of them did. The drop in hotel room prices was then surely
amplified by the Internet, which from the start of the 21st century was
being used more and more easily, and frequently, as a way of finding
hotels.
As a result, in order to survive, Britain's independent
hotels were forced to streamline, modernise, improve their quality, and
offer a service that could be seen by customers as being good value for
money compared to the new chain hotels. Other than in exceptional
circumstances, this became the only way for independent hotels to
attract, and ensure the loyalty of increasingly demanding customers.
Two other aspects of the UK hotel industry deserve mention. Firstly comfort.
England has long been reputed for its
comfortable interiors, cosy living rooms, comfortable lounges, soft
furnishings and wall-to-wall carpets, and this is reflected in its
hotels. With the exception of some low-cost budget hotels, hotels in
the UK pay greater attention to comfort and cosiness than theirt
continental counterparts. Spacious lounges with comfortable armchairs,
bedrooms with deep pile carpet, tea and coffee-making equipment in the
room, and other little gestures in favour of the customer. This is
especially the case in "country club" style hotels, be they new-build
or set up in country houses or grandiose Victorian suburban residences.
Of course, there are exceptions; but generally speaking UK travellers
in their own country expect to be treated to a degree of cosy comfort
that they would not necessarily expect to find in other countries.
Finally, there is the matter of the classificationof
hotels in the UK. Unlike some continental countries such as France,
where the official classificatioin of hotels is essentially based on
amenities, the British classification systems, which are voluntary, are
largely based on a qualitative assessment of the hotels, not on the
number of services provided. Naturally, quality and amenities
frequently increase in tandem with each other, but it is not always the
case. The system is frequently modified to take account of changing
circumstances, and the UK hotel classification system seem likely, in
the near future, to take into account user-assessments posted on
the Internet – though this will not be a determining factor.
The UK's quality-based classification system has
undoubtedly played a part in encouraging hotel owners, particularly the
owners of independent hotels, to pay attention to quality, and
thus has been instrumental in improving the overall standards of hotels
in the UK. UK hotels are classified on a star scale going from one star
to five stars; a similar scale, with less demanding criteria, is
applied to guest houses and even bed and breakfast establishments that
request classification.
The
iHi UK
independent hotel
guide
lists only privately-run hotels
offering a calm and relaxing environment to travellers, for short
stays, weekend breaks or longer. The IHI-Gitelink directory gives
priority to country hotels offering good value for money, or town
hotels that get good or excellent reviews from people who have stayed
in them. We welcome suggestions
from
travellers and hotel owners.
Free hotel
listings with iHi - strictly for independent hotels and guest houses Recommend a
good and calm independent hotel or guest-house in France, Spain, Italy
or the UK.
If you run or have stayed
in
a small independent hotel that you think ought to be in this directory,
contact iHi-Gitelink
with details.
Maximum
size: 40 rooms. No chains. Only independent establishments. Affiliation
to a referral chain (such as English country Inns, Inter Hotels etc. )
is no
problem.
If
you are a hotel owner and have a site that presents your independent
hotel, send us an email
giving details. We will send you further information. Gitelink
privileges calm hotels in a quiet environment. Contact:
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