The consumer champion’s rankings are based on almost 4,500 hotel stays, with respondents rating their experiences at 35 chains across 10 key categories, including cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service and value for money.

Value for money is likely to be especially important to travellers this year, with Which?’s research showing the cost of a night’s hotel stay has gone up by 21% on average in the past 12 months.

Guests awarded Britannia two stars across every category, including cleanliness, food, and value for money. It achieved an overall customer satisfaction score of just 56%.

Britannia didn’t respond to Which?’s requests for comment.

Mercure and Jurys Inn/Leonardo Hotels also performed poorly in the survey, both earning a customer satisfaction score of 58%.

What’s the best hotel chain?

Premier Inn topped the table with a customer score of 78%. It achieved five stars both for cleanliness and how well the description of the rooms lived up to expectations. Guests also appreciated the comfort of the beds, customer service and wi-fi facilities, awarding these four stars.

Multiple travellers praised the chain for offering a “reliable” and “quality service”, with many respondents sharing that they are return guests owing to the consistency on offer across the brand’s sites.

However, despite being the second cheapest chain in the table, Which? found that an average night’s stay at Premier Inn has risen by 35% compared with 2021 – significantly more than the national average of 21%.

The increase has certainly been noted by guests, who awarded it just two stars for value for money, resulting in the loss of its Which? Recommended Provider status.

Guy Hobbs, editor of Which? Travel, said: “With a decade of dismal reviews cementing its place as one of the UK’s worst hotel chains, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs.

“With the average price of a UK hotel stay now costing a fifth more than it did last year, travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money. Our results show that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality and many respondents reported fantastic stays with brands including Premier Inn and smaller chains like Warner Hotels.”