Key Takeaways:
- The Britannia Hotel in Coventry has been named Britain’s worst hotel chain for the 12th successive year by consumer group Which?
- The hotel has a reputation for poor customer service, dirty and outdated rooms, and a lack of basic amenities
- The hotel’s owner, Alex Langsam, is worth an estimated £400million, but the hotel appears to have been neglected for decades with little investment
- The hotel’s rooms are in disrepair, with issues such as loose bath panels, flickering ceiling lights, and dirty windows
- The hotel’s restaurant, Bentley’s, serves low-quality food and has a confusing and unfriendly check-in process
Introduction to the Britannia Hotel
The Britannia Hotel in Coventry is a 3-star property located in the heart of the city centre. Despite its prime location, the hotel has a reputation for being one of the worst in the UK. The hotel’s exterior is uninviting, with a grim and filthy concrete facade that does little to inspire confidence. As the undercover Hotel Inspector notes, "Never judge a book by its cover," but in this case, the exterior is a accurate reflection of the hotel’s overall quality.
Checking In and First Impressions
Upon entering the hotel, the Inspector is greeted by a group of six men waiting to be checked in, and a sense of tension hangs in the air. The reception desk is staffed by two surly young women who speak little English, and the manager is called to assist with the check-in process. The Inspector notes that the framed notices on the wall behind the desk are implicit in their hostility, with warnings about chip and pin, audio and video surveillance, and the need to have photo ID ready during check-in. The Inspector is assigned to room 521, which is reached via a grubby lift.
The Room and Amenities
The room itself is in a state of disrepair, with a loose bath panel, a flickering ceiling light, and a dangling shower attachment. The windows are dirty, and the bed creaks ominously. The Inspector notes that even at a price of £49 per night, one would expect basic amenities such as two bedside lamps, a bar of soap, and a bottle of water. However, these are not provided, and the Inspector is forced to pay extra for a pint of wine and a meal at the hotel’s restaurant, Bentley’s.
Dining at Bentley’s
The restaurant is located along the corridor from the lifts, and is decorated in a tacky Christmas theme. The Inspector is initially told that the restaurant is closed, but eventually manages to gain access to the buffet. The food is of poor quality, with roast gammon and fishcakes that are unappetizing, and soggy broccoli that has lost its colour. The dining room is loud and chaotic, with Coronation Street playing on a big screen and a general sense of confusion.
Breakfast and Check-Out
The next morning, the Inspector attempts to have breakfast, but is told that it is not included in the room price. The restaurant manager is frosty and unhelpful, and the Inspector is forced to pay £12.50 for a breakfast that includes fried eggs swimming in fat and baked beans that have developed a crust. The coffee is instant and served in a plastic sachet, which the Inspector finds unacceptable. The juxtaposition of the hotel’s poor quality with the wealth of its owner, Alex Langsam, is striking. Langsam is worth an estimated £400million, but the hotel appears to have been neglected for decades with little investment.
Conclusion and Verdict
The Hotel Inspector’s verdict is scathing, with a rating of zero out of five. The hotel’s poor customer service, dirty and outdated rooms, and lack of basic amenities make it a place to avoid. The Inspector notes that the hotel’s owner, Alex Langsam, has a reputation for adopting "neglected properties" and restoring them to their former glory, but the Coventry hotel appears to have been neglected for decades with little investment. The Inspector is pleased to leave the hotel and step out into the November rain, and would not recommend the Britannia Hotel to anyone.