Milo Boyd visited the hotel just before Christmas to see if its reputation is founded is fairly earned
Milo Boyd Digital Travel Editor and Commercial Content Lead
02:30, 04 Jan 2026
There are few hotels that levy a £10 fee for windows or appear eerily vacant the week before Christmas. And there’s only one hotel chain that has earned the dubious honour of being named the UK’s worst for 12 consecutive years.
To savour such unique experiences, you’ll need to book yourself into a Britannia.
This chain is legendary in its own right. Fifty years on from the opening of its inaugural property, the Country House Hotel in Didsbury, Manchester, it has expanded to include around 60 more establishments across the UK, including the acquisition of Pontins.
However, Britannia’s tale isn’t all rosy. Over the years, it has faced criticism for allegedly transforming once grand properties into grimy, unpleasant and uncomfortable hotels that fail to deliver value for money, despite their budget price tags.
My initial encounter with a Britannia was back in 2022, during the euphoric post-lockdown period when I hopped on a train to Bournemouth to stay in a hotel now repurposed to accommodate asylum seekers. The permanently sealed windows and overpowering scent of paint made for a sweltering night, while the empty outdoor pool, discarded underwear in the courtyard and scattered NOS canisters contributed to an overall atmosphere of neglect, reports the Mirror.
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With such daunting impressions, I approached my local Britannia with a sense of unease, curious to see if anything had improved at the UK’s least favoured hotel chain.
It hadn’t.
Britannia Hampstead presents a grim picture, albeit different from its sister establishment on the south coast. Here’s a comparison of its key features with those of The Manor in Blakeney, North Norfolk, which I recently visited.
The Manor is part of the Coaching Inn Group, crowned as the UK’s top large hotel chain of 2025 by Which?
readers, while Britannia languished at the bottom. Let’s explore what sets the best apart from the rest.
Atmosphere
During my Bournemouth visit, the hotel was buzzing with activity. The sounds of squabbling couples and television programmes seeping through the walls confirmed life within the premises. How I yearned for even the faintest hint of background noise this time around. The six-storey London hotel, spacious enough to accommodate a 350-person business suite, was eerily quiet.
The fairy lights twinkled, but there was no one around to appreciate them. In stark contrast, The Manor was brimming with energy. Despite being an hour’s cycle away from the nearest train station, it was bustling, welcoming, and cosy even in the depths of November.
The staff were friendly and approachable, and the guests at the bar seemed to be enjoying their special weekends away or a quick pint at their local pub.
Rooms
While it’s not about to scoop any awards, my stay at the Hampstead Britannia was a marked improvement from the Bournemouth experience. In Bournemouth, a lone deceased fly adorned the windowsill, keeping company with a heavily stained armchair and a protruding screw from a picture frame.
For hours, we were plunged into darkness as all lights, save for the bathroom’s, were out of commission. The only sound was the relentless hum of the extractor fan until a friendly receptionist revealed the hidden central electricity switch beneath the kettle.
In contrast, the North London room was simply… uninspiring. It was so spotless that even my UV torch couldn’t detect a speck of dirt. I suspect the overpowering aroma of cleaning products played a part in this. The decor was dated and predominantly brown, but not unpleasant.
The absence of windows did make me feel somewhat incarcerated during the night, but I managed to sleep, wake up, and escape to share my story. Meanwhile, Norfolk paints a different picture. The Manor boasts 36 rooms, with the most affordable option available for £99 next week.
It’s your typical budget hotel offering, but on the higher end of the scale. Expect a cosy double bed, a decent-sized telly, and a tastefully decorated bathroom. Everything is sturdy, clean, and inviting.
Staff
As the only other souls in the Britannia hotel that evening, I can’t really fault the staff. They appeared pleasant enough, albeit a tad preoccupied during our conversations. The receptionist seemed somewhat uncertain as to why the restaurant and bar were shut. Beyond this, my encounters with the staff were largely confined to them casting curious glances my way as I sat reading in the deserted lobby.
In stark contrast, over at the Manor, it’s all about the personnel. A good number of them have been part of the team for well over a decade. Roughly half appear to belong to the Hill family, including Tore, Karen, Sophie and Wayne. They were all readily available at various times throughout my visit, ensuring everything was shipshape and offering local insights.
For me, and the sociable regulars who greeted staff by name, such warmth is a significant bonus. It elevates the hotel from a mere overnight stop and dining spot to a cosy retreat you’re drawn to.
Location
This ought to be one of Britannia’s strong points. I imagine its patrons put up with subpar accommodation due to the convenience of stumbling back to a city centre location after a work event or stag party. However, the Hampstead hotel falls short on this front. It’s not quite close enough to either the Heath or Camden to truly belong to either, and it’s a fair trek from the city centre.
I can only envisage the disappointment of tourists who didn’t do their homework prior to booking. Blakeney, however, is a charming spot. Just a stone’s throw from the hotel entrance flows the River Glaven, meandering through the National Nature Reserve.
The nearby Blakeney Point is famed for its seal colonies, with Beans Boat providing guided tours all year round. Most hotels under the Coaching Inn Group banner are nestled in similarly picturesque and secluded rural settings.
Milo opted for the windowless room optionPrice
According to its website, windowless rooms at the London Britannia start from £55. However, my stay, including breakfast, was closer to £90. Opting for the much-coveted window view would have pushed the price up to around £100.
The average cost of a room at the Manor stands at £128. While not exactly a bargain, the hotel did score four out of five stars for value for money in the Which? survey, one of only two establishments to do so – the other being Wetherspoons.
I visited the Spoons Hotel in Canterbury last November, where an overnight stay can be secured for a mere £55, with the average price hovering around £70. In terms of value, Spoons takes the crown in my opinion, closely followed by the Coaching Inn Group. Britannia, on the other hand, offers little bang for your buck.
The average room rate across all its hotels is £84, as per Which?. Even looking ahead to 2025, that’s disappointing.
The verdict
My experience at the Britannia did nothing to convince me that it’s on an upward trajectory or set to shake off its unenviable ‘worst in class’ label anytime soon. I fully expect it to clinch the bottom spot for the thirteenth consecutive year next year.
Britannia appears to operate on a model of acquiring grand old properties and offering rooms at bargain rates. Given the sheer size of these buildings, modernising them would be an expensive and risky endeavour.
It seems the company’s executives have opted to keep costs low, even if profits remain static. Consequently, Britannia is a franchise with numerous tired-looking buildings that consistently fail to impress.
In stark contrast, the Coaching Inn Group has got it right. For roughly the same price, guests can enjoy a stay in one of its delightful hotels, complete with cosy, comfortable rooms and staff who seem genuinely committed to their roles.
Frankly, there’s no contest.
Britannia has been approached for comment.