To think hotels are awful

[Hooploop]

Me and DP are coming to the end of a two week holiday in Cornwall. We wanted to avoid Airbnbs because of all the housing controversy, and treated ourselves to some 4-5 star hotels that were recommended to us and have great reviews - premium rooms too. But we've been really disappointed by everywhere we've stayed. We always seem to end up getting a dud room witha broken bed, or broken windows, or the one room in the entire hotel next to the busy main road, or above the bar (when the hotel was marketed as being a 'relaxing' retreat!)

Thinking about it, I've never had a positive experience of staying in any hotel. They're always a bit weird and shabby, even the really posh ones. And people coming and going all night is annoying. What do you all think of hotels?

You are most definitely choosing the wrong hotels!

Best ones in the UK

Four seasons in Hampshire or London
Chewton Glen
Coworth Park
Gleneagles
Lucknam Park
Etc

I agree many hotels are a waste of money and are not up to standard. The hotel rating system needs to be overhauled to reflect the differences between a rubbish five star hotel and an outstanding one, but who has the time or resources for this right now? No one.

We had to lurch from camping to a 4* hotel this summer.
Camping was better. I'll take my folding bed, SIM and inflatable pillow over a squishy super-king bed. I had to sleep without pillows because the squishy feather pillows were useless and suffocating and smelt. DS hated the bedding so much that he slept on the floor rather than the bed.

It wasn't a bad hotel, it's just that gimmicks like feather bedding are grossly overrated and are a nuisence not a "luxury"

It's easier to get drinking water on a campsite too! I always get dehyrated in hotels because accessibility to water is often a PITA. The heating/ windows are normally awkward too.

Premier Inn for a couple of nights is fine. Anything else is grossly over-priced.

I love hotels, but spend a lot if time researching.
I tend to stick to chains in the UK though. In fairness, nothing wrong with a PI or a Hampton for the money and service.
Abroad I'd look first at other chains, (Eurostars in Spain are excellent, Vincii etc) then go independent only after careful review reading. (And then I'd go for 4 star as a minimum- usually as cheap as a London Travelodge anyway.) I also like biggish hotels. I want good service, I don't want the owner coming out and getting to know me. That's why I don't like B&Bs etc. Just not my thing.

If I'm on holiday, I'm not self catering and cleaning my own loo out so I'd not consider Airbnb.

😱oh no no no. This will not do . I will not have any criticism of those toast making machines I love them

I loved them as a kid and am so happy when I find a hotel that still has them, I get a pang of nostalgia about our incredibly rare hotel stays as a child . In fact my childish enthusiasm about them when we first had weekends away means when DH stays in hotels for work he sends me photo of the toaster at breakfast so I can rate it 😆

On a more practical note It is also the best way of making sure the toast is still warm when I eat it . Toast with butter and jam is something that really does not work well when made in a hotel kitchen. It is cold when it gets to you and the butter doesn't melt 😫

I agree re the coffee out of a machine though . I do like to have freshly made good quality coffee and if that is lacking the breakfast is nowhere near as good

Unless you’re in a 5* renowned property then the UK can be very hit or miss. I think the time of year for seaside properties matters a lot too. September is the end of the season so the chances are IF any repainting or deep cleans were carried out that would have been a while ago so you’ve had a lot of traffic pass through the room over the summer….

My parents own and run a fairly large hotel on the south coast. They work very very hard and the guests always come back as the atmosphere is friendly and homely (well as much as a large hotel can be). It is hard to keep everything perfect decor wise all the time although they do refurb rooms and common areas regularly. It's an old building and takes a lot of maintaining. My point is lots of hotels are family owned and run and people put their heart and soul into their businesses. In understand people want high standards but it isn't possible to be perfect qnd Brexit/covid made things very difficult in hospitality. Staff numbers are so low. My parents are run ragged trying to do the jobs of several people each!

Most hotels are recovering from lockdown still, no money = no investment to refurbish, that's normally ongoing.

I absolutely love hotels. As long as you choose appropriately, they are always a treat. I most definitely don't want to make my own bed in the morning and I also like the evening turn down service.
It is my great ambition to die in a hotel, on my own, but just being looked after. It would be Claridges, obviously.

Go to the bar and ask for a large jug of iced water for your room, it is fine to do this. The water in the bathroom will come from a tank.

I love hotels. Really, really love them.

That said, there are some truly rubbish hotels in the UK. Some good ones too, though. I do my research very carefully and am rarely disappointed.

We stay in Premier Inn's a lot in cities. Occasionally they are run down/grimy but the staff have always been very lovely in my experience.
I've stayed in a few absolutely amazing hotels - Gleneagles was phenomenal! But I would only every do that if I was making full use of the hotel and not going anywhere 😂I think that 3/4* hotels are often not as nice as the Premier Inn personally!

Much prefer Airbnb style accommodation over hotels, and I've stayed in some proper luxury hotels for work. I like being able to control my surroundings and not to be confined to one room. Stayed in a four-star hotel recently and the air-con wouldn't go as cold as I wanted, and it was overlooking a main road so couldn't sleep with the window open. Espresso machine was a struggle to get to work and there weren't enough pods for the stupid amount of coffee I need to get me going. It was fine, comfortable with good amenities, just not my ideal.

Am aware of the damage Airbnb does to local communities but there are other ways of renting whole apartments.

Honestly couldn't tell you, I am talking about 20+ years ago but we just used to walk to that bit near the top of Kensington gardens and you could take your pick of the kind of faded grandeur that people are hating on in this thread.

Bayswater road and round Lancaster gate and Queensway, the terraces behind, unless you're in high season there was always loads more rooms than people to buy them

I'm kind of coming to this conclusion too!
My own bed is perfect 😅

I love a premier Inn. Me and the kids have stayed in loads, we love a mini break two nights, two breakfasts, always comfy beds, bar you can play cards in before bed. I have some super happy memories of premier Inn holidays!

When the kids were small my mum paid for us all to go to Crieff Hydro which was amazing - cue lots of reviews saying it is over rated, over priced etc - we loved it. Best breakfast ever and such beautiful surroundings. Staff were excellent. Kids still remember it as the best holiday ever.

I don't mind a good b&b but nothing beats a properly good and luxurious hotel when you're on holiday. That said I've definitely stayed at some hotels that were subpar, but on the whole you do get what you pay for.

I much prefer hotels and B&Bs to self-catering options and at least nobody expects you to strip the beds or take your rubbish to the local tip!

There are lots of nice hotels, you just have to choose well.

Premier Inns aren't exciting but they are ok, and do tend to be relatively quiet as well.

The worst thing about hotels is people having the TVs on loudly in the middle of the night. But you can get that in self-catering flats as well.

I prefer self catering in a house/ cottage. More privacy and space and quiet and can eat when I want and what I want. Also better alcohol for the price. Hotels for 1 or 2 nights

I just don't understand why soft door-closers aren't fitted as standard and why there is always a gap under the door - the noise of inconsiderate people all night in the corridor drives me bonkers. Even really expensive hotels don't always have this sorted.

People increasingly don't give a shit about other people and think their stay in the hotel is the most important one. Holiday in America was the terrible for this recently but also, and maybe more surprisingly, a family ski hotel in Norway a couple of years ago. The noise in the corridors all night was ridiculous.

Some hotels are fab and have a lovely feel. I like a big, old sprawling country hotel. Crieff hydro is lovely thick walls and properly fitted soft close doors, I’ve never heard another guest when in my room despite lots of excited children in corridors. Turnberry used to be lovely in the main house, extension felt a bit soulless but not been back since it was trumpified.

malmaison is quite nice as a hotel chain as tend to have good beds and interesting buildings.

lots of hotels are rubbish though and I’d default to premier inn/ travelodge for any work travel as you know what you’re getting.

Some travelers clearly don't do any research though when they book hotels though - you see bad reviews from families with young children staying in Sachas in Manchester when it's got a longstanding reputation as a party hotel. They do a great breakfast when you have a steaming hangover but you'd not take your kids there.
I've stayed in self catering cottages covered in dog hair or with bathrooms stuck in the 80s - as much as I've stayed in dodgy hotels.
The Zetter in Clerkenwell is nice - quiet and does a good breakfast.

I love hotels, but to avoid the bad ones I have two tips: use Trip advisor - never stay in a hotel with poor ratings AND never stay in a family-run hotel. While some may be great, most try to save money by cutting corners and have no external body overseeing standards. I always go for chains, and like many other PPs am perfectly happy with Travelodge and Premier Inn, where you know exactly what you're getting before you even arrive.

I used to love the Esplanade in Newquay…

I love a decent quality hotel, not so much in the UK, but certainly abroad.
Although I wouldn't want to stay in the Hotel Cecil and I definitely don't fancy a drink of water there.

We used to do it on holidays as well. Book a weekend trip and include Monday and Tuesday, book an okay hotel from Friday to Sunday and try walk ins for Monday and Tuesday when the rooms are in low demand. Choose the right hotel and you end up your holiday in some super luxury suite that's cheaper than the budget room you've just moved from