One night in an hotel in the UK: over £100?
27 August 2018, 01:22 PM
#31
Scooby Senior
As some of the post in this thread indicate, the local market believes that £100 is probably about the right price for a hotel room, with absolutely no knowledge of the true costs involved. The reality is, hotels in the UK could be a lot cheaper, but the market is conditioned to think they're paying the correct price. The big chains can afford to inflate their prices above the demand. Independents are few and far between, so are rarely competing against each other, so they only have to undercut the big chains by a tenner or so and they're quids in.
Services like Air-BnB are great for shaking up the market a bit with some more independent choice, but the Air-BnB experience can be a bit hit and miss, so can somewhat back up the hotel prices with the notion "you get what you pay for"! The likes of Booking.com are also helping to lower prices, but if the demand is higher than the supply, then the prices will stay high.
adly, the tax system in the UK doesn't do much to support small businesses to start-up without need for external investment. As soon as you have investors in your startup, then there is demand for growth, expansion of the business and increasing debt levels which raises prices to the customer. You need a tax system that encourages start-up businesses to run without external investors so you can avoid the growth and profit pressures that investors demand.
27 August 2018, 04:34 PM
#33
That has little to do with it. House prices in Germany are way more expensive than the UK, as are wage costs, but you can still easily find a hotel in Germany for €60 a night with breakfast, never mind £60. The difference in the UK is (other than in a handful of seaside resorts or London) there are very few independently run hotels around, the hotel market is overrun with hotel chains such as Premiere Inn who control the market and inflate prices - its very typical of corporate Britain where the tax system favours larger corporations over small independent businesses. In most of Europe, there are many more independent hotels with no shareholders to pay dividends to, so they can operate at much lower costs. The tax systems often encourage small businesses over corporations, so small hoteliers can easily survive with low prices.
28 August 2018, 08:53 AM
#34
Scooby Regular
We stopped at the Radisson on Manchester Airport a couple of weeks ago. Think it cost me £140 for the night, but that's better than a 03:00hrs start and the risk of overnight motorway closures etc.Anyway, we rocked up at check in, did the usual and the lady says, "will you be having breakfast with us in the morning", to which my answer was, "no, it's too expensive. It was over £40" (it was £17 each if booked online). She replied, "ah, well we can do it a lot cheaper at £15.", "Yes, as I said, over £40"...........
£40+ for f'ing breakfast I don't think so.
£40+ for f'ing breakfast I don't think so.
28 August 2018, 11:27 AM
#35
I will contend there are no good hotels anywhere in the UK - there may hotels that have good sized rooms, which are well equipped, that for me doesn't make for a good hotel. Go stay in Malaysia, I would specifically call out the shangri-la chain of hotels, then come back to the best that the UK has to offer and compare and contrast. There is simply no comparison between the levels of service.
That said - tonights hotel will be the Orchard in Nottingham - £79 B&B, and it's the best of a really bad bunch in the area.
I do agree with Alcazar - spent a night in a hotel in Tuscany (near Montisi) - it was €149 for myself, my wife and two kids. Service was excellent (we were met by a host at the hotel who showed us around, who poured the drinks to welcome us to his hotel (he didn't own the place, but did his job as though he owned the business), and told us he would be looking after us during our stay, which hotels in the UK behave like that??), the room and hotel facilities were equally as good and included as much as you could possibly eat and drink for breakfast, which mostly consisted of cold meats, local cheeses, breads, pastries, cereals etc etc. Back in the UK price tag would have been at least three times that amount and even with best endeavours, I expect would have fallen short on the service aspects. On the flip side - cover charges, now there is a rip off if I ever saw one!!!
That said - tonights hotel will be the Orchard in Nottingham - £79 B&B, and it's the best of a really bad bunch in the area.
I do agree with Alcazar - spent a night in a hotel in Tuscany (near Montisi) - it was €149 for myself, my wife and two kids. Service was excellent (we were met by a host at the hotel who showed us around, who poured the drinks to welcome us to his hotel (he didn't own the place, but did his job as though he owned the business), and told us he would be looking after us during our stay, which hotels in the UK behave like that??), the room and hotel facilities were equally as good and included as much as you could possibly eat and drink for breakfast, which mostly consisted of cold meats, local cheeses, breads, pastries, cereals etc etc. Back in the UK price tag would have been at least three times that amount and even with best endeavours, I expect would have fallen short on the service aspects. On the flip side - cover charges, now there is a rip off if I ever saw one!!!
28 August 2018, 12:38 PM
#36
During one particular visit to Newbury, I ended up staying in the Vineyard hotel.
5 star hotel - worst idea ever.
I only chose it because I didn't want to have to travel too far from my working location, and the previous hotel I normally stayed in was fully booked.
First and only time I've stayed in a hotel, ate my evening meal, yet went to bed hungry, and the food I wouldn't even say was good, just OK, but a small portion.
At one point the waiter came to me and said here is your complimentary veloute. It was the smallest of containers, I remember thinking, WTF am I supposed to do with this.
The room was terrible, and the TV was the smallest bloody thing ever.
By contrast, the breakfast was fantastic. Now maybe that's because I was so bloody hungry
During my taxi trip to the place from my working location, I noticed the taxi driver kept telling me about this lovely pub which was 10 minutes up the road and that you'd get a lovely pint and bar food.
It dawned on me later that evening why he repeatedly told me this.
Same driver picked me up the following morning, and first thing he asked was where did I eat.
5 star hotel - worst idea ever.
I only chose it because I didn't want to have to travel too far from my working location, and the previous hotel I normally stayed in was fully booked.
First and only time I've stayed in a hotel, ate my evening meal, yet went to bed hungry, and the food I wouldn't even say was good, just OK, but a small portion.
At one point the waiter came to me and said here is your complimentary veloute. It was the smallest of containers, I remember thinking, WTF am I supposed to do with this.
The room was terrible, and the TV was the smallest bloody thing ever.
By contrast, the breakfast was fantastic. Now maybe that's because I was so bloody hungry
During my taxi trip to the place from my working location, I noticed the taxi driver kept telling me about this lovely pub which was 10 minutes up the road and that you'd get a lovely pint and bar food.
It dawned on me later that evening why he repeatedly told me this.
Same driver picked me up the following morning, and first thing he asked was where did I eat.
28 August 2018, 01:39 PM
#37
I agree, UK hotels leave a lot to be desired. The worst oddly are 4 and 5 star. I guess with a 2 star I expect it to be shyte LOL.
My usual list of issues:
Slamming firedoors
Poor room soundproofing from adjacent rooms, corridors, outside.
No or improper HVAC in rooms
General room cleanliness issues (gunk in corners of bath/showers), carpets in dire need of washing due to heavily trodden in detritus
Showers are rubbish (mostly due to water restrictors in the hose...that I remove
)
DGAF staff
Iffy or no secure parking
Badly sanitised swimming pools (if it has that 'swimming bath' smell, it's in severe need of shock treating).
Prententious food that's quite poor and overpriced.
Flat draught lager
Block booking by stag and hen party events companies; I pity the guests that are after a quiet night. When there's 5+ simultaneous stag/hen shenanigans going on in well into the small hours.
And much more if I could be arsed to carry on.
Mall I say is thank goodness for online review websites.
My usual list of issues:
Slamming firedoors
Poor room soundproofing from adjacent rooms, corridors, outside.
No or improper HVAC in rooms
General room cleanliness issues (gunk in corners of bath/showers), carpets in dire need of washing due to heavily trodden in detritus
Showers are rubbish (mostly due to water restrictors in the hose...that I remove
)DGAF staff
Iffy or no secure parking
Badly sanitised swimming pools (if it has that 'swimming bath' smell, it's in severe need of shock treating).
Prententious food that's quite poor and overpriced.
Flat draught lager
Block booking by stag and hen party events companies; I pity the guests that are after a quiet night. When there's 5+ simultaneous stag/hen shenanigans going on in well into the small hours.
And much more if I could be arsed to carry on.
Mall I say is thank goodness for online review websites.
28 August 2018, 03:50 PM
#38
I also once checked into a 5 star hotel in Dublin, went to the room and straight away I smelt a bad smell.
It was like someone recently had a shyte.
Low and behold there was a turd in the in toilet still!
Straight down to reception, get me another room please, and send the manager to that room you gave me so he can see for himself.
No other rooms available, so I said then upgrade me to a suite, which they did.
It was like someone recently had a shyte.
Low and behold there was a turd in the in toilet still!
Straight down to reception, get me another room please, and send the manager to that room you gave me so he can see for himself.
No other rooms available, so I said then upgrade me to a suite, which they did.
29 August 2018, 12:53 PM
#40
Scooby Regular
I also once checked into a 5 star hotel in Dublin, went to the room and straight away I smelt a bad smell.
It was like someone recently had a shyte.
Low and behold there was a turd in the in toilet still!
Straight down to reception, get me another room please, and send the manager to that room you gave me so he can see for himself.
No other rooms available, so I said then upgrade me to a suite, which they did.
It was like someone recently had a shyte.
Low and behold there was a turd in the in toilet still!
Straight down to reception, get me another room please, and send the manager to that room you gave me so he can see for himself.
No other rooms available, so I said then upgrade me to a suite, which they did.
29 August 2018, 05:18 PM
#42
Once stayed in one in Kendall with another couple.
We were all sitting in the bar, when the other lass decides she's tired and takes herself off to bed.
We later learnt that she had turned the bed down to find it utterly FULL of pubes!
She then had to rouse night staff, since no maids etc, and get it changed, which she ended up doing herself as the night manager was called away to another emergency. We still refer to it as "the furry bed incident".
And another time we booked into one in Liverpool, went up to find our room was so cramped it only had a four-foot bed, advertised as a double, and one side of it was hard up against the wall. We did manage to get another room.
On the plus side, our room in Blackpool was on the second floor of the hotel, only had one small dormer window, but being higher up, was quiet and about triple the size of the other rooms. Plus an amazing view out over the cliffs.
We were all sitting in the bar, when the other lass decides she's tired and takes herself off to bed.
We later learnt that she had turned the bed down to find it utterly FULL of pubes!
She then had to rouse night staff, since no maids etc, and get it changed, which she ended up doing herself as the night manager was called away to another emergency. We still refer to it as "the furry bed incident".
And another time we booked into one in Liverpool, went up to find our room was so cramped it only had a four-foot bed, advertised as a double, and one side of it was hard up against the wall. We did manage to get another room.
On the plus side, our room in Blackpool was on the second floor of the hotel, only had one small dormer window, but being higher up, was quiet and about triple the size of the other rooms. Plus an amazing view out over the cliffs.
29 August 2018, 08:10 PM
#43
Scooby Senior
Once stayed in one in Kendall with another couple.
We were all sitting in the bar, when the other lass decides she's tired and takes herself off to bed.
We later learnt that she had turned the bed down to find it utterly FULL of pubes!
She then had to rouse night staff, since no maids etc, and get it changed, which she ended up doing herself as the night manager was called away to another emergency. We still refer to it as "the furry bed incident".
And another time we booked into one in Liverpool, went up to find our room was so cramped it only had a four-foot bed, advertised as a double, and one side of it was hard up against the wall. We did manage to get another room.
On the plus side, our room in Blackpool was on the second floor of the hotel, only had one small dormer window, but being higher up, was quiet and about triple the size of the other rooms. Plus an amazing view out over the cliffs.
We were all sitting in the bar, when the other lass decides she's tired and takes herself off to bed.
We later learnt that she had turned the bed down to find it utterly FULL of pubes!
She then had to rouse night staff, since no maids etc, and get it changed, which she ended up doing herself as the night manager was called away to another emergency. We still refer to it as "the furry bed incident".
And another time we booked into one in Liverpool, went up to find our room was so cramped it only had a four-foot bed, advertised as a double, and one side of it was hard up against the wall. We did manage to get another room.
On the plus side, our room in Blackpool was on the second floor of the hotel, only had one small dormer window, but being higher up, was quiet and about triple the size of the other rooms. Plus an amazing view out over the cliffs.
30 August 2018, 10:27 AM
#45
https://cliffshotelblackpool.co.uk/
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/...3!4d-3.0356748
Cliffs can be seen from the Gynn going northwards. Nothing like Dover, but steep enough.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/...3!4d-3.0356748
Cliffs can be seen from the Gynn going northwards. Nothing like Dover, but steep enough.
30 August 2018, 11:03 AM
#46
Scooby Senior
https://cliffshotelblackpool.co.uk/
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/...3!4d-3.0356748
Cliffs can be seen from the Gynn going northwards. Nothing like Dover, but steep enough.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/...3!4d-3.0356748
Cliffs can be seen from the Gynn going northwards. Nothing like Dover, but steep enough.
You know I grew up around there? Cliffs in Blackpool, can't stop laughing at that!
30 August 2018, 01:26 PM
#49
Scooby Senior
Cliff
noun
1. a high steep face of rock
noun
1. a high steep face of rock
Cliffs in Blackpool ROFLMAO!
30 August 2018, 05:17 PM
#52
What about this little gem from this weeks hotel in Nottingham - whoever installed the wet room, failed to ensure the floor level dropped towards the drainage trap. When you have a shower, the water runs towards the bathroom door, then arc's round towards the toilet - basically it goes everywhere except to the trap in the floor. You get to build your own dam using the supplied towels to prevent your bedroom getting flooded!!!
Last edited by tarmac terror; 30 August 2018 at 05:18 PM.
10 September 2018, 12:35 PM
#57
<div style="text-align:left;">
I had the same in Spain in a luxurious hotel that was originally an old palace. So beautiful I stopped there again...unfortunately this time the only room available was a disabled room (room 101...that should have set alarm bells ringing ), which had a wet room. Let's just say Spanish plumbers are on par with British ones and spanish builders all have spirit levels missing their bubble...as I found when I flooded the room whilst using the shower! 
The Bristol a Grand hotel had reviews on trip advisor complaining about the Danny Devito shower! I had to endure this dump of a 4 star as part of a stag do...terrible room soundproofing, slamming fire doors, filthy spa and the review wasn't kidding about the shower....the shower head bracket was mounted 5ft high at best! I would love to meet the 'plumber' that thought this was OK.
<img src="https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.scoobynet.com-vbulletin/2000x1124/80-dsc_1835_a622a233342081defdc2d7a74cc730516198f17f. jpg"/><br />What about this little gem from this weeks hotel in Nottingham - whoever installed the wet room, failed to ensure the floor level dropped towards the drainage trap. When you have a shower, the water runs towards the bathroom door, then arc's round towards the toilet - basically it goes everywhere except to the trap in the floor. You get to build your own dam using the supplied towels to prevent your bedroom getting flooded!!!
), which had a wet room. Let's just say Spanish plumbers are on par with British ones and spanish builders all have spirit levels missing their bubble...as I found when I flooded the room whilst using the shower! The Bristol a Grand hotel had reviews on trip advisor complaining about the Danny Devito shower! I had to endure this dump of a 4 star as part of a stag do...terrible room soundproofing, slamming fire doors, filthy spa and the review wasn't kidding about the shower....the shower head bracket was mounted 5ft high at best! I would love to meet the 'plumber' that thought this was OK.
Last edited by ALi-B; 10 September 2018 at 11:28 PM.
10 September 2018, 11:33 PM
#59
Ahh I've just remembered the hotels I stopped whilst in Wales...One had a shower tray that filled up with whatever was in the toilet when flushed. The other hotel seemed nice, until I sat on the edge of the bed and noted a pile of old yellow toe nail clippings on the floor.
11 September 2018, 08:34 AM
#60
Still not as cheap as France though ...