The Britannia hotel chain, who own The Adelphi, Scarisbrick and Prince of Wales hotels, was ranked as the country's worst to stay in for the 10th year running.
The research, conducted by Which?, was based on almost 4,500 hotel stays, with respondents invited to rate their experiences at 35 chains across 10 key categories, including cleanliness, bed comfort, food, customer service and value for money. Which? gave Britannia a customer score of 56%, highlighting issues raised by guests with everything from cleanliness to mould, faulty toilets and a lack of hot water.
The consumer group said the firm “should be avoided at all costs.”
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One guest described their room as “absolutely dire, drab and smelly”. The Adelphi, where guests travelling on the Titanic stayed before departure, was now described as “tired and tatty,” with a “rough and ready” feel.
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.”
Britannia Hotels is still owned by founder and multimillionaire Alex Langsam. Top of the Which? hotel survey was budget chain Premier Inn, with a customer score of 78%, followed by Sofitel, with 76%.
Britannia Hotels was contacted for comment.
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