| UK hotels `often overpriced and service unacceptable' |
Hotels in Britain are often overpriced and provide unacceptable levels of service, according to a new guide book.
British hotels are the most expensive in Europe at every price level, states the Which? Hotel Guide 2002.
Co-editor of the book Kim Winter says that if hotels want to boost incomes then they needed to urgently rethink their policies.
Ms Winter says customers' expectations have risen, but British hotel standards have not increased accordingly.
She also accused British hotel managers of focusing too much on unnecessary extras, such as chocolates on pillows at bedtime, instead of getting the basics right.
"Hoteliers need to take a good hard look at what they are offering. Their standards have not kept up with people's expectations and that needs to change," said Ms Winter.
"One of our readers wrote to us to say he felt hotels were pricing themselves out of tourism either by greed or the attitude that they can charge as much as they can get away with, and in some cases that's not far from the truth."
The 2002 guide book lists Boath House Hotel in Auldearn, Scotland, among the best classic country houses in Britain.
The hotel, which includes an Aveda spa and has three AA rosettes for its food and red stars for its accommodation, is run by husband and wife Don and Wendy Matheson.
Mr Matheson commented: "We don't go for trouser presses and things like that here. We keep a friendly atmosphere and are on first-name terms with our guests. It's like one big house party, if you like, we treat them as friends."
Story filed: 04:50 Thursday 27th September 2001
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