Comments on: Character hotels vs chain hotels: Why travel writers will rarely recommend the best accommodation

By: Tim Richards

Tim Richards — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:36:54 +0000

Hmm but David no-one needs to be told what a chain hotel is like, we already know. So why waste space on it? On the Lonely Planet books I work on, we specifically skip the chains unless there are no good alternatives in their price range – because we have limited space and no-one needs help to find a Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn.

Speaking personally, I much prefer the small character-packed non-chain places, as long as the wireless Internet works! Enhances the holiday experience, especially if in a (relatively) alien culture.

By: Hal Peat

Hal Peat — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:34:47 +0000

The thing is, the huge component of business and many holiday travelers that most chain hotels are geared and designed for simply do not want the distraction of individual character, history or quirkiness in their accommodation experience. They want pure predictability – to know where the mini-bar is, what the range of amenities are to be expected from that chain and their focus and agenda in traveling is elsewhere so no “distractions”, thank you. Now if color and memorability are the intended spirit of your travel then of course Fawlty Towers is fine and well. Along with which, their professionalism as hoteliers who also provide all the standard amenities may well be up there as well. You can have your cake and eat it too if you want to feast and not just have efficiency on the road.

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:51:50 +0000

Thanks all for comments. Really good to get a range of views – and I can certainly see where Jeremy and Lara are coming from.

Of course, my ideal place to stay is packed with character, stylish and with all the necessary facilities. Often I will pay extra to stay in a place where I can get a story out of the hotel as well – as Lara says, it’s about return on investment.

But my modus operandi as a writer is slightly different. I don’t claim to be an expert on any destination (barring Australia) and I veer towards activities, themes and the quirky rather than hotels and luxury. If it’s a case of splashing out £50 for somewhere adequate that I won’t write about or splashing out £100 for somewhere fancy and slightly inadequate that I won’t write about, it’s a no brainer.

I thoroughly agree that everyone knows what to expect in the chain hotels. But I think when doing such recommendations, the text could run along the lines of: “The Premier Inn on X street is probably the best value for money for those just wanting somewhere decent to stay, but Hotel X is a more interesting option.”

By: lara dunston

lara dunston — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:35:18 +0000

I disagree too – I have stayed in most chain hotels once (more than enough) so that I know what they’re all about and can assess them against other properties, but, unless I’m stuck at an airport or there’s nothing else in town, I refuse to stay in them – for work or pleasure – for a few main reasons:

1) I’m not going to get any returns on my investment by staying at an Ibis – whereas with a boutique hotel that has style/character, I can invest a few hundred dollars (half that if I can score a media rate – or less obviously if I can get it complimentary with a commission, depending on whom I’m writing for), and see returns in sales of reviews about the hotel or stories/guides in which I include the hotel.

2) The enormous body of knowledge I develop about hotels and the hospitality industry from my thousands of stays in good hotels – especially luxury hotels, design hotels, and/or independent/boutique hotels where I get to meet and talk to the manager/owner is priceless. It’s all about developing skills of discernment which I think are essential for what we do. I’m then confident I can write specifically about that hotel, about hotels in that destination, and about hotels more widely, and write with some authority, from those stays. I couldn’t do this if I only stayed in budget/chain hotels. And believe me, I can identify the ‘reviews’ of properties where I know the writer hasn’t stayed at the place.

3) I do my job because I love it – I love hotels, I love the travel industry, I love the people who work in hotels and tourism, I love hotel owners – so staying in a hotel for me is a pleasurable experience and one of the (many) things that makes my job fun. I don’t enjoy staying in an Ibis or Formula 1 or Holiday Inn, but I get a kick out of staying in a small, independently owned hotel where the owners have put their heart and soul into establishing, and I love appreciating all the wonderful things that they’ve done to make that hotel great. Read Maryam in Marrakesh’s blog for an idea into what goes into making a boutique hotel experience special and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.

By: Neil McNair

Neil McNair — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:34:53 +0000

Has anyone ever stayed in an Etap? That is closest thing most law abiding citizens will get to sleeping in a prison – but they are cheap if there are 3 of you (like a stag do) and you split the bill. Still would pay a bit more and get a more unique experience if holidaying with the wife!

By: Jeremy head

Jeremy head — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:54:35 +0000

I totally disagree. If I’m going somewhere as a paying tourist the accommodation is a crucial part of the mix for me. And I’d HATE to stay in a tedious, same-same hotel. The only time I’d do a Premiertravelodgeinn is if I was on a stag do (so hammered I won’t remember) or catching an early flight/ferry whatever next day. Travel writers don’t need to write about the chain places. We all know what they are like. If someone wants to stay in one of those (and nothing wrong with that) they have google and tripadvisor… no need for my opinions.

By: Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:07:42 +0000

It depends on the commission. Unless I’m specifically commissioned to review hotels, I just need somewhere to rest my head and connect to the internet. The best way to get me to write nice things about a destination is to provide me with what I need, not with what you want to show me. Sometimes that means Ibis. I won’t think any less of you, honestly.

But if I’m writing or updating a guidebook, or if I’m there specifically to do a Where To Stay section, then Ibis won’t cut it. I think readers know that the 2 or 3 hotels listed in a newspaper’s Where To Stay don’t necessarily represent best value or best location – they know (I believe) that the writer is using their professional judgement to survey the whole range of options in the destination and pick out 2 or 3 that have something special – character, food, frilly stuff, clean lines, whatever. We’re saying ‘you might want to investigate this place’.

Then again, sometimes I’ve been booked into somewhere annoyingly characterful, written it off as a waste of time for my commissioned article, then been able to slot it into something six months later. Kerching for me, and kerching for hotel/tourist board/PR too. Life is hard.

By: Karen Bryan

Karen Bryan — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:17:41 +0000

I’m forever extolling the virtues of Travelodge UK especially when you can book rooms (ensuite which sleep up to 2 adults and 2 kids) for £12 and £19 on their Saver rates. Yes some of the hotels are drab from the exterior but rooms a good size and comfortable.

By: James Ellis

James Ellis — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:54:43 +0000

I’ve been arguing along similar lines for a while.

The problem is the USP of chain hotels – whether budget or higher end such as Holiday Inn or Hilton Doubletree – is their familiarity and homogenising of standards: ‘seen one, seen em all’ (or maybe ‘read my review from last time’).

What travel writers CAN do, in my opinion, is get the message out that the image most of us have of the better budget hotels is coloured by the snob factor as mentioned by Melissa above.

To do this, perhaps we should be looking at properties where there is some differentiation.
Both Premier and Travelodge have some architecturally interesting buildings – if writers focussed on those, we could help destroy the stereotypes and get a ‘hotel with a difference’ story at the same time.

By: Melissa Shales

Melissa Shales — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:42:25 +0000

Chain hotels often get a really bad rep to the point that next weekend, I am staying in a hotel that is less convenient and not as good as the Premier Inn down the road because the people I am with don’t want the ‘snob factor’ admission that they are staying there. In vain did I point out that it would be cheaper, better located and more comfortable… but then what do I know, as a professional guidebook writer.
I also think that the bigger holiday resorts fall into the same category – I have stayed in some when doing Mediterranean guides. Some are grim, some are great at what they do, catering admirably to a particular sector of the market. We should be more flexible in the way we approach our recommendations and really go for the best around.