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Hotelin the UK?
You probably thought you knew but in recent years things have
changed. A UK hotel now is any temporary place of residence and that
means the description can cover anything from a very cheap overnight
hostel in the middle of nowhere through to a short-let luxury
apartment in Mayfair. Years ago thing were much simpler at one end
of the scale you had the Bed and Breakfast and at the other the Five
Star
hotel. To make it more complicated you can now get Five
Star Bed and Breakfasts!
It means that you have to read the fine print much more carefully to be really sure that the place you are considering staying at is offering you all the things that you require and that the level of service you are expecting is deliverable by them.
Well, this is why it has all become very cloudy because what is the difference? You can stay at a Bed and Breakfast where the level of service and facilities far exceeds that offered by that largest hotels, indeed some of our greatest Stately Homes now do Bed and Breakfast, as long as you are prepared for a whopping bill. So one can no longer determine that standard of the place by the type of accommodation service it provides, the two things are not related and hence the change.
On this site we are attempting to group accommodation into some kind of order although as you have read above this will now always remain vague. We are therefore using the services available at a particular location as the guide. Some are simple to classify whilst others a bit more complicated and we listen to feedback from our users if we have made an error.
NOTE: These descriptions relate only to this website and are not related to quality of service.
This can be any kind of accommodation where over and above the provision of a room for you the facilities include a restaurant or dining room serving breakfast, lunch and evening meals PLUS a licensed bar. That is somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat and somewhere to drink without leaving the premises. This means the actual building can range from a dedicated traditional hotel to a large public house or Inn.
Probably the easiest to understand is the B&B, what you get is just that. There are usually other conditions too, at many locations you cannot arrive before a particular time and you must leave before another. These places are great if you are travelling around and do not wish to remain at a fixed point for any length of time. The usual length of stay is one night.
A step up the service ladder from the B&B is the Guest House. The main difference here is that you can probably arrange for an evening meal. Be aware that some Guest Houses like everyone to be out of the building for a period during the day so that they can clean and very few provide a mid-day meal although it is worth asking when you make a booking. Visitors usually stay at Guest Houses for more than one night, indeed many UK residents take there entire vacations at some of them and have done so for many years.
These may include apartments, cottages and short-let houses. We do not include holiday accommodations in this section as that is a different market. This type of accommodation is usually aimed at the long-stay visitor who is probably in the UK for business reasons. Some offer additional services such as daily room cleaning, valet and maid services and some even have their own chefs who will visit you apartment and prepare meals for you.
Once again these may include apartments, cottages and short-let houses but are let on a strict timetable, that is you arrive at a particular time on a particular day and leave 7 to 14 days later, the properties being rented to you in seven day blocks. Out of season you may be able to negotiate long weekends or lets of varying duration. Holiday accommodations are usually situated in prime vacation locations and once again available facilities can vary dramatically. In addition to the Holiday accommodations listed on our general pages we have a separate sections on Holiday Homes and Cottages and a different one about Holiday Centres and Holiday Camps.
These include Hostels and Bunkhouses the most famous of which are those operated by the YHA (Youth Hostels Association in England and Wales) and SYHA (Scottish Youth Hostels Association). They can be very popular at certain times of the year both for summer activities and winter sports. Facilities can be very basic but we are aware of some locations that are next to exceptional restaurants and exceptional public houses that serve food too. Many budget accommodation location also provide breakfast to their residents but check this facility is available when you are making a booking as some do not. Expect very basic accommodations and you will not be disappointed.
In the last few years as businesses have begun to diversify we have noticed an increasing number of Public Houses have started to offer accommodation too. This has been a popular type of accommodation, know also as Restaurants with rooms, in Northern Ireland and Eire for some years and is now spreading rapidly across the UK as a whole. Here you have a facility that lies somewhere between a full hotel and a guest house with regards to available facilities, be aware however that if it is peace and quiet that you are after this may not be the ideal choice. But then again if it's a lively atmosphere, good pub food and lots of beer then this could be your idea of heaven.
There are a number of independent organisations that classify hotels in the United Kingdom ranging from the Regional Tourist Boards, the AA (Automobile Association), the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) and international organisations like the Michelin Guide.
After inspection the accommodation is awarded a number of 'stars', 'diamonds' or 'crowns' to indicate the quality and quantity of services that are provided. It goes without saying that the more 'stars', 'diamonds' or 'crowns' that the accommodation has then the more it has to offer. Mind you the bill will be equally bigger too!
One: Practical accommodation with a limited range of facilities and services, but a high standard of cleanliness throughout. Restaurant/eating area. 75% of bedrooms will have en-suite or private facilities.
Two: Better equipped bedrooms, all with ensuite/private bathroom and a colour TV. A lift is normally available.
Three: Higher standard of services and facilities including larger public areas and bedrooms, a receptionist, room service, laundry.
Four: Accommodation offering superior comfort and quality; all bedrooms with en-suite bath, fitted overhead shower and WC. Spacious and well appointed public areas. More emphasis on food and drink. Room service of all meals and 24 hour drinks, refreshments and snacks. Dry cleaning service available. Excellent customer service.
Five: A spacious, luxurious establishment offering you the highest international quality of accommodation, facilities, services and cuisine. There will be a range of extra facilities. You will feel very well cared for by professional, attentive staff providing flawless guest services
Unclassified: There are a number of accommodation providers on this site that are unclassified. This may not mean that they do not reach the lowest standard but they are brand new and the rating authorities have not yet been able to complete their inspections. Where accommodation has no rating it is then up to you to verify with each one individually that they can deliver the standard and service that you require.
Note: The actual facilities available varies slightly according to which agency is issuing the rating
Now we are talking the same language when is comes to accommodation you may wish to see what we have to offer. In addition to the details of over 8,000 hotels, this website includes every location in the UK of any size and we are constantly adding the remaining small ones on a day to day basis. However we are not only concerned with hotels, but nearly every aspect of British life therefore you can look up any location using "Find UK places" and we will tell you of all the accommodation options that we have in that location and all the things to do and see in that location.
Where available we display pictures of the premises and the rating of each accommodation alongside the map of its location on the detail pages. Our hotel maps also show you the 25 nearest visitor attractions or event venues to your chosen location or conversely if your look up a particular attraction or event venue we will give you the 25 nearest hotels.
When you have found somewhere you would like to stay you can then book online using two different large booking agencies, this allows you to compare prices, and in some cases you can book directly with the hotel groups themselves. When you are done you can print off our maps showing the locations of the hotels and attractions you are going to visit.
If you still require further information about hotels on this website then follow this link to the main hotel section
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