We visited one of London's less salubrious hotels in our Dec 11th issue last year. Our feature 'The Long Road to 2012' looked at how ready the capital was to receive visitors in four years' time - and the answer was in the case of one play to stay overnight, not at all.
But it seems we're not alone in criticising cheaper hotels. While the branded budget market came out well in our feature by comparison with the less well-known 'Olympic House hotel' others haven't recently. Both Ibis and Travelodge have had problems in some outlets, according to a recent edition of Which? Holiday magazine.
Mould was found on a mattress in an Ibis property on Charles Street, while Travelodge had some dirty bathrooms, said the magazine. Both say they have taken steps to ensure cleanliness to the correct standards.
Comfort Inns and Jurys Inns, meanwhile, performed well in the survey. Let's hope all are up to scratch over the next few years.
Budget hotels in the UK 2008 - Industry data>>