Lack of hygiene in hotels exposed

Now that the boutique hotel trappings of Egyptian cotton sheets, walk-in slate showers and elegant dark wood have been adopted by even the most modest places to stay, Bahraini business travellers to the UK or expat families stopping off en route to visit loved ones and friends might think we live in an era of luxury for all.

But a report from undercover hotel inspectors just published reveals a grimier reality beneath the surface of the British hospitality industry.

Researchers for Which? Holiday magazine who checked into 16 budget hotels in London and Manchester pretending to be ordinary guests found mouldy mattresses, stained duvets and dirty toilets at some leading chains.

Ibis performed 'particularly badly', the team said, and Travelodge was also criticised in their report.

The results of the investigation come as domestic tourism in the UK is preparing for a boom, with credit-squeezed holidaymakers tightening their belts, and cost-conscious business travellers trading down.

Despite these favourable conditions, Which? said it was concerned by the standards of cleanliness it found.

The team, consisting of a researcher and a microbiologist, said their 'most disturbing' discovery was a mattress in the Ibis on Charles Street, Manchester, which was so badly soiled that the cover had started to fray and mould had begun to grow. A duvet at the Ibis on Portland Street in the same city was stained, with the microbiologist suggesting one of the marks was blood. There was 'something sticky on the bedside table surface', the report added.

The Ibis Euston in London was home to the dirtiest toilet the researchers found, with urine and faeces around the edge of the seat and urine streaked down the pedestal, according to the report.

Which? said bathrooms at the five Travelodges it visited were unclean and it was concerned that bacteria found in four of the rooms could indicate poor cleaning.

At the chain's Gray's Inn Road hotel in London, inspectors found 'appalling' levels of dust under the bed. "It was so bad that when we kicked the carpet, dust rose before our eyes and our consultant's footprint was left outlined on the floor. The wall behind the curtains was also thick with ground-in dirt, which contained a handprint streaked down the wall."

Lorna Cowan, editor of Which? Holiday, said: "Although this investigation was just a snapshot, it does raise concerns about the cleanliness of some budget hotel chains."

An Ibis spokesman said: "Ibis treats matters of cleanliness and hygiene as critically important. We were, therefore, very disappointed to see the results of the investigation which showed standards that are totally unacceptable to us."

A Travelodge spokesman said the chain rejected any suggestion that Which? or its customers should be concerned at the level of bacteria found.

"Our six million customers should always enjoy a good quality stay, so this report has helped us by highlighting a handful of cases where we needed to improve."