In a surprising twist for the UK's hospitality sector, the budget pub giant Wetherspoon has clinched the top spot in a recent Which? survey, overtaking the long-dominant Premier Inn as the champion of chain hotel value. The accolade prompted food writer and son of Queen Camilla, Tom Parker Bowles, to put the offering to the test, checking into The Hatchet Inn in Newbury, Berkshire.
Five-Star Standards on a Budget Budget
Despite describing himself as a habitual "five star bore", Parker Bowles was genuinely impressed by his £58-per-night stay. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he highlighted several positives that belied the rock-bottom price point. His room boasted a "sparkling clean" bathroom, generously sized towels, a shower with excellent water pressure, and reliable Wi-Fi. "I've stayed in far worse places, for three times the price," he noted, acknowledging the undeniable value proposition.
The Inevitable Compromises
However, the experience was not without its notable drawbacks, largely stemming from the hotel's location directly above the bustling pub. Parker Bowles reported that his bed was positioned above the main entrance, meaning attempts to sleep were interrupted by the venue ejecting customers around 1am. A few hours later, he was awoken by the noise of an early morning marketing meeting. Practical issues in the room included a shower that flooded if used too long and an extractor fan that roared like an "angry chainsaw".
Ultimate Verdict on Value
Ultimately, the critic concluded that for the price, complaints felt "churlish". He praised the "astonishing value", enhanced by the immediate proximity to the pub below, where he observed pints of Worthington's for £2 and jugs of Pornstar Martini cocktails for under a tenner. "God, I love a Wetherspoon's," he wrote, "not in some trite, archly ironic way - rather for providing cheap beer, bottomless coffee, warmth and no-nonsense succour to great swathes of the British public."
The review follows the experience of YouTube travellers Ash and Kels, who also tried a Wetherspoon hotel at The Wyndham Arms in Bridgend, Wales. They were instantly struck by how the noise from the "really busy" pub vanished upon entering their room, a sentiment echoing the accessible, no-frills appeal that has now been formally recognised by the consumer champion Which?.
