Hotel comparison site trivago.co.uk has revealed its annual Best Value UK City Index. The list of 26 includes cities with at least 50 hotels and an average of at least 150 reviews per hotel. The index combines hotel price data with aggregated user reviews and ratings. This year Plymouth is the best value city in the UK for a hotel stay, while London is the worst value.
Plymouth best value city in the UK for a hotel stay
With an index of 90.33, Plymouth is the best value city in the UK for a hotel stay. At an average of £76 per night for the past year, it is also one of the cheapest UK cities for a hotel stay (following Sheffield at £71 and Nottingham at £73).
In second place is Exeter, with an index of 89.20 and an average hotel price of £82. Although price is a contributing factor to the best value index, cities must also have excellent hotel ratings. Salisbury and Inverness, for example, occupy third and fourth places despite having an average price per night of over £100 (£108 and £109, respectively).
Cities faring well in the Best Value Index often have hotels praised for their good location, friendly staff, spacious rooms and affordability. This is particularly true for Plymouth, where hotels are consistently ranked positively for their large guest rooms.
London worst value city in the UK for a hotel stay
With an index of 46.64, London is the worst value city in the UK for a hotel stay, with an index significantly lower than the other cities on the list. It is also the most expensive city, at an average of £164 per night. Following London is Manchester, with an index of 68.25, Glasgow (76.41) and Oxford (76.76).
Price is an important factor here – Cambridge, Oxford and London are all ranked low and have an average price per night of over £120 (£123, £125 and £164, respectively). Bath is the only exception in the list, ranked 14th but with an average price per night of £135.
Cities ranking low in the Best Value Index are often criticised for their lack of space, leading to a lower level of comfort and poor ratings. London hotel rooms, in particular, are often described as cramped and ranked low as a result.
Denise Bartlett, UK Public Relations: “By combining hotel price data with aggregated hotel reviews, the Best Value Index promises travellers satisfaction for their money – cities where hotels are both reasonably priced and highly rated. It is interesting to see smaller, less-visited destinations such as Plymouth and Salisbury ranked highly in the index. It is, however, of little surprise to see London at the bottom of the list. With the most expensive average hotel price of any city the UK, London is often criticised for its poor value hotel rooms.”
About Best Value Index
The trivago Best Value Index provides a unique overview of the best valued destinations worldwide by using a specifically tailored algorithm that combines the trivago Hotel Price Index with trivago's Reputation Ranking for hotels. The trivago Hotel Price Index shows the average overnight accommodation prices for a standard double room on trivago. Scaling up to 100, the Best Value Index lists the best combined score on consumer rating and average hotel price. Included in the list were UK cities with at least 50 hotels and an average of at least 150 reviews per hotel.