Britannia Hotels: UK’s worst chain continues to rake in profits

Britannia Hotels has continued to increase its turnover and profits despite the chain being ranked the UK’s worst for the last 11 years.

The Cheshire-headquartered group has posted a turnover of £154.7m for the year to March 31, 2023, up from £117.8m, while its pre-tax profits also rose from £33.3m to £39.3m.

The newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show the business increased its average headcount from 1,818 to 2,365.

The figures compare to its final year before the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in which its turnover totalled £120.4m and its pre-tax profits were £13.7m.

Britannia Hotels said the rise in turnover “represents an exceptional performance achieved during a period of difficult trading conditions which continues to limited opportunities for growth”.

The increase in its headcount comes after Britannia Hotels slashed the number of people it employed by almost 1,000 in the year to March 2021.

A statement signed off by the board said: “The directors remain confident that the company is in a good position to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.

“The hotels have managed to maintain their competitive edge through the economic downturn and continue to take steps designed to attract new business and improve market share going forward.”

In November 2023, Britannia Hotels was named the worst chain in the UK for the 11th year in a row.

The group came bottom out of 16 in Which?’s annual survey of more than 5,000 respondents.

Britannia Hotels operates more than 60 sites across the UK and also owns Pontins.

The company was founded in 1976 and is led by chief executive, and its largest shareholder, Alex Langsam.

Among Britannia’s sites are the Adelphi in Liverpool – which was used by passengers on the Titanic – and the Grand in Scarborough.

The group’s first hotel was located in Didsbury, Manchester.