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18/05/2005: "Hotel Horrors"

Hotel guests in the UK may be sharing their beds with some uninvited guests, according to a hygiene survey.

England's hotels are failing basic hygiene and cleanliness tests, according to a report by Holiday Which? The watchdog is calling for a statutory grading system for the country's hotels after revealing dirty bed-linen, bacteria breeding lavatories and insect infestations across a sample of 20 hotels in London and Blackpool.

An independant Microbiologist analysed swabs taken from areas such as loo seats, taps, light switches and phone handsets. The inspections found a high level of bacteria on most items, in addition to toenail clippings, dead flies and ants. Fourteen of the 20 hotels failed the test. Bacteria found included enterobacteriaceae, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and pseudomonas which can cause ear and skin infections.

None of the hotels inspected, which included properties from chains such as Hilton, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, Travel Inn, Ibis and Thistle, earned a 100% rating in their tests - although London properties fared better than their northern counterparts.

But British Hospitality Association chief executive Bob Cotton scoffed at the report, saying a microbiologist would find the bacteria anywhere. "The important question is whether it is a risk to public health," he said. A recent 'fit for purpose' scheme, which would have seen hotels having to meet legal health and hygiene requirements, failed to win government funding.

Currently, about 40% of England's hotels are inspected and rated by various organisations, such as the AA and RAC, but tourism authorities hope the number will increase to 75% with the introduction of a new standardised UK-wide grading scheme next year.

The scheme is to undergo consultation over the next few months before being introduced in 2006. But Cotton said: "Grading is a totally seperate issue to hygiene; it's a marketing issue and should be voluntary. The law should tell the public if a place is clean and safe."

(this article was written by Linda Fox)