Random survey reveals horrors of British hotels

Toe-nail clippings on the floor, dead flies, ants rampaging across the room, soiled mattresses and cigarette butts in sink bowls - welcome to a British hotel.

These gruesome discoveries were amongst the horrors and potential health hazards found during a random survey of hotels by inspectors for British consumer watchdog, Which?

The inspectors examined 20 hotels in London and the seaside resort of Blackpool in northern England.

Of these, 14 failed to clear a hygiene test set by an independent microbiologist.

Which? said the average cost per night of the hotels visited was £80 ($206), and some of those which failed the test were rated four-star.

Six of those surveyed belonged to major chains and, while they appeared cleaner, half failed.

"It's disturbing to think that a night spent in a hotel could make you ill," Which? said.

"The level of bacteria found in key areas of several rooms posed health risks and guests in these hotels could have become ill through cross-contamination," the report said.

Which? said hotels should be graded according to hygiene levels so that for a property to receive even a one-star rating, it should have a high standard of cleanliness throughout.

- REUTERS