From Pub Chain to Hotel Champion: Wetherspoon's Surprise Ascent
In a significant shake-up for the UK's budget accommodation sector, JD Wetherspoon has officially overtaken Premier Inn in the influential Which? ranking of chain hotels. The consumer champion now recommends the pub giant's hotels as a "great value" place to stay, a title long-associated with its rival.
A Real-World Test in Wigan
Travel correspondent Simon Calder decided to put this new ranking to the test. After a long day on the road travelling south from Scotland on Monday 17 November 2025, he found himself needing a last-minute Sunday night stay. With Premier Inn prices nudging a surprisingly high £100, he booked a room at The Brocket Arms in Wigan for just £50.40.
Calder approached the hotel on Mesnes Road with a degree of trepidation, based on past experiences with less expensive pub-hotels. He recalled sticky carpets and sleepless nights due to noise from bars below. However, his room at the Brocket Arms told a different story.
The room had been recently refurbished and was clean and comfortable. It was equipped with bottles of water, tea and coffee, decent WiFi, and a user-friendly lighting system. The hotel, which opened in 1957 with just seven rooms, now boasts 28, all with televisions.
Local History and Surreal Encounters
True to the Wetherspoon brand, the hotel displayed an impressive attention to local history. The bar featured pictures documenting the area's past, including a soup kitchen during the five-month-long Miners' Strike of 1893.
The evening took a surreal turn when Calder invited a friend, music promoter Dylan Harris, for a pint. Harris, who was in a small village outside Xi'an, China with Blur frontman Damon Albarn at the time, recalled that the hotel used to get "quite rowdy" when bands decamped there after gigs.
Despite this history, the night was remarkably quiet. Calder's travelling companion, Paul, reported it was his best night's sleep in ages.
The Verdict on Value
The following morning, an industrial-sized breakfast was available for £6.59. The offering was substantial: two fried eggs, bacon, two Lincolnshire sausages, baked beans, three hash browns, mushroom, and two slices of toast.
This stay confirmed the new Which? findings. For travellers seeking a clean, comfortable, and quiet budget hotel that doesn't break the bank, Wetherspoon has proven it can compete with, and even surpass, the established leaders in the field.
