Chain Hotels
 

Ok I know this topic will cause the ire of some but I am curious.

What do you think of chain hotels like Best Western traveling through Europe?

Best Westerns in Europe are really privately owned. They only use the BW reservation services. So you can't compare them with the ones in the US

Best Western is not a "chain" in Europe. As noted, they are all individually owned. So it's not a good example for your question.

Europe does, of course, have chain hotels, like Ibis, Sofitel, Formule, etc. If you're looking to get opinions on real chains, it would be helpful to identify the ones you're interested in.

There are a lot of "chains" in Europe and in the US. A lot of the "chain" hotels in both areas are not "owned" by the chain itself so this stuff about Best Western hotels not being owned is kinda ridiculous..a lot of the Best Western places over HERE are privately owned, too. A lot of Marriotts are owned by other concerns, etc.,

IMo chain hotels as do a lot of other hotels have advantages and disadvantages..it all depends on what you are looking for in a hotel. And it also depends on what your definition of "charm" is...if it is sweltering in the middle of the heat and humiditiy because you didn;t want to stay in a 'chain' hotel well, that's up to you.

And yes, there are some "chain" hotels which are an absolute avalanche of gilt and drapes..the ones designed and run by Mr. Polito come to mind.

I'm not sure why the question will cause "ire."

Without much thinking about it, I ended up booking more than one Melia hotel over the course of several trips, and I really liked them. So I've got nothing against chains.

In Italy, corporate run hotels are almost never better than family run ones. That said, in some cities like Milano, chains like UNA are worth seeking out.

BW isn't a chain anywhere, exactly. They are independently owned in the US, also, I believe.

I've stayed in lots of chain hotels in Europe, what's wrong with them. Most hotels nowadays are chain hotels in bigger cities, it seems to me -- if that means some affiliation with some marketing group. But as for perhaps the "real" chains, I've stayed in quite a few Accor and like them (espec Sofitel, but Mercures are decent), and I've stayed in several Best Westerns and a Millennium in London, which was very nice. I've stayed in even more that were part of some hotel marketing group, which isn't really that different (BW is just a marketing group). I've stayed in chain hotels in the US and in Mexico, also. I love Fiesta Americana in Mexico, for example. Oh, I stayed in an Intur hotel in Madrid which was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at.

If you want something cheapish but reliable, Ibis are good. We usually try and stay in smaller family run type inns or guesthouses, B&Bs etc but sometimes a reliable chain hotel can be good. At least you know what you'll be getting.

Kay