Earlier this week, while tucking into my bowl of porridge I was greeted with the news that Britain tops the league of filthiest hotels in Europe. Some people might be shocked by this, assuming that standards in Britain far exceed those of the rest of Europe, even the world. I, however, am not surprised in the slightest!

As a company we have worked with hotels and resorts outside of the UK for over a decade. Advising them on how they can improve standards at their establishments and protect guests from picking up a nasty bug. We have only recently started working with hotels in the UK, why is this? Well until of late, UK hoteliers’ attitudes towards health and safety were slack at best.

The main problem was, and still is, a complacent attitude and over reliance on Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). There is a mindset within some quarters of the industry that says it is easier to deal with the consequences of a health and safety breach or a food poisoning incident after it has happened, than proactively take actions to stop it happening in the first place.  Ignorance is widespread, but ignorance is not a legal defence if someone gets ill or breaks their leg on carpet that isn’t properly laid and decides to sue, nor will it do much for the hotel’s reputation.  The responsibility must lie with UK hoteliers and restaurant owners for ensuring they maintain high standards at their establishment.

This isn’t a problem that is going to go away over night and the UK hotel industry really need to step up in order to compete with its European counterparts – who can offer higher standards of quality in sunnier climes.

It is an issue that I am very passionate about – otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job. Let’s hope the league table shames UK hoteliers into addressing the problem.

It is a common stereotype that British people like to moan, and figures out from ABTA don’t do anything to dispel this myth.

According to The Guardian newspaper, the association received almost 23,000 complaints from holidaymakers in 2008, a 23 per cent rise on the previous year. Poor accommodation was top of the frustration list, closely followed by poorly run trips, bad food, upset stomachs, a lack of promised facilities (such as swimming pools) and distance to the beach.

When it comes to holiday health and safety, complaining is a good thing. Most people work very hard, especially in the current climate, to be able to afford a holiday and it is simply unacceptable to expect them to stay in a dirty or dangerous environment. By putting pressure on the travel industry with complaints about hotels with poor standards, it should begin to take this issue more seriously.