Spoons, whether you adore it or detest it, is a quintessential part of British culture.
The colossal chain boasts approximately 800 establishments across the UK and amassed £2 billion in revenue last year. Everything from its unique-to-each-location 70s-inspired carpets to its surprisingly affordable beverages, from its outspoken CEO Tim Martin to its knack for transforming grand Victorian buildings into drinking havens, has become ingrained in the British consciousness.
However, what may come as a surprise, as it did to me, is that Spoons not only operates hotels but has been doing so since 1998. Its inaugural venue, located in Shrewsbury, offered 22 rooms for patrons alongside the more renowned drinking aspect of the business. Since then, an additional 54 Spoons Hotels have opened their doors.
In recent years, my visits to Spoons have been curtailed due to Mr. Martin’s involvement in British politics and the perception that it’s outdoing independent pubs with its bulk purchasing power. My trips have been confined to airport necessities and, on occasion, utilising its facilities without making a purchase.
However, after one of its hotels was deemed the most economical in the country by Which? earlier this month, I decided to set aside previous grievances and give it a try. On a brisk Wednesday in November, I arrived at Thomas Ingoldsby in Canterbury, shivering and dishevelled after a lengthy bike ride from Broadstairs. What I encountered warmed my frosty heart and completely altered my perspective of Spoons.
The offering is, quite simply, astounding. Here is the breakdown:
Price
Spoons pubs are known for their competitive pricing, and this extends to their hotels as well. In a recent Which? survey, it was one of only two hotels to receive a 4* rating for value for money, the other being the overall winner, Coaching Inn Group.
While Coaching’s average room rate is £128 per night, Spoons charges just £70 on average. A double room at the Thomas Ingoldsby, booked for next Wednesday, is a mere £55. I indulged in a £2.99 veggie breakfast in the morning after enjoying £1.89 pints of ale the previous evening. Both were quite satisfactory.
Perhaps it’s been too long since I ventured outside the M25, but these prices seemed incredibly low. In 2025, when stepping outside alone seems to cost you at least £20, the budget-friendliness of this experience was by far the most significant factor. Before my hotel stay, the last time I visited a Spoons was when I wandered into the vast and eerily quiet Coronet on London’s Holloway Road. The atmosphere could not have been more different on this particular frosty Wednesday night in Canterbury.
The drinkers were out in full force in East Kent. University students, groups of cheerful OAPs, lone men reading books and eating onion rings. All walks of life were present.
The rooms
The hotel rooms are just a short flight of stairs from the pub, making it easy to stumble up at the end of the night or treat yourself to a deli wrap and chips in the bath. A staff member informed me that it’s possible to rent a room on the spur of the moment, although overly intoxicated guests may be turned away. The room itself was practically flawless. I’ve frequented many budget hotels, and this one certainly ranks among the best.
The worst-case scenario in such establishments typically involves dilapidated furniture, a grimy atmosphere, and signs of bedbugs. However, the best-case scenario presents a well-maintained, clean, and thoughtfully arranged room. The Ingoldsby delivered on all these fronts, offering spacious double rooms perfect for an impromptu late-night gathering (though I suspect such activities are neither encouraged nor permitted).
The room also boasted a large desk with a generously stocked tea tray, a substantial TV, and a view of Canterbury Cathedral that likely rivals any other hotel in the city. Only two of the Ingoldsby’s rooms offer this view. Those on the opposite side of the hotel don’t enjoy the same vista and may be slightly disturbed by morning lorry movements, I was informed. If you can secure it, room 110 is the one to aim for.
What’s included?
After a long, chilly day cycling across Kent, I was delighted to find that the thermostat could be cranked up to a cosy 2 C, and it didn’t disappoint. It felt like a holiday. Unfortunately, the Spoons hotel does not offer an all-inclusive package. One can only imagine the chaos that would ensue after copious bottles of Hooch and servings of triple-cooked chips.
However, the actual offerings are far from scant. Decent Wi-Fi, a couple of packets of biscuits, fresh towels, two bottles of water and enough tea, coffee and hot chocolate sachets to keep you going before check-out at 11. A morning bite is not included, but with breakfasts that cheap, it didn’t seem worth complaining about.
In conclusion
A wise friend’s father once told me that Spoons is the closest thing to a real social institution that this country has left. As nightclubs go under and members’ societies close, there are fewer and fewer places for people to meet. Spoons might be one of the last remaining true third spaces we have left in the UK, where all sorts from all demographics want to go. And now that it’s delivering rooms this good and cheap as well, it’s even harder to deny its pull.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
