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At the same time, the tester examined the local environment using the example of Hanover, as the strongest growth in the state capital of Lower Saxony is mainly taking place in the lower price segments of the hotel industry, while the middle is struggling to survive. However, this phenomenon is also becoming increasingly noticeable in other regions of Germany.

Jens Rosenbaum's hotel tests, which have been conducted independently and without prior notice since 2018, focus on rooms, beds, bathrooms, hygiene and service, highlighting the core services of the hotel industry. These focal points are also an indicator of the success of the brand: “Mastering the operational basics, fulfilling the brand or service promise and an adequate rate are the foundation of successful hotels,” says Jens Rosenbaum, who studied mathematics and economics and works as editor-in-chief of the specialist magazine “Schlafen Spezial”. “Anyone who can go one step further with these three basic requirements, makes hardly any mistakes and also has a clear strategy, as is the case with Motel One, is simply one step ahead.”.

Independent hotel tests are able to reveal both the difference between self-perception and external perception as well as errors in strategy.

In this comparative test, the four hotels mentioned were critically compared with each other, with Motel One coming out as the clear winner. Premier Inn, on the other hand, brought up the rear with numerous shortcomings. This test therefore also confirms that objective and independent on-site tests can have a great deal of informative value about the respective “hotel” product.

“Just a few days after the test was published, we read in the press that Motel One was expanding its successful strategy with the entry of a financial investor, while Premier Inn had announced redundancies to reduce its workforce. This news did not surprise me, because the performance offered in the context of the rate usually gives a reliable indication of how successful the concept and implementation are,” adds Jens Rosenbaum.

The full comparative test was published in the trade magazine Cost & Logis under the title “ONE Prize all Inn” and can be read online at https://cost-logis.de/2025/03/24/one-prize-all-inn/.