The ASA has banned a paid-for-search ad for Premier Inn which made the claim “Premier Inn Edinburgh – Rooms from only £35 for one night” for being misleading.
The complainant had searched for rooms in Edinburgh but was unable to find any at that price and argued that it was an unsubstantiated claim, which the ASA upheld.
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In response, Whitbread Group provided data that showed for 365 days from 8 am on November 4 there were 112 live opportunities or “site nights” to book a hotel toom in Edinburgh for £35 a night.
A review of the table revealed that there had been 377 site nights available at £35 in the booking window, which they considered a significant spread.
The hotel also said it had provided training on responsible advertising, including about the availability and appropriate targeting of ads.
However, the ASA argued that consumers would understand the claim “Premier Inn Edinburgh – Rooms from only £35 per night” meant that a significant proportion of rooms would be available 365 days a year.
However, the ASA concluded that because only a small percentage of the rooms were actually available at £35 a night, it was likely to mislead.
Despite recording profits, Premier Inn has recently cut around 1,500 jobs and shut 100 plus restaurants.
The ASA also recently banned a Cross Country train ad which claimed that first class passengers would be able to get free food and drink on first class trains.
