Hundreds of hotels in the United Kingdom, including those with four stars and two AA Rosettes, have received food-hygiene ratings of just one. An investigation by the consumer group Which? found that 652 hotels were given a grade of just two or below on a scale of zero to five from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and were in need of "urgent improvement." Local authority inspectors rate food businesses, including hotels and B&Bs, from zero (urgent improvement necessary) to five (very good). In London, the five-star Royal Horseguards hotel was given a hygiene rating of just two and in Birmingham, the four-star Novotel was given the same rating for "high-risk food… out of temperature control." After inspectors at Birmingham's four-star Copthorne Hotel discovered raw meat next to sauces in the fridge and out-of-date seafood, it was awarded a rating of one. A number of kitchens in Edinburgh, including the luxury Scotsman Hotel, were also named among the worst in the UK. Alarmingly, many of the hotels did not display their hygiene rating upon inspection. The watchdog is now calling for a change in rules to ensure the ratings are on show at all times, both on the hotel premises and on their websites. "Around nine in 10 of us eat at least one meal in our overnight accommodation so it's vital that hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses have high standards of food hygiene," the Which? travel editor Rory Boland said. "We know that displaying the rating outside the premises encourages higher standards, which is why we support the FSA case for a compulsory display scheme for the whole of the UK." A spokeswoman for London's Royal Horseguards Hotel said it took the findings "very seriously." "A new senior-management team immediately took action to improve standards to the level our staff and customers expect," it said in a statement. "These independent reports found significant improvements had been made by the new hotel team and described the kitchen as being 'exceptionally clean and well-maintained' during an unannounced audit."