Where should i go next?

It's criminal that Britannia Hotels have acquired so many amazing and historic buildings only to run them into the ground by selling the rooms dirt cheap and letting them go to ruin. If a proper hotel chain or even independents bought half of them and were prepared to invest in renovation work they could be incredible places to stay.

“Worst hotel I’ve stayed in….. and I’ve been to Pontins “. What a great quote !! 😂😂😂

As soon as I saw that table I knew it was Britannia, but when it's rated worst when is it not a Britannia Hotel. The top brass at Britannia should be put away for life, for crimes against hospitality

Everyone mentions "The Shining"...but when I stayed there I had no problems....Except for the dead woman in the bathtub....And getting locked in the freezer....And the boiler exploding....And the axe attack...Other than that it was alright.

I just appreciate how nosey you are, the fact you open any unlocked door is brilliant, it satisfies my also curious nature🤣

My mum and dad love these old crappy hotels. They go knowing what to expect but love the cheap rates, good locations and vintage architecture

It was obviously a splendid hotel in its day - such gorgeous glasswork - and a great pity that it appears to be slowly deteriorating with the wrong people in charge. Perhaps Wetherspoons ought to take it on, they do at least save old buildings. By the way Tim, that isn't black filler in the bath, it is simply what is underneath when the enamel is damaged, I remember from my youth! Great review.

I always say don’t be fooled by hotels with names like Royal, Palace or king & Queen in the title, most hotels spend a fortune on up keeping the lobby but once you enter the elevator it’s like going back in time to 1987 and the room looks like somewhere you’d stay if you were on the run from the law or contemplating suicide.

I helped out as a beauty therapist about 6 years ago there; it was awful. We were in what I think was a ballroom and the entrance and the rooms we used reeked of stale urine and it gave off 'nursing home' vibes. Everything was dirty, dusty and even getting clean water for our treatments was difficult - we had to get jugs of water and empty them into buckets.

I thought it was going to be worst. I am relieved and disappointed, at the same time. I love the period design, decor and the character. They're a relic of a bygone age. Nowadays, these buildings are somewhat redundant as hotels. I am disappointed by the lack of real investment in these national gems. Britannia have the most cynical business model in the industry.

The problem with a lot of these large, grand old hotels is they cater for a market that no longer exists (in the quantity they need anyway). Im surprised Brittania keep buying them. I imagine a lot of the other chains wouldn’t touch them. They’re a no win proposition. Spend millions to refurb them to their former gory and have to charge rates that won’t bring in enough people. Cut your room rate and cut back on maintenance (which is likely to be astronomical) and you end up with a reputation like this. Let’s be honest, most people don’t care how grand a hotel is anymore as long as it’s clean and comfortable - and for the same room rate, would you choose this or a non-descript premier inn?

Attempted to stay here a fee years back. The first room we were allocated was next to a room housing the extraction units for the kitchen. This caused the wall behind the bed to constantly vibrate and hum. Was given a 2nd room, however that one had a bag of syringes and needles under the mattress! The only compensation for that was a free bottle of wine with dinner or to leave and find somewhere else.

I worked at the savoy as a chamber maid for a few years and left in 2006 ish . (we had to hoover the hallways every day then lol) it's sad that britannia neglect their hotels as its a beautiful building. BTW Its definitely haunted, there's a creepy upper floor on 3rd that's got seriously bad vibes 😳. Thanks for the video, was nice to see it again.

The door to the room that Tim was in was a big red flag for me and he should of complained about it or made them aware that it was difficult to open and closed as it is a big risk if their was ever a fire in that place and there was someone elderly or a child that was in their and they couldn't open the door due to how stuff it was to open.

I like the fact that Britannia make these old hotels accessible and affordable… Hotels generally are very expensive these days.

So a Britannia Hotel that has ACTUALLY had some form of maintenance and remodelling done to it? .......Wow, what a time to be alive!!!! Seriously why do they all have to have those tacky looking gambling machines.....I mean for such a beautiful hotel they look and feel completely out of place

I stayed there in 2017. it was awful and continues to be a running joke between my mum and I! It was grim, and has had a bit of a facelift since our stay looking at this video. I was sad to see the carpeted walls of the lift have gone!! the carpet in the restaurant was sticky, and the food looked so grim I had cereal for breakfast only. the beds were just the same as yours, painful backs ensued. they were also itchy as heck, felt like things were crawling on you during the night. our wardrobe couldn't be opened without a tonne of force, and the bathroom was grim. as for haunted, our kettle would randomly turn on in the night, so we unplugged it....and it did it again. make of that what you will! what's hilarious is we stayed there, and attended a convention at the Norbreck...so the best of the awful hotels in one trip!

This isn’t really about a hotel. It’s about a town that has largely lost its main source of employment and is struggling to find a new role in the twenty first century. It is very difficult to see what can be done. There is a kind of fascination in watching things slowly fall apart but it is a tragedy.

We have just come back from the Rock and Roll weekend I mentioned 5 months ago. I saw the window with the gap at the top, but no complaints about anything. The food was fine, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was clean. The hotel was fully booked but there was no problem with only the one lift, never saw a queue. The rooms on the 4th floor I heard were small and should be avoided as the lift only goes to the 3rd, but that's hardly the fault of the current owners. Separately, the event was well organised too with an excellent programme of bands and other music and dance classes

Britannia hotels make their money from the government who give them millions to accommodate asylum seekers awaiting clearance.The company have no need to spend money maintaining the buildings properly.I regularly visit Britannia hotels as part of my job (not staying as a guest)and the Savoy appears to be one of the few with a holiday clientele.

Thanks for another interesting hotel visit, I'm glad you have included it as it's important to give an impartial view of your visits. Maybe if Britannia does spend some money at Pontins or their hotels they should invite you back to review?

Loving your channel Tim. You’ve got the production on it just right which makes it perfect to sit back and relax to. It’d be great if each episode was a little bit longer but can’t complain if it’s a freebie 👍🏻. Again great work fella, keep it going 👌🏻👏🏻

My wife and I booked 2 nights at this hotel last October (2021), we booked a double deluxe room and were given what I can only describe as a broom cupboard with a double bed in it, when we went to the front desk to complain we were screamed at and told to get out as we were not welcome there. I asked to speak to the Duty Manager the screaming guy said he was in fact the General Manager. I could not recommend this hotel to anybody.

I appreciate you putting up the video whether its good or bad. Gives a nice honest view into the hotel. Also means, if they start to hear about you, they're less likely to blacklist you, thinking you're just there to complain and make them look bad. Lol

Thanks for your impartial review, Tim. What a beautiful building! My first thought was that it had a Titanic (and a Shining) vibe to it, not surprising as it was built in 1915. Just a huge shame that the small issues, and there are a few it seems, have let it down, but I would still consider staying after seeing your vid.

We have only stayed in Blackpool for Rock and Roll weekends, and are booked in the Savoy in November. However having stayed at The Norbreck twice, nothing can be worse than that.

Stayed here with my gf post lockdown 2020 and we paid £85 for the night and it was awful, I had to shoulder barge the bedroom door open, we had a very clinical bathroom which we had to climb into with a huge step; the windows were nailed shut, there was no ventilation during a heatwave and the TV had a corner missing. Also there was what seems like small blood stains on the mattress. £85 for the night there was a total rip off. Tried to speak to someone regarding it but no one was ever around at reception

Good to see you becoming more confident and going into rooms you clearly shouldn't be in. Keep it up!

i have watched lots of these with you Tim and it makes me so sad that these beautiful buildings are not properly cared for. The public areas make it easy to imagine how grand this is would have been in its day. Interestingly, all these hotels are now owned by Britannia.

this could be such a nice hotel after renovating, keeping the old details like the ceilings and staircases. it just needs a good investment to bring it up to date and some love

Just caught up and enjoyed this vlog thanks Tim. Hope all family are well.😊

Stayed back in 2015, horrendous, we were ‘upgraded’ as first room windows were jammed with newspaper but the worst thing was poop on the bathroom wall. Wished we of stayed in that room, second room which felt like top floor of east wing, horrendous plaster falling of the walls, poop on the sheets! And couple somewhere near clearly having a good time all night 😬. Apparently the manager told us when we complained it would of been the staff. Later read that Lancashire council use some rooms for homeless and immigrants. It was filthy an absolute hell hole.

Have ever reviewed the Britannia Hotel in New Street Birmingham . Stood on a bag of Cannabis in the doorway . Rats scurrying around outside the entrance and disabled access in the evening was interesting .

Stunning interior...the ceilings, stained glass, carpeting and so much more. Hope they do this hotel justice when renovating. The outside though looks like an old hospital.

Whenever Tim or other (inferior, naturally) vloggers post a video titled "worst hotel in he UK" or "worst hotel in XYZ town in England", I immediately know it will be a Britannia Hotel.

I used to work there in 2020. Loved the place, Needed some work but was very happy to be there. Nice customers and staff. Well done Tim , its a good film and very professional. xx

I stayed here in 2020 paid £89 for a family room for 1 night. It was very dated and I imagine it would cost a lot to bring such a big hotel up to spec but it wasn’t really that bad. Remember the view was terrible but I didn’t hate it

Stunning interiors as most of the hotels of this era have, neglected and left to rot. Disagree with a previous comment as UK holidays are now having a revival due to so many problems getting abroad and back with kids in tow .Affordable clean rooms would be snapped up especially in these days of very limited family finance.

I’ve watched other people do these videos but I like the format of yours better. I think it’s partly because you film alone so it give more of a pov of the places you go to. Excellent content.

Love your vids mate. Always scrolling through. Coming across old vids but still like watching bro. Keep it up mate x

Those old stained glass windows cost thousands to repair.Our church in Gt Yarmouth has just had one done!!😳😩

Great vid, Tim. It’d be good to see how the food/menus fare on your various hotel travels!

Only recently starting watching your channel a couple months ago but i'm crying out for you to speak to the staff regarding what you find. Not to cause confrontation, but just to see how well they handle it. I believe It would make for fantastic and compelling viewing! Also the videos seem too short in my opinion. I wonder how your nights sleep was with the cold water pipe? the evening entertainment downstairs, the room service, what the breakfast was like etc? Thankyou for the video and I am looking forward to the next one regardless!

I've just subscribed to your channel as I stayed at the Savoy in Blackpool around two month ago. Yes I saw the reviews too but I ignored them and I'm glad I did. I'm in my early 40's and found it to be ok. Yes I saw the window frame in your video and the missing celling tile. But the room was clean, the double bed was firm, not springy at all. Yeah I was impressed with it. I think you were right to ignore the reviews. I think people make these up sometimes. The Norbreck castle hotel on the other hand I agree. Not good at all. I would like to share my experiences If I can with you sometime. It was bad. Keep up the good work Tim. Thank.

these 'worst rated' videos of yours are really good! i found your channel from a pontins video that randomly popped up in my recommended and i've got to say i enjoy these! i hope to see more!

I think with a bit of modernizing and re painting it could be really nice. The ceilings in the lobby and dining room are so cool.

Hi Tim, me and my guy stayed in this hotel in Dec 2023 on the same floor as yourself but in opposite direction. Thinking back now it was a ok stay over especially the breakfast. Downsides was the springy/hard double mattress, frosted glass so we had zero view, very hot room, no bedside table's/no plug sockets near the bed. I did love the stained glass and decor of the ceilings and windows. I also liked the sound of the creaking floorboards. It was free to park too.

Blimey, that was probably the cleanest room you ever had in your reviews and the best hotel thus far!! Better than Pontins!!

I stayed in this hotel 12 years ago with a big group that had been booked in before Britannia had just taken the hotel over and it was awfull. When everyone went to get ready for the Saturday night the hot water supply was pumping out cold water.

Another top video pal 👍 Personally, didn't see too much wrong other than the issues you yourself pointed out. Have you ever stayed in a place called Green Gables in Scarborough? Now that's a place I'd love to see you cover 👀 The architecture is fantastic, but as for the rooms and amenities - that would be fun to see you review 😃

A comfortable bed is kind of basic for any hotel. If it fails on that score then I think the reviews may well be justified.

I've stayed there! We were there for two nights in 2020. My girlfriend hated it, though I didn't think it was too bad if memory serves... Great video as always!

Love the channel my man. Keep up the good work. These worse reviews are so interesting to watch

If they brought the rooms up to date and get the window frames sorted it would be a stunning hotel. The bee gees were in the charts when that furniture was new.

The size and complexity of these old grand dames must make them incredibly expensive to maintain. Without a consistently high numbers of guests I expect it is inevitably a downward spiral. No idea how UK seaside venues can compete with cheap overseas holidays

You should take a Dyson V6 cordless (not a sponsor) or similar and put it in your suitcase. When you get there whip it out and vacuum the floor to see how bad it is! Like I've said before on your other videos, if they would just spend a few quid on each room like buying a new mattress every 2-3 years and giving them a lick of paint once in a while, they would make for a much better experience.

I wonder if the hotel staff are starting to pick up on who you are, and gives you the better rooms

I've worked in the Britannia hotel in Brighton and it is awful, screws coming lose in the bed, hair both on bed and in bath, cracks in the bath as well so it often leaked down to the room below, curtains and windows dirty, leaks happened several times a week. They cleaned the mugs by just taking a cloth and wiping it out, you had to pay extra for WiFi, we had a smoking floor(they got around the law by saying the room is your own when you rent it or something) and we had over 20 rooms in the basement with no windows so if you booked a single room you most likely ended up there, at least on the weekends. And because it's a great location they still charged you crazy prices on the weekends. It was also bad for the staff, we were paid really poorly but had to deal with so much and didn't have breaks, you only had 15 min to gulp down the food quickly, if you were on your own you had to stop to help guests in-between. Because the pipes were so old, the water tasted awful so you had to always put so much ice in it to be able to drink it. It was just awful. It think you just got lucky with the room you got

Really enjoying your videos. Honest account and great quality for a one man show

There's a real pattern with Britannia Hotels - own some amazing old buildings and then seem to run them on an absolute shoestring. Not enough staff or maintenance to keep on top of them

Those are mattress protectors not toppers. They aren't designed to add comfort but just to try and prevent sweat and other fluid staining the mattress

Love your content, so cool and down to earth cant wait for next review

I was one of those that suggested you look at this one Tim. My reason was the Trip Adviser reviews and the state of the place at the side overlooking Gynn Square. I stay in the Moorings Hotel in Seafield Road and I walk past the Savoy every time I head for the tram stop. It looks in a right state, Having said that the public areas look very nice, I was very surprised. I seem to recall one time hearing it had the longest bar in Blackpool. Open to correction on that one though. Think I will stick with my hotel regardless :-) Many thanks.

That's just a mattress protector, not a topper, presumably there to prevent incontinence stains getting through to the matress!

Interesting. Looks almost luxurious compared to some of the other dumps you've reviewed!

Please do more of these! Absolutely love them

Love your videos Tim great work and keep it up mate 👍🏻

I can imagine some of these hotels were top shelf back in the day - its a shame they get let to go like this as they are very historic.

I think it’s the best Britannia hotel you’ve stayed at! The function rooms looked incredible! I’m guessing these big old places must have some big suites - be interesting to try a Britannia presidential suite!

Brilliant Tim, i loved the shining bit, made me laugh, absolutely fantastic video as usual, thanks for sharing 👍👍👍

Great Vid Tim really interesting I think a lot of people tend to overreact sometimes

Just looked up the cost of a room, people can hardly expect The Ritz at that price. Some bits look OK but the old windows would need £1000's to restore. Probably a rule of thumb, cheap accommodation in huge hotel then hotel has seen better days.

Have you tried brightons hilton? I went with my boyfriend and didn’t like it, luckily we got it on deal but I would never pay full price! I found a hair on the bed and a stain on a towel, there was a bit of grime around the sink, we got a lovely view of the car park as well lmao

Sorry only just got round to watching this on replay as I had a busy weekend house clearing a probate property. Anyway, I thought this was gonna be another Norbreck but I was pleasantly surprised. With one or two big renovations this could’ve be a real nice hotel. The draughty old windows need sorting but otherwise the bedrooms look ok. Hopefully I should be back soon with any lives or premieres, it’s just that I have been busy the last week or so. Enjoy the rest of your holidays.👍

Great video, the building is stunning. Could I be cheeky and ask if they did charge you for parking? 😉

Great video. Has the media in England ever gone after the owner of Britannia Hotels.

I stayed at this hotel a few years back omg it is poor over all. The room .bed ect all need re fitting .the worst bit is the restrant and food so basic it has to been seen to belive but the price shoild tell you some thing about what you are go to get. I am surprised Tim thinks over all its ok as his bed room was very poor and he do not eat or drink there. But it is cheep if you wamt first class service .food ect go to the Imperial it an old building but run well .you will pay more.

The "crinkly" building you see in the background at 1:24 used to be the Pembroke Hotel and was Blackpool's top hotel at that time. Since then it has been a Hilton and is now also a Britannia I believe.

I think a lot of people visit the hotels like this and Royal Bath in Bournemouth out of nostalgia. However saying that they are fantastic architecture from the victorian era that just need a lot of investment and TLC. If the owners modernise to get younger customers the buildings loose their appeal & the Savoy in Blackpool is in Blackpool. Under the current financial status people don't want to go there. I personally have stayed in a lot worse. Once I just stood by the window in my room a kept an eye on the Mrs sleeping it was so bad. She laid on the bed but I couldn't. When we left (early the next day) we found rat traps under the bed. It was in Finsbury Park London. If I can find the name out from the Mrs ill send it to you and Dare you to spend the night there. Love your videos 👍😊

Stained glass and ceiling’s looked amazing overall didn’t look to bad I have stayed in a lot worse.

Great video Tim, I’m in agreement it wasn’t nowhere near as bad as what I expected. I think we should take a spin on this and do best value for money stay in Blackpool. Only because I want to take my daughters up next month! 😉

I love watching these, all these hotels are just up the road from me so it’s interesting to see what’s lurking behind the grand doors 👀

I just found this channel love it !!

Just watched Tim! we were going to stay there but changed our minds as heard bad reviews. But tbh it doesn't look too bad. Because it's an old hotel obviously it's going to need updating at some point 👍

Hi Tim. Compared with the other worst rated hotels you have been the Savoy seems to be quiet good admitely there is a few links which need to be ironed out but overall it looks brillant.

Great video did you actually spend the night ? Me and the wife did wander . Keep them coming!

Lol just before you mentioned about The Shining that's exactly what I was thinking! Did you bring your trike Tim?! 😆

Imagine if it really was marble and the hotel put all their budget into the bathroom wall

I think it's in very good condition , maybe they are short on staff which is why some parts are not perfectly clean . Also the building so old they are prob limited by conservation rules on what way they can repair or replace windows /floors . I wouldnt have a problem staying there 🙂

Looks a nice place, you can see they have tried to make it decent. The only problem for me would be the mattress. I have stayed in many similar or worse places. People seem to be judges like four in a bed nowadays. If I stayed there it would be a three star minimum. The interior was lovely with great features.

I always used to use the glass glasses in hotels but then it occurred to me (or maybe I saw someone else mention it), that how can they be cleaned sufficiently by the hotel staff? Well what you should do is fill the kettle up to the maximum safe level as marked on the kettle (so that then that way you run the least risk of scum and scale coming out when you pour the water out), then pour the water into one of the cups ((all the way to the top), then do the same for the other cup (although if you'd have to pour the kettle more then 45 degrees you should refill it then boil it again and pour the water up to the top of the second cup and then leave both cups for a few hours). Better still if you have something that's heatproof and that can cover the entire opening of at least one of the cups then put that on top after pouring the boiling water in in order to keep the heat in for as long as possible :D

Maybe they'd finally do something about Britannia PLC if they took over the Savoy in London! Imagine if they ran the Savoy, Ritz and Dorchester!

Love these Hotel vlogs, Going Blackpool next month aswel, Luckily not this hotel haha 👍👍

Hi Tim, an honest review thanks. The lack of safety instructions is a problem though.

It reminds me of when I stayed in a hotel with my husband and family in Manchester for a wedding in 2009 called the Britannia Hotel too and it wasnt up to standard either. Our room had very worn out carpet and the bathroom was very shabby and its units were half broken. And some of the rooms didnt have windows which was odd. We had a room with windows though the whole hotel needed updating.

Nice one! Could you possibly do a review of the Grand Hotel in Blackpool? (ironically the hotel in shot at 1:23) It is also owned by Britannia but was owned by Hilton up until fairly recently so it would be interesting to see if the luxury feel of the Hilton has held up or whether it is now just the same as every other Britannia

Honestly it looks like what I would expect from an older "grand" hotel. I would likely stay there if the price was right.

Great honest review . I stayed at qa hotel in Malta and somebody stated the pool photo's were fake as pool was across the road!!!!! NO IT WAS AT REAR and very nice bar it had also

We stayed there just after the last lockdown ended. The room we had was nice it was alot more modern than that one. Even had a Jacuzzi bath! new carpets and fresh walls it looked nice was big aswell two small chairs, a separate bedroom for our little girl she loved it. Ours was clean, nice staff, quieter than rhe main parts near the tower & managed to bag a parking spot for free outside, Which is rare with hotels these days. It was warm when we stayed so couldn’t comment about the cold, im sure we slept with the windows open even. Never explored the hotel to be honest. We mainly just slept there and spent most the trip down by the main bit of blackpool. That lift was a pain though could barely fit a pram and our luggage but we liked it we said we’d stay again. Feel like alot of the hotels in that price range are the same round blackpool. Wouldn’t say it was terrible at all, i think they have been doing work to the rooms gradually. Possibly old reviews or people with too high expectations based on our stay id recommend it we would probably choose it again if we stayed in blackpool.