An expert braved a mini tour of the UK’s ‘worst hotel chain’ properties and reportedly found a tissue in a kettle, scum in a pool, a view of an overflowing skip and mismatched, tired furniture were among the delights waiting to greet him
After a hotel chain was named the worst in Britain for the 11th consecutive year, a curious expert decided to investigate to see if things were really that bad at their numerous properties across the country in prime locations.
Britannia Hotels has consistently been awarded the dubious title of worst hotel chain in surveys conducted by consumer magazine Which? Many of its individual properties also have low to average scores on Tripadvisor where visitors have left scathing reviews.
Guest complaints include issues with cleanliness, tired furniture, poor service and barely edible food. It comes after a Brit abroad slams all-inclusive hotel food asking ‘what on earth is this?’
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Travel writer Gavin Haines wanted to see if the reports and findings were accurate and if things were really that bad on site. He stayed at three different hotels belonging to Britannia and it’s safe to say what he experienced certainly backed the research and reviews.
He had contacted Which? editor Rory Boland about the “abysmal” overall customer satisfaction ratings and was advised not to even bother visiting. “With over a decade of dismal reviews, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs,” he was told.
Despite this he braved a stay at the Royal Bath in the traditional coastal town of Bournemouth. The grand hotel has a rich history – it was opened in 1838 on Queen Victoria’s Coronation Day and was the first hotel in the town.
It is set in its own landscaped grounds with spectacular views out to sea, which, its dedicated wedding website claims, makes it the perfect spot for your special day.
However Gavin found the venue’s interior special in a very different way. “The mismatched furniture looks like it was sourced in haste from a house clearance shop and makes me feel homesick,” he writes in the Telegraph.
“While the views make me want to call the Samaritans (if we can reasonably describe a rusty air conditioning unit, some broken guttering and fag ends on an enclosed flat roof as views).”
He couldn’t even bring himself to make a brew to improve his experience because the kettle had tissue inside it, “for reasons I’d rather not speculate on”.
One of the Royal Bath’s selling points is its spa with a heated indoor pool, steam room and gym. Unfortunately this also let the side down with a reported “line of scum” clinging to the tiles in the pool.
On Tripadvisor, where the hotel has a 2.6 score out of 5, one recent review backed his slimy discovery. In July this year, one visitor was looking forward to a spa day with high tea that had been booked by a friend but was incredibly “disappointed” by what they encountered.
“The Spa and pool was shabby, dated with missing tiles and broken lockers,” they revealed. “Nobody was at the desk so we had to wait to be allowed in. The crescent shaped pool was full of kids and toddlers, a tiny jacuzzi and sauna which were full and there were not enough loungers to accommodate everyone and hardly creating a peaceful luxurious experience!”
The high tea was more of a low point as well with, “sweaty cheese and curling bread”. When it came to Gavin’s dining experience, he did note that there probably wasn’t anywhere else in the popular town where you could get a three course meal for £15 in such grand surroundings, but you “get what you pay for”.
In his case it was a rock hard bread roll, overcooked and undercooked (quite a feat) carrots in the beef stew and a glow in the dark dessert.
Unfortunately his nights at other properties in the group were on par. The “ironically named” Palace Hotel in Buxton (3 out of 5 on TripAdvisor), like the Royal Bath, is a beautiful old building in a classical style set in five acres of gardens.
Sadly he didn’t get to admire these out of the window of his room that was “so cold I didn’t want to get out of bed”. Instead he was met with the choice view of an overflowing skip and old furniture dumped in a grotty car park.
While other visitors were similarly disappointed with the hotel, with many on Tripadvisor complaining of dirty rooms with poor facilities, there were those who appreciated its faded grandeur: “This hotel has lots of character & charm, yes parts are dated but that adds to its beauty,” shared one.
Another agreed: “For me the grandness of the building and the aspect looking out of the town was wonderful. Room didn’t have a window – as a result I had the best night’s sleep – didn’t know what time it was! I’d visit again – can put up with a bit of outdatedness for the charm and style of the place.”
Meanwhile, Gavin’s not-so-magical mystery tour had more delights in store at the Grand Burstin, Folkestone (2.7 out of 5 on TripAdvisor). The hotel made headlines in 2022 when chunks of its facade blew off, plummeting below onto a coach in the car park. Two people were injured. The year before a family cut short their stay there and likened it to Fawlty Towers – the disastrous hotel in John Cleese’s classic comedy.
So Gavin probably arrived with some understandable fear and trepidation, which would have been entirely justified but here he was treated to rose petals in his room.
However it seemed these weren’t a romantic welcome token from a thoughtful housekeeper and instead, “had presumably featured in a recent low-budget dirty weekend”. The spa facilities here were described as “scuzzy” and evoked “verruca socks”.
With plenty of Tripadvisor reviews of the various properties calling out their tired appearance, there are also those that highlight improvements that have been made, especially at the Royal Bath.
Britannia has invested £1million there recently but it seems, as with a lot of its premises, it’s pot luck what room you are allocated. One horrified guest says they were given a “cheap, nasty and dinky” room without a window in the “stinking” East Wing. While on the flip side, another was reportedly allocated a “spacious” room with a sea view, despite not paying extra for it.
It’s a similar pattern at the Burstin. While the reviewer wasn’t at all impressed with his room, others had a very different experience. One returning guest was perfectly happy with their allocation in August this year. They wrote on Tripadvisor: “Another superb stay here. But this time an even better room with an even better perfect sea view. Room was lovely clean and comfortable Well done Grand Burstin.”
Another who was wary of what to expect after reading poor reviews shared: “I was pleasantly surprised by the hotel. Its not the Ritz or something flash and modern, it is what you pay for – a budget hotel.”
The Mirror has contacted Britannia Hotels for comment.
