Chain behind Blackpool’s infamous hotels voted worst in UK for tenth year

Britannia owns four hotels in Blackpool and four sites in nearby Southport

The hallway of the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool (Image: LancsLive)

The chain behind some of Blackpool’s most infamous hotels has been voted as the worst in the UK for tenth year in a row.

Britannia’s hotels were rated just two stars out of five for categories such as cleanliness, bed comfort and value for money in the annual survey by consumer group Which?. It received an overall customer satisfaction score of just 56%.

Britannia has 61 hotels across the country – including Norbreck Castle, the Grand Hotel, the Metropole and the Savoy in Blackpool. It also owners three hotels in Southport – Scarisbrick Hotel, Royal Clifton Hotel and Prince of Wales Hotel – as well as the Southport Pontins site.

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Which? reported that guests described their surroundings as “tired and tatty”, with a “rough and ready” feel.

The joint second worst hotel chains were Mercure and Jurys Inn/Leonardo, which both scored 58%. The ranking was topped by Premier Inn, with 78%.

Respondents to the survey paid an average of £89 per night for a Premier Inn stay, compared with £119 at a Britannia hotel.

The ranking of 35 chains was based on almost 4,500 hotel stays by nearly 4,500 consumers in the 12 months to August. The average cost of UK hotels has increased by 21% in the past 12 months, according to the research.

Guy Hobbs, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “With a decade of dismal reviews cementing its place as one of the UK’s worst hotel chains, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs.

“With the average price of a UK hotel stay now costing a fifth more than it did last year, travellers want to be sure they are getting the best possible experience for their money.

“Our results show that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, and many respondents reported fantastic stays with brands including Premier Inn and smaller chains like Warner Hotels.”

Britannia did not respond to a request for comment by PA.

Jurys Inn said it received “high satisfaction scores” from more than 213,000 guest reviews so far this year. Mercure said the Which? survey “does not reflect the standard of guest experience which we strive for”.

  • 09:59, 9 NOV 2022

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