The Owner, Barbara Whalley, says their sandwiches are ‘excellent value for money’
A Blackpool hotel has argued that the pricing of their sandwiches is ‘excellent value for money’ after a guest slammed their cost as ‘outrageous’.
The Craig Y Don hotel, on Blackpool’s Central Promenade, is among the top ten hotels in the resort according to TripAdvisor. It ranks at #7 of 88 hotels on the travel website after 1,254 reviews left by previous guests – 963 of those reviews rate it as ‘excellent’.
There isn’t much the Craig Y Don doesn’t offer. They cater for all ages across their hotel, have a Sunset Cabaret Lounge, host bingo, cabaret and have a kid’s games room. They also operate a dine-in restaurant.
Owners are also quick to point out its sandwiches are ‘actually cheaper than Greggs’.
Many guests have praised the ‘brilliant’ hotel for a number of qualities including its central location, ‘comfortable’ beds and ‘friendly’ staff. User kim27070 rated it five-stars after her stay this month and added: “Had a brilliant time at this hotel the staff and entertainment was great.
“Neil was very friendly and could not do enough for you Cory on the bar was ace too and Keith in the dining room was A1 all staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms are kept clean and towels changed every day. Would definitely go back to this hotel again.”
A second user, Leslie M, called it a ‘great little hotel’ after her July stay. She explained: “We booked in on the day and Neil on the reception desk went out of the way to accommodate us. The staff were brilliant at all levels and very friendly from Keith in the restaurant to the hard working bar staff Michael and Stephan.
“The hotel was very clean in all areas and the food was excellent and of good quality for both the breakfast and 3 course evening meals. The live evening entertainment was also very good. To note they catered for children’s evening entertainment in a separate area leaving adults free to enjoy their break.
“The hotel is well located for all amenities on the sea front. I would not hesitate to rebook this hotel and will do so on our next visit to Blackpool.”
One guest who stayed at The Craig Y Don hotel in May ahead of the summer holiday peak left a not so glowing review. TripAdvisor user, Tony S, rated the hotel just one-star after his stay telling prospective guests he had a “dreadful room”.
Tony explained: “Refurb needed at this place our room no 41 was poor to say the least. Toilet seat hanging off wardrobe doors fell off and the whole place was furnished with he very cheapest and nastiest flat pack that looked as if a blind man had put together. Clean is the only way to describe this room and that’s all.”
Then, Tony turned to The Craig Y Don’s menu, slamming the bar prices – especially for sandwiches – as “outrageous”. He added: “Breakfast was ok staff were su0r [sic] and really tried. Bar prices especially for sandwiches was outrageous. Nothing more to say really only mind the step as you go in the front entrance they are covered with loose tiles.”
The Owner, Barbara Whalley, was quick to reply to the damning review where she defended the prices at the bar. She said: “Dear Guest, firstly you have to remember we are a 2 star hotel and you only have to read all our other reviews to realise that we surpass guests expectations.
“If there are any issues during a guests stay we would always endeavour to put them right but in this instance we think your comments are unfair and unjust.”
Firstly, Mrs Whalley cleared up the claims the bedroom required a refurb. She pointed out: “The room you stayed in does not contain flat packed furniture it was actually installed by a reputable local bedroom company and we have not has any other complaints about it ever.”
She explained that had the toilet seat been loose, staff would have been “happy to change it or tighten it”, but it wasn’t reported to reception. The same goes for the wardrobe, she explains, “again if you had reported it, maintenance would have adjusted it straight away.”
Mrs Whalley then turned to the claims bar prices – especially the sandwiches – were “outrageous”. She argued that they are actually “excellent value for money” as Greggs charge more. The cost of a sandwich at The Craig Y Don is just £2.50.
She said: “The price of a sandwich at £2.50 is excellent value for money especially for a hotel, we do believe even Greggs charge more. A pint of lager at £3.70 and a 175ml glass of wine at £4 at is lower than an average hotel.”
Mrs Whalley then explained that the loose tiles on the front entrance were part of a tile replacement delayed as the “rain stopped work”. She pointed out that a hazard tape was applied to the area until the builder could resume the works.
She added: “The hotel has undergone a huge refurbishment programme over the last 10 years, every area has been modernised, so we are not really sure why you would consider it to be dated and again the standard of the hotel is reflected in our numerous excellent reviews. If you would like to discuss any of these issues with our manager she would be more than happy to have you contact her.”
The Craig Y Don hotel is always open and their nightly rate for two adults is £103. In between bingo, you might find yourself with a bargain sandwich cheaper than Greggs.
- 05:30, 3 AUG 2022
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