The WORST RATED Hotel In The UK? Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- I stay at Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool owned by Britannia Hotels and it's the ninth consecutive year that Britannia has come bottom of the pile in the annual survey by consumer group Which?
It's received some very bad reviews on Tripadvisor and some bad press over the last 12 months, BUT is it as bad as some people say? Let's find out!
The chain has 61 hotels across Britain, including Blackpool’s Metropole Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool and Scarborough’s Grand Hotel.
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#Worstratedhotel #Blackpool
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WORST Rated Hotel in Scarborough 👉th-cam.com/video/N6AfNL-mfFU/w-d-xo.html
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Which one is worse out of these three?
@@katygaston8777 you tell me ?
New subscriber here, followed you via your Bridlington video, just been there today in the same spots, wasa lovely day and I have to say its not a bad little place to go walking. The sun was out and its nice enough to stop and chat with a stranger or two
I stayed here many many years ago and the staff & stay was really good. They provided us with a cot & extra clean bedding. I cannot believe how down hill it's really got.
Hi Tim stay in mircia guest house in SCARBOROUGH Everything is greqt rooms are great qnd in great location
Feels like such a shame when you see hotels that were clearly gorgeous in it's younger years but slacked on maintenance and boom, in need of a whole renovation.
yes but money is the issue
A bit like parts of the UK rail network.
LOL
Needs knocking down never mind renovation
Agree. Felt the same after the video on The Grand (Scarborough).
I guess world moved on and only the most desires of UK resorts (if any) can justify the upkeep of such a place?
It must cost an absolute fortune to maintain a hotel of that size and keep it clean.
Without large numbers of guests all year round I can see how they would fall into disrepair, especially when managed by a penny-pinching company that seems to do the minimum needed to keep the properties running.
Agree
That building is around 1920s when the tourism to British seaside was huge. Considering that flying abroad became affordable mostly 20/30 years ago, people prefer go to Italy or Spain or mediterranean countries. This Hotel does not have anymore that amount of tourism. So it's too big for its revenue, and the maintenance is too expensive. If I was the owner probably I converted into something else.
to what a kids play area lol
1920s seaside tourism was a small fraction of what it is today. Where do you get the nonsense about huge tourism in the '20s?
@@basylpeterjones it is non sense if you do not consider a long holiday (+ 1 one week). British now who want to go to holiday for annual leave rarely go to British seaside on summer. In 1920, it was the only option if you wanted have a sea holiday. Population in UK in 1920 was about 40 million, now 60 Million, but the offer is different. If you do the right proportions there is non sense at all.
The part about the phone made me laugh 😂
Tim I love your videos as they are so good 👍 keep up the great work.
Not surprised it's the Britannia chain hotel. Their hotel in Coventry is right next to the old cathedral and it's in worse shape than the Luftwaffe left the church in. Hubby and I stayed in one wing above the entrance plaza and we thought it very likely we'd come back to find our room had collapsed in on itself. Oh and it was February -- we were there for a regular bi-yearly convention -- and all but snowing outside, and the heating had packed in.
The food gave hubby the trots on one occasion. Luckily there was a Weatherspoons round the corner.
I'm surprised the Norbreck is still standing tbh.
they are doing the other side up
Booked 3 rooms for November..Dinner,Bed and Breakfast.2-4-1 at the bar.....4 people...2 nights...£320.....see what happens.
We used to stay in this hotel every year for our conference, it was well run and clean. The food was good as well. The last time was 38 years ago.
There's a theme emerging, Brittania is shorthand for badly run and maintained hotels.
I stayed at this hotel in the mid-2000s and it even felt dated back then! Not an awful hotel by any means but in desperate need of a big investment to modernise it.
wow
Argeed
At least the derelict petrol station in the grounds has been removed now.
Stayed here in 2006, was worst hotel I've ever stayed in, light hanging from ceiling by its wires, water running brown out of tap, mould, cigarette burns in furniture etc etc.
Wow
That guy dancing by the lifts at 15:50 !
lol
A imposing Building.. such a shame that lack of maintenance and cleaning let it down.
we went last month was a mess in the walkways but our room was spotless we had ground floor adapted room ,for what we paid was ok as we didn't intend to use it apart from sleeping ,the staff were very friendly couldn't do enough for us.
Interesting that they are modernizing parts of the hotel as Britanias business model seem to buy a hotel, do no maintenance, run it into the ground
Lol
It's the same as the one in Birmingham City centre. The puplic area is grand and beautiful but the halls and rooms are filthy.
Ahh the Norbreck. Definitely got character, the best thing was the sunsets x
Lol
Glad when I went to Blackpool in February I was staying in a premier inn. My mates were there and went to visit and made me glad I paid less for a nicer room. Awful hotel
wow
Blackpool has suffered more than most English seaside resorts, over the past couple of decades, from a severe drop in visitor numbers. Walking round the hotel, you passed only a handful of people! If they don't have enough paying guests to support the existence of such a large hotel, I can't see where the money would come from for the reinvestment needed to bring it up to a decent standard? Sad, but I bet it won't exist in its current form for very much longer! Great impartial review though😀
I know shame !thanks for the comment
There have never been any figures showing a drop in resorts' visitor numbers in the past two decades as you claim, with no evidence whatsoever. And you, again, have no reason to say Blackpool has a particular problem.
Visitor numbers have only been counted properly in the last few years, so it's not really possible to compare with the past on that basis. More has been known in the recent years from a statistical study using employment data.
@@basylpeterjones I have no evidence, no. But I have read articles that suggest Blackpool has suffered a downturn in the last two decades. Surely hotels like this would not exist in a thriving resort, and it is not the only down at heel hotel in Blackpool by any means? However, since Covid, it appears that visitor numbers are now steadily increasing as less people are holidaying abroad! I like Blackpool a great deal by the way, have spent many a happy weekend there.
My husband used to holiday there in the 70s and it was very posh.Fastforward to 2015 and we made the mistake of going back.We arrived and were greeted by a very long queue of people on hen party's and stag weekends.We paid over £300 for a weekend only to find out that the hen and stag parties paid £25 Per night.Moral of the story,never go back to a place you visited as a child you will be traumatised
good point
should I go
Absolutely not,we asked to be moved to another room because the disco was right under our room and ended up looking over the refuse collection site for the hotel which started up at 5am.
@@rosshempsall1985 yikes
It's mainly down to the disgusting lack of respect from guests that spoils the majority of hotels rather than the hotels themselves in my opinion. The mindset of "oh well I'm on holiday who cares where I dump my rubbish & chewing gum". Agreed the dampness needs addressing though.
Yes this you could be right
Please do the Adelphi hotel in Liverpool! Another grand hotel run into the ground by Britannia
;-)
your wish might be granted this week (march april)
Britannia Hotels say no more, as your grandma would say, ‘fur coat and no knickers’ may look ok from the outside but, look under the surface and, leaves a lot to be desired, ugh!
Lol
I live Blackpool wyre fylde area and this hotel has been in desparate need of investment with refurbishment, redecorating and sorting out of food and facilities for all to do in the hotel.
I've watched over the decades it go from a lovely place into the mess it has become & the reviews it gets are bad.
It's so sad to see this every day and wish britannia who own this would actually do some investment in the Norbreck or sell it on to someone who would.
They also own the metropol and think they may own the Blackpool hotel (the old Hilton)
I know I used to love that hotel
Tim, please do The Hylands Hotel in Coventry…. Shocking!
I'll take a look
Wow Tim. That is some hotel that is in need of attention. How long did it take from reception to your room? Great advantage if there was a fire you did not have to go.
Lol yes it took a good few minutes
You should come to Scotland and go to a hotel called the Dalgair House in Callander, me and my partner stayed there for a weekend and we were appalled at the state of it the room was very dated and the beds were uncomfortable, and when we are in the bar having a meal and a drink we were pestered by flies 😡
Biggest concern I would have in staying in this hotel would be the lack of fire exits, proper fire doors, and dead end corridors . . . a miracle this hotel hasn't had a major fire.
It's too damp to start one lol
Really? I have never once looked for emergency exits or fire extinguishers in any hotel. But hey, maybe in weird (but i don't think i am)
I’ve stayed here as an agency Nurse when working at A&E in Blackpool for a month. I stayed in the better part as I’d explained to the staff why I was there. The staff on reception were great. I paid for a single room but I got a double with sea views. I always took my own bottom sheets x2 and single duvet, pillow and slept on top of the bed! My own towels and travel kettle, cup spoon tea bags and milk. My uniforms were ironed at home so everything in my big suitcase. There’s a nice cafe owned by a Christian family a couple of miles from the hospital. I’d eat there each morning, sleep , shower go to work. The M&S in Blackpool hospital had fruit and food which I’d buy and eat on break at work. I only stayed for a couple of weeks until a nurse colleague offered me a room at her house. But the Norbreck was ok. Clean and where I was, refurbished. During the summer when I was working, the people were diamonds in the rough. Very pleasant, kind and helping me with my bags. I’ve never had such respect as a Registered Nurse as I did at the Norbreck. The offers of help, the kind staff who made my stay as comfortable as possible, the polish cleaners who took pride in their work for little to no thanks for it. All I have are nice memories for which could have been a bad experience. So thank you Norbreck staff as people do take holidays there and travelling Nurses who work in hospitals in Blackpool, Preston, Lancaster etc use Blackpool as a base. Your video brought back memories of 2018!
Just travel with sleeping bag.
@@flybobbie1449I wanted my home comforts, pillow blankets etc… but yes a sleeping bag would have been easier!! 😂
It makes me so sad that Britannia are buying these beautiful buildings and running them into the ground.
they are doing some work
The land is where the money is. That’s why Britannia buys these places.
The problem is, who else would run it? Many of these hotels would be boarded up by now and left to rot a lot quicker. Some of the hotels are listed buildings, so it's not just about land.
They do seem to be investing in renovations in these places but it takes time and money. Britannia doesn't itself run then into the ground....they buy them cheao because they alreaady are.
These grand hotels are no longer fit for purpose.
I always think that it would be a good idea to mothball a part of these hotels and block it off to guests. That way you only have to concentrate on the parts that are open so it's much more manageable for the staff.
The mothballed parts can then progressively get renovated, when time and money allows, into such things like a music venue, a wedding venue that can be separated from the rest of the hotel, or more rooms if/when the hotel starts to gather a better reputation.
But to leave the whole thing open is evidentially unmanageable.
I was thinking that when looking at the Grand in Scarborough, then I thought about life before TV and realised it is actually people that aren't fit for purpose and the building is fine. I wonder how a 'golden age of travel' hotel, where you would be expected to do without your gadgets and attend afternoon events in the event spaces, dress for dinner etc would go down as a novelty holiday?
@Wake Vulture I was thinking about using the building as it was meant to be used not going on holiday lol
I live not far away and pass this place most days.
Whilst in theory, a good idea, the fact is that, believe it or not, it very often is completely full.
National Holidays alone can have anything from four to eight 53 seater coaches outside some weeks and weekends. So do the maths there for example.
So, as I say, in theory an excellent idea, but it would be difficult to mothball areas when they are quite often desperately needed.
Brittania own two other large hotels to the south of Norbreck. They’re both budget hotels, but not quite as bad as the Norbreck. I think they’re just happy to keep this one as a super budget hotel. The place gets absolutely rammed, so it’s working for them.
@@cathunter3874what?
I've worked in hotels for nearly 20 years, so seen a few in that time. Ones like the Grand in Scarborough are worth saving from a historical/architectural point of view, but many others I think should either be converted into apartments or demolished.
Traditional tourism in UK seaside towns has been diminishing for decades and some of these old hotels are just too big to manage/maintain.
I've worked in Jersey, Channel Islands for the last 5 years, which is generally very upmarket. Even there, a lot of hotels have been closing down or being converted in the last two years. Sign of the times!
Anyway, very much enjoying your videos. Only came across them last night. The Gibraltar one was fantastic! I went there years ago, what a place!
Thanks Harry .. yes I love Gib
Blackpool has been in decline for years. It's a dump
@@mollywalker5790 I still love it
Put dingy divers in there?
@@bertiewooster3326 we don't flipping want them. No no no no there is already one hotel full of them here.
I'll never understand how the basics like simply hoovering a carpet are ignored. Brittannia Hotels should be ashamed. I'll never understand how they are able to run a beautiful building like this into the ground, when it should be a shining light. Very sad. Oh and whoever chose that carpet needs help! 🤣
Lol
They could spend millions renovating it and hiring more staff, but travel and holiday culture has changed so much that they'd never get enough customers to pay for it, so yeah it's a money pit that's almost literally being held together by duct tape.
They don't have enough staff to keep on top of the cleaning needed for a building that size, and they can't afford to hire more staff without putting the prices up, which will drive people elsewhere.
There must been several square miles of carpet in that building.
I stayed here with a friend a few years back and was appalled. People can say things like 'For £30/£40 a night what do you expect?' But I've stayed at private B&Bs in Blackpool for around the same and their places were spotless. Dated/old fashioned decor, furnishings, etc don't bother me at all, but there's no need for such a basic lack of cleanliness or allowing things to decay to the point where they become a hazard. I'd be embarrassed to work at this hotel!
good point Freya
I agree in general but the problem is, to maintain a building that size to a high standard costs a huge amount of money, and the money required is not going to be raised by selling rooms on the cheap. Problem is, if they charge the prices necessary for decent maintenance, they won't get enough customers, since they would be outpriced by cheap package holidays to the Med. A bit of an unsolvable problem caused by the fact that times have changed.
I agree. I would prefer to pay a little more and at least get a clean room, comfy bed etc. I think that's a basic right. We booked a two night stay at a cheap hotel in Nice , France but it said it had an en suite bathroom and Aircon. When we arrived the lift was out of order, there was no ensuite bathroom, no Aircon and the bedroom though clean looked like a room they take you when you are kidnapped, bed, set of drawers with a mirror propped on them. We spoke to the manager , showed them the paper booking paper and said what do we expect for the price, we said what it says here. He refunded us and we got another hotel around the corner for £20 a night more that was as advertised. It's such a shame. It does look like with Norbreck they are slowly trying to update it and being a 1950/60's hotel on the seafront it's not going to take the 9 months of British winter that well.
the people working may not have anywhere else to go to work.
I don’t mated dated decor as long as it’s clean. I’ve stayed in B&Bs that are like a 1970s time warp but at least they’re were clean. But when they’re dirty that’s where I draw the line.
Absolutely disgraceful Brittania hotels need to be closed not upto standard any off them , millionaire owner needs to address this poor standards !
agree
I stayed here with my parents and family in 1990 and 1991. It was a palace! 12 foot snooker table, table tennis and resident artist of whom I still have his paintings. It was the best hotel in Blackpool I'm sure at the time. Only negative to me was it's distance from the Pleasure Beach! We used to stay in The Mayville, St. Chads, The Queens, The Viking, all great places and The Norbreck was a class above at the time. So sad to see the decline.
Blackpool and Skeggy (Skegness) are two of the biggest examples of the disrepair and disuse British seaside towns got when cheap flights to continental Europe started to happen in the 70s and 80s. And honestly, with the utter lack of care and respect now shown I can’t blame people going abroad
I still love both lol
You missed out Bridlington, another shit hole
Good thing that y'all got Brexit now. Stay home and support your local seaside.
skeggy is far better then blackpool
There was no fall in the fortunes of British resorts after cheap flights came. Skegness has very massive tourism for a small town in a rural area - higher than it's ever been, and, as the old slogan goes, about Blackpool: More holiday beds than Portugal, more visitors than Greece. You've picked on Blackpool and Skegness for no other reason than you, and many others, dislike them. And it's tiresome.
Stayed in here myself multiple times. Significant difference from the first to the last. Our room last January was so cold we had to call my grandfather who lives in Thornton to bring us sleeping bags and the shower collapsed on my mother and left her with a gash and many bruises. It is a shame as the staff are lovely, accommodating and quite clearly are struggling to do their best with few facilities. It’s a shame.
Such a shame that so many hotels are suffering! The Norbreck was originally a large country house in the 1860s. Thanks for visiting and letting us see inside!
I didn't know that
Stayed there as a child in the late 60's a couple of times with my parents. I think it was called the Norbreck Hydro back then and it was the grandest hotel in Blackpool. Such a shame to see it's demise.
I know 😶
"Balmoral, sounds posh" - Remembering the old Balmoral pub in Newcastle, one of the roughest bars going. Doesn't give me posh vibes 😂
You are incredibly brave to stay in these places. The nose pick and pubic hair would have sent me out screaming. I hope your channel grows to expose these hotel chain slumlords. Aren’t there safety laws in place for hotels? Mold should shut a hotel down.
the other side of the hotel looks better
I think Tim is doing a good job in highlighting these dumps in a round about ways by videoing them and posting here.
I stayed here last year after my friend booked without reading reviews. I stood in reception to watch the complainers, it was very entertaining. 42 cars had their catalytic converters stolen from the car park overnight, an elderly couple were threatened by other guests, the drawers fell apart when I tried to open them. Mine is one of the terrible reviews.
Breakfast wasn’t bad.
Omg
Theft In Blackpool is mad! Last time I went to Blackpool, they stole my train ticket home and I feared I would never escape the place.
Too many druggies were housed in Blackpool hotels as part of the housing issue.
You should try that gay hotel - they dont have locks on some of the doors - but leave the light on when you go to sleep if your a bit fussy - if you get my meaning
My ex got his passport and phone stolen, his own fault, he fell asleep at a bus stop 🚌
Very interesting video Tim. Part of the problem is that the hotel is so big it would take an army of cleaners and maintenance people to keep it clean and maintained all year round and that just isn’t viable. It must have been a wonderful place back in it’s heyday. Such a shame 🙂
Yes I'm sure it was
I was thinking the same they need plenty of staff and these days hotels are struggling to get staff, i have stayed there a few years ago i did not find it too bad, apart from the scramble at breakfast in the dining room which really was a free for all...The entertainment was great in the evening cannot fault that, it looks a very impressive hotel from the outside.
I think the problem is people not keeping on top of it. If you're charging good money for a room you can employ the people to do it and maintain the place, the more you drop your prices, the less you can afford to do and the hotel just falls in to disrepair, like this one has.
Once you're at £25 a night it's very difficult to invest money and make it a more upmarket place.
@@technicalscience and the sad fact is that in an era of cheap flights it's hard for seaside towns in northern England to compete with warmer climates like Spain and south France (or even the south coast of England).
@@technicalscience They would have been forced to drop the prices to £25 a night due to a lack of bookings when the prices were higher. I've stayed in a b&b in Blackpool for £10 a night.
A family member of mine worked here for many years.. some of the rooms she had to clean was disgusting. And she only had 10 mins to clean each one, didn't matter if she was cleaning sick, or other bodily fluids. The room had to be clean within 10 mins and beds made. Sometimes she would go into the bathroom and someone had Vomited up the wall, or human waste all in the toliet and up the walls. Ugh
Omg
Yeah, I must admit some people don't help matters by not reporting that they broke something or they messed the bed after drinking too much instead they just leave and let others find it much like the lazy sod who couldn't keep hold of that crisp packet.
You make a good point. I took to cleaning rooms for a chain hotel at a service station between jobs and we were allowed just 15 mins per room to do everything from changing the bedding to cleaning the bathroom, wiping down all surfaces, changing towels, replenishing comp trays, putting stuff away, it was exhausting. And you had to take shortcuts. If a towel looked like it hadn’t been used, you left it. You swilled out mugs under the tap to save time changing them out. And no one had time to make sure they used the right colour cloth for the toilet and sink. It’s a grim job with crap pay, and no one ever says thank you.
Went to Blackpool last year for the first time ever. Within 15 minutes of getting off the train I witnessed a woman shitting in the street, two guys in their pants fighting and an attempted mugging. It's a fucking cesspit all round.
omg
That's only one part of it. We've been a few times in Blackpool (we live nearby) and it's getting worse year after year. Such a shame
That would happen *anywhere* if it was as neglected and poor as modern day Blackpool. It’s fucking sad. Britian has a tendency to only mentain posh culture everything else is left to rot.
Why did you take all your family?
After living here for all my life, I can surely say that Blackpool as a town is amazing. But the people let it down. The amount of chavs, benefit scroungers and drunk drugged up morons fighting each other in the street is insane.
A shame to see another hotel I went to over a decade ago get run into the ground. It was really nice when I was there back in 2009.
i was born ln 2009
Stayed here in 2019, we were in different wing, but the stairs were wonky, our room had been painted, but wasn't dry, and the food so inedible, we had pizza hut. When we walked along the corridor past the restaurant, everyone had a dominos. The best bit was making friends with a seagull. 😂😂😂
lol
It is very sad to see the demise of these grand old buildings,but there is NO excuse for them to be so grubby ! Ty Tim 🎉
Such a shame these grand, beautiful landmarks are in such disrepair. Stateside we have loads of run down motels, but they are by the large on old highways built 20s-60s before the interstates made their roads obsolete.
agree
The crisp packet might have been left to see if its been cleaned, i used to clean offices and the staff would plant things to make sure we were cleaning correctly x
Hi Tim, It was built as a manor house in 1869, this is why it is so impressive in many parts. The last time i stayed there was around 1990, it was filthy then. You could just imagine the original inhabitants looks on their faces seeing it now.
When I was a kid (50 years ago), this was the poshest hotel in Blackpool. Now it's kind of a reflection of modern Britain.
wow
Couldn't agree more
NO! It’s a reflection on Britannia Hotels. Of course some of the chav animals which infest our country are not blameless for the things they do in hotels or on the street. Pigs.
In what way?
@@basylpeterjones Britain was Great...
Great video. I went to this hotel a few years back, & to be honest I still have nightmares about it, the room hadn't been cleaned since the Victorian times & the window (single glazed) wouldn't shut properly & it was a proper Bpl gale outside we reported it but nothing was done, it's far to big & grand. I totally avoid Brittannia Hotels.
Oh wow!
Stayed here on a coach trip about four years ago - my room was in the older part of the building where the reception is located. The place is enormous, around 500 rooms, I believe, and desperately in need of investment. My own experience of it was reasonable. The room was clean, and I don't envy the job the cleaning staff must have trying to keep on top of it. The food was pretty good, and I can't fault that. It must've been so grand decades ago! Read somewhere that the government requisitioned the hotel and shipped a load of civil servants here from London during the war, due to the sheer size of the place being able to accommodate them.
good points mate Ian
Talking of thin walls, I remember once about 9 years ago going to a hotel and didn't get there till late due to delays in trains, I sat down in my room with my friend I was sharing a room with and we just commented on the room to hear the person in the next room hit the walls (because we were too "noisy" we were quiet for a few minutes and put the tv on at a low volume and the person again started thumping on the walls and I could hear a muffled obcenity! Sure the walls were thin but some guests think people shouldn't make a noise. The next morning I heard their tv on full blast at 7am and them having a long conversation till around 9am. Cheeky beggars!
wow
Almost an identical situation happened with us. I remember a woman in the adjacent room, during their "proceedings", begin to howl. Literally howl. "AWOOO-WOOOO-Woooo-woooo!"
It's a shame. It's a classy, vintage looking hotel that's been allowed to fall into disrepair. The rooms need sound proofing too.
yes they do!
I totally love your videos. Would be great if while driving/walking up you gave us a little history of the building. Built in, built by, what type of people stayed there in its hay day, perhaps the industry of the town had been a hugely affluent city (like the Liverpool one) but as the industries closed the town declined and there wasn’t such need for such a grand hotel. I know its not a history show but would be really good to have some context as to why each hotel has had to evolve from clearly something so grand to having arcade machines in the lobby. But again thank you for these really fabulous videos.
good tip thanks
Bless you Tim. Again it’s not meant to be a history lesson so hope you didn’t think I was taking out of turn. Still FABULOUS
Your videos are so informative, and unbiased. I love the effort you put into them. As a child holidaying in Blackpool I always wanted to stay here but never did, probably too dear back then lol.
Glad you like them! why not subscribe too Carol its free ;-)
I guess there's some accounting games being played. Run it to a price (ie don't spend a cent), get the taxpayer to pay for the renovations when the time comes...
Maybe accountants could chime in to better explain?
Who knows
Nooooooooo
Lol I left a long review on trip advisor about this place basically me and my two kids paid very little for a weekend away and includigg be breakfast. Yeh the hotel was shabby but the staff attentive, food endless and we used it as a base to sleep whilst we wandered into Blackpool. The Ritz it ain’t but if you want a Ritzy hotel pay Ritzy prices lol 👍
Looking forward to this one🥸
I always give light and shade .. so yes wait till you see it
I stayed in this hotel a lot of times towards the end of my grandparents lives in the early to mid 90s, it was going downhill badly then as they were spending far too much money trying to compete with a couple of other hotels in the town for the few senior couples that still saw Blackpool as a couples getaway location with everything in house and seemingly trying to avoid families and the weekend drinking parties. Indeed the conservatory which is now where the entertainment was was the great investment back then for all the old folks to sit and while away the day drinking tea in, with the pool and rooms really suffering from lack of upkeep. They seemed to realise their mistake sometime in the 00s just as the 'convention' scene was kicking off and switched the ballroom over to more of a venue that was rented out. It actually looks quite a bit nicer than it did at the turn of the century, but the lack of exterior upkeep on half the building means it should have long been torn down.
Wow thanks for sharing
I stayed at the Norbrek Castle Hotel a few times over the years, mainly when Star Trek conventions were held there. The first one was Frontiers 1990 (before the refit) this was before the refit. The rooms were in a terrible state with thread bare carpets and furniture that looked as if it came from a charity shop! The next time I stayed there was at the Sol III Trek convention 1995 (this was after the refit) and the hotel was barely scraping by! And the last time I stayed at the hotel was at the Wolf SG-4 Stargate convention in 2004. My stay there was marginally better but not by much. But my 1990 stay, the attendees at the convention called the hotel, Castle Norbretski and likened the place to a POW camp!!! It was that bad....
I remember staying at the Norbreck in 95 for the Sol 3 trek convention. I met Dwight schultz there. It was actually the nicest hotel I'd stayed in, not actually stayed in many and didn't really take much notice of tge state of it, but I did enjoy my stay in 95.
Fat lot of use for disabled guests…
Thank God I have got a little hotel
£25 pppn for B&B!
And if you don’t like a witty and sarcastic comment don’t stay there…
A word to David, I had a lovely stay back in October and can’t wait to come back for a short break (to see Joe Pasquale @ The Grand Theatre in May)
Breakfast is 1.5 rashers of bacon, a sausage, beans or tomatoes, hash brown and fried or scrambled egg, pre emptied by juice and cereal, followed by as much toast, butter and jam or marmalade as you like!
I’m keeping this little gem under my hat though… suffice to say it’s in Reads Avenue so central for ALL events throughout the day and night!
wow
The overheads for a hotel of that size must be ginormous! Including cleaning, maintenance, etc. Can't imagine they make a profit...
They must be doing something right
Its funny that you mention that, I'm a student accountant so I decided to have a nose at their books. There are 3 shareholders of the company. They get over £120 million in income and after overheads and tax the profit they made was just over £10 million in 2020. between 3 people aint bad.
It seems to be a running theme that the Britannia hotels have so much potential! I imagine they all face the same problem - I can only assume they are listed buildings which really restricts the maintenance work that can be undertaken. Anything that will compromise the original structure of the hotel will most likely be prohibited. Unfortunately it’ll take more than new carpets to bring this former beauty up to scratch.
True
I stayed there, we had to go to reception about 3 times because they'd stuck us in the same room as someone else, which we discovered when we opened the wardrobe and it was full of clothes and laptops.. They really struggled to change it.
wow
Well what can you expect from a brittania hotel?
Hi I have heard that for yrs its a dump, you would think it would make sense to close of a chunk of it and concentrate on sorting the other bits then re open the closed part and fix that. Seems a shame to let it go like that. Keep up the good work thanx 👍
Thanks Linda
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE BRITANNIA GROUP! Why don’t they get there act together beautiful hotel in such need of abit of TLC. Lovely place inside but the rooms and dirtyness let it down. I was watching your Pontin’s vlog the other night I cannot believe people stay in such filth. We all work so hard for our money 💰
Very true
I used to work here decades ago. It was never aimed at being the finest hotel in Blackpool but it was far cleaner than it is these days. The catering team was one of the best in Blackpool and they spent a lot of money on kit.
After watching this video I have to ask "what are people complaining about?" £25 for a single room for the night??
Good value
You should see the rooms that Coach Drivers get. Yours was luxury compared to what we got
wow
Another company needs to get hold of this hotel
Hi Gaby hows you ?busy mam ,with Casper,see you on your channel soon
the Gaby Starbuck Co?
very soon
@@andymullaney1594 yeah he keeps me busy lol.. gonna go live this week x
I stayed at the norbreck 15-17 of this month and the room I was in was really clean.
Thank you, see told everybody it’s a lovely hotel.
Good video Tim. I remember when they constructed the conservatory at the front and it was very impressive at the time, which I think was about 1996. I was working with a company there that did some of the finishing touches.
Went to do a site visit here about 6years ago for a potential conference where everyone would have stayed. Immediately our company said no we can’t bring delegates here. We didn’t stay, just looked at some rooms. I think our venue finder suggested it because it’s so big and was well in budget
The running costs and upkeep of such a huge hotel must run into the millions every year. I'm surprised its still operating. Obviously it was profitable back in the glory days.
they must be doing something right as the guests keep on coming back
@@WalkWithMeTim sometimes bad advertising can be good for business...unfortunately
@@WalkWithMeTim A place like that is good for people who want a cheap place to stay and don't have high expectations for the price. For me personally, if I can get a good nights sleep and a few reasonable meals, I can overlook a few stains and worn decor.
The best hotel in Blackpool is the boulevard hotel ! Would be a 5 star hotel if it had a pool 🎢
Or big blue
I stayed here a couple of years ago. Seemed ok (By cheap budget Blackpool standards). The main problem was at 3am when the fire alarms went off, and the 100+ guests had to evacuate. The 2 staff were clueless as to the correct procedures, and eventually everyone wandered back to bed having had no updates. Bloody dangerous!
wow
Stayed here during Rebellion fest August 4 thru 9 2022 as it was the only hotel that wasn't booked in the area. The indoor heated swimming pool was nice along with Jacuzzi, nice work out gym and sauna. You aren't going to stay in your room that much. You have an entire beach and sea front to enjoy. The part of the hotel where you were trash talking about wasn't even occupied as it's under remodeling. They had small rooms but clean, nice restaurant, good breakfast, nice bar. Three miles from winter gardens and you catch the tram right out in front. You didn't mention the prices. About 80 Quid per night for a double room. The phone did work if you dial zero to reach the front desk so you lied about that and over exaggerated. There were no vacancies after I arrived as cheer leading teams were having competitions. It's very family friendly, kid friendly, but also has two nice bars with pool tables for adults. Clean towels were in abundance. Also had a nice patio with many tables to sit out in front and enjoy the awesome warm weather.
@Paul Yoxy I've stayed at worse. If someone claims to be doing a review then they should do it accurately and thouroughly ...don't leave out important info just because you don't like it.
I stayed at the hotel recently and it was really good, better than some B&B’s i’ve stayed in over the years
I have stayed in the Norbrrck a few times for Irish festivals in the very large room accomadating 800 people in the past great top Irish acts foster and Allen etc no problems much enjoyed food ok make sure you stay in Windsor wing sea view much nicer at the Far end of the hotel pay more get better ,,,good review
This hotel had a major problem with rats and mice in the kitchens and food poisoning spanning from the 1980's through to the 90's. It used to be the most expensive hotel in Blackpool but it changed hands and became the dirtiest. I can't believe its still going.
My apartment has the same bathroom shower pipe sounds in my bedroom. I can hear when someone above me uses the shower and the pipes get activated. I’ve gotten use to it but It can happen anytime and sometimes it scares the poo right out of me 😂😂
I stayed in the Grand in Scarborough last week and loved it. Lovely room, mega quiet, fresh paint and new carpet everywhere I went in the hotel and a fab breccy. This place on the other hand really needs a load of love and investment and no way would I stay there. Such a shame as the potential for that hotel is immense. Come on Britannia, give this place the love and care it clearly deserves. Thanks for this Tim, you have definitely showed me WHERE NOT to stay in Blackpool.
The other side of the hotel looks better
@@WalkWithMeTim The state of the un vaccumed floors was unforgivable.
Thank you for doing the review Tim top man! Also just to let you know that scaffolding as been up since 2015 😂
LOL
No way lmaooooooo
I've been making stops and visits to England since 1977 and there's never been a time there wasn't massive scaffolding *everywhere*. Post war to current day, you adjust I guess. Btw this place is a DUMP, I wouldn't stay here for free... 🇺🇲 🇬🇧 peace ✌ 🙏
I’ve stayed there a few times and it was a brilliant hotel. Room was clean food was 10/10 would deffo stay again
stayed here In one of the largest rooms was actually ok but the rest of the hotel was crumbling and very dated.
the worst hotel in blackpool has to be the Colonial Inn. that was horrible and there were drunk people on the stairs, Stains on the beds, the sealing was caving in and there was even a used condom on the floor. Hopefully that place has shut down. (Was rated as a 3 star hotel and paid 360ish for 4 nights.
which side?
A friend of mine got married at the Norbreck Castle about 10 years ago. It included ceremony, meal for ~40 guests, then afterparty with hot buffet and DJ. All told, they paid £800
Wow bargain
It's like something from the shining lol...... Here's Johnny!!!!! Lol
Lol
As someone who stayed at this hotel on multiple occasions I can quite honestly say it is nowhere near as bad as what people write I think a lot of people seem to think that 25 quid or 30 quid he’s going to get them the five star private suite at the Ritz it’s not what it’s going to get you it is a warm half decent hotel with a decent breakfast in the morning and that’s not only at this hotel that’s at the majority of them throughout England
Good point but the stairs and corridor had not been hovered
Just had a quick look up and the hotel originally started live as a private house in 1869 and then in 1912 turned into Norbreck Hydro which expanded into what we have today in around 1939. So yes the building is old and will suffer with damp if it’s not had major renovations to the structure of the building. The part you said looked nicer must have been either had some major renovation work carried out or it was a new part as the stairs sounded like wood where the part you was in the stairs was solid so probably the older part of the hotel. But wow nice building it just need a lick of paint in places but all this cost money and as people stop spending we will see the low end of the hotel chains like these cutting down on maintenance. Which will sadly lead to most hotel of this age losing more appeal to the public as they get more dilapidated. It’s how some of these great architectural looking buildings end up abandoned. And great vid again I’m finding these interesting just so I can see around some of these old hotels and buildings. And what state some of these places are like. I can’t say the name but used to work for a company that also used one of the hotels you featured for its quest. Bad I wouldn’t have stayed there and if I had chance go over old customer complaint letters again I would side with them. And me drivers.
Agree
shock horror its a brittiana hotel, they have some incredible building under their company and they're letting them all fall apart
Lol
Stayed here a few years back for my son's football tournament. The organisers enforced teams to stay at this hovel. First night we slept in the car and went home a night early. I'd rather spend a night at HMP Strangeways.
wow
Anyone know the music used from 1:20 onwards? (and why it sounds so familiar?)
That's a great review of the Norbreck Castle. I stayed back in 2016 and quite frankly just made the best out of it. The 1st room we were given was in a dire state and we even found blood spots in the tiles in the bathroom. But... it was cheap! It looks like they've been improving things since our stay as the communal areas look a lot better than they did when we stayed.
blood stains but cheap lol makes you think what has gone on in the bathroom
@@WalkWithMeTim My thoughts exactly.... that's why we asked for another room! They obliged and moved us to a much larger room.... but in that room the carpet was crunchy... so glad I took slippers. What is it with Britannia and Best Western Hotel groups... why do they have to seemingly run hotels into the ground?
I mean I think it's just the tale of the British Seaside town in general, fallen into a state of disrepair since air travel to hotter parts of the world became cheap. Maybe we will start to see a resurgence now that holidays abroad have become significantly more expensive/difficult to arrange with all the corona
maybe we also need to market these places to tourists in general, I think many do London, Edinburgh and maybe the highlands and then think they've done the UK
£25 a room is a rare sight these days! Premier Inn and even Travel Lodge have crept up to £50 or £80 in most cities
Travel Lodge £24 today
@@tonidewonderful4187nig
You know, you think places like Blackpool are just dying a slow death. I used to think that about Liverpool 10 years ago. But recently with a bit of investment it looks so much better.
Blackpool has been neglected for a lonnngggg time it’s a common theme in northern cities and towns I think. Maybe someone will invest in Blackpool one day and revamp it. It’s history is pretty cool and surely all that stuff will come into fashion again with staycations because of covid that’s still an ongoing crisis.
Good points
Thanks Tim. Very' illuminating' :-). Looks like the Norbreck should shut down one half of the hotel for a complete refurbishment. Who knows? One day it might reach its former glory. Savoy next? Don't think that one is as bad though.
Lol
Thanks Tim yes that was very interesting you did look as though you were in the worst side of a hotel and there is nothing worse than noisy room but it didn’t look overall too bad The one thing I wouldn’t want to pay is the electricity bill the mind boggles
I know crazy
*THIS GUY NEEDS TO GO TO DETROIT OR PHILADELPHIA AND SEE THE TRUE MEANING OF 'WORST HOTEL'*
omg