I Return To The WORST Rated Hotel? - The Grand Hotel Scarborough

It's had over 4,000 terrible reviews on Tripadvisor, Has this amazing grand old seaside hotel got any better since I last visited? owned by Britannia Hotels and it's the 10th 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 and Norbreck Castle, and Scarborough’s Royal Hotel.
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#Worstratedhotel #scarborough

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Worst RATED Holiday Parks WATCH HERE 👉rb.gy/v9xh8

[@colindavid2078]

This Scarborough hotel didn't look too shabby to be fair compared to some! Very large old hotels like this are extremely difficult to keep up 100%. I have stayed in MUCH MUCH worse in Blackpool!

[@pblossom3757]

Go and stay at the Diamond Hotel Rugby 😳😱

[@FrankMattew]

Why its always more than 3 people can fit inside bathroom in every hotel? Are you looking for swingers

[@julesb7707]

The hotel was built based on the calendar, 365 rooms, 52 chimneys, 12 floors & 4 turrets to represent the seasons.

[@WalkWithMeTim]

yikes

[@redbison6417]

And 2023 cockroaches to represent the year.

[@llanieliowe794]

It's a beautiful building and the rooms actually look quite nice

[@julesb7707]

@@redbison6417 😂

[@rain_down_]

Glad someone has mentioned this! It's also designed in the shape of a V for Queen Victoria I believe.

[@danq.5140]

Heavy "The Shining" vibes from that basement 😮

[@theriddlerUSA]

Yes!! Gives me the heebie jibbies.

[@maxmcgee2693]

Come and play with us Timmy.

[@AngieHarding-k5j]

All work and no play ...makes jack ....🥺

[@margaretstroud1071]

I thought the exact same thing 😮

[@Mrgrape515]

Alot of uk Hotel give them vibes

[@j.pappas9083]

This is probably the most recognizable building in Scarborough so it's heartbreaking that it's being run by Britannia who seem to buy up iconic buildings then run them into the ground. Shame on them.

[@peterking6940]

They have let out most of their hotels for immigrants.

[@solidstateresistor2485]

Because the location is not worth investing in.. It's a budget hotel and a major aspect is price.

[@reececollison5101]

I know it looks like they’re running these buildings into the ground but a) these buildings take such enormous amounts of maintenance it’s nigh on impossible to keep on top of it and b) because of that no one will take them on. It’s either Britannia owns them or they get abandoned and fall into decay. There just isn’t the money coming in to keep up with the huge maintenance. With so many rooms they can’t charge 5* prices as they won’t fill them. Blame people wanting to go abroad for their holidays rather than Britannia

[@llanieliowe794]

At least it's improving

[@PotatoPirate123]

​@@reececollison5101good to see some common sense on here. The alternative to Brittania is derelict, inevitable deterioration and/or fire/flooding followed by being razed to the ground. We don't live in the 1930s anymore so these hotels are completely unsustainable with the sort of perfection they once had. Even old massive hotels in busy cities struggle to afford the maintenance. Brittania are, arguably, to be praised for keeping these monstrosities on life support

[@Mattyj3388]

Certainly a massive improvement compared to your last visit. It would seem they have done some decorating, but i still can't help but criticise britannia hotels for letting such grand buildings go to ruin.

[@sheltyhorn4332]

You're a brave man to use a black light in a hotel room Tim. If I cant see it, it doesnt exist...

[@DANE89]

😅😂 well said

[@xr6lad]

I’ll be honest. It’s a hotel. Would you not expect people to do the wild thing in beds and fluids be everywhere. Carpet. Mattress. If. You do why do you th ink others wouldn’t? And it would almost be impossible to clean every guest.

[@AlisonBryen]

Out of sight, out of mind. That said, I always take my own pillow with me on holiday.

[@chriskessell4579]

Don,t you need Luminal or what ever it,s called ?

[@absta100]

CSI moment 😂

[@pete1w]

We recently visited the grand as we do every year and this year was a bitter sweet experience. Our room was fantastic, a family room with sea views was huge and very clean. No complaints there. The hotel has been updated slowly. You can clearly see signs of improvement with regards to decor and cleaning staff are visible throughout the day. The reception staff were delightful and couldnt have been more helpful. What hasn't improved are the feral kids running round at all hours up and down the corridors. The lounge area is like a war zone and on a couple of nights the local homeless folk had taken up residence in the lobby and were begging. Its a shame that the hotel needs security to make its guests feel safe. We absolutely love this hotel so we are forever hopeful that it's fortunes can be turned around.

[@ashwayn]

feral MUSLIM? kids running round at all hours

[@nicolajohnson1887]

​@@ashwayncan't see that in the comments tbh

[@lemming9984]

@@ashwayn Feral = lawless, uncontrolled, wild etc.

[@rchippy2319]

That locked door is where they keep the last customer that found a stain in the room and told everyone.😂

[@WalkWithMeTim]

lol

[@kiff4free554]

The Grand Hotel Scarborough was built in 1863 and completed in 1867. The hotel was designed by Hull-based architect Cuthbert Brodrick and was considered the largest and handsomest hotel in Europe at the time of its opening.

[@lindalaw5466]

I imagine the basement rooms were originally for staff?

[@JJ-Malone]

I'm starting to think it's actually genius of these hotels. They are so bad that it is now a tourist attraction where people like Tim happily come back to the hotel to see if it is still bad. Repeat customers😂 You even meet hotel guests who go AFTER seeing your videos on how bad it is.

[@pearl2910]

That’s what I was thinking 🧐

[@castawaybeachbungalows]

Funny you mention this as I recently had this very conversation of opening a new resort called, "The last Resort" and demanding guests leave a bad review. As a hotelier I'm pretty sick of the pointless reviews anyway, most people comment on absolute boll***s, and nobody takes any notice of them. "I'll leave you a bad review," they threaten you with. We just say f**k off. Just proves there is no such thing as bad publicity?

[@PeaveyPV20]

As the saying goes no such thing as bad publicity, im also now intrigued to see what this hotel is like

[@MrHateneds]

People go, probably cheap

[@rassp3860]

@@pearl2910 same. This has got to be part of the “shtick” to get tourists.

[@CinnastixChick]

Some thoughts: 1. Those slot/ fruit machines as soon as you walk in to the hotel make the place look cheap 2. When you got off the elevator I couldn't help but think it looked like a hospital 3. I'd die in a hallway if there was ever a fire because I'd never find the exit in all those corridors 4. The basement rooms are serving dungeon vibes 5. Idk about Britain but where I live Black mold is a real thing that can kill you, so as soon as I saw that mold I would have turned tail and bolted right out the front door

[@izzytracey5475]

Black mold can kill you?! Damn I shouldn’t have left the mold in my wardrobe

[@highpath4776]

@@izzytracey5475 Inhalation of the spores. It needed a treating and the cause of the escape of water finding.

[@robtyman4281]

Agree. A premium hotel does not have a vending machine in the lobby/ reception area. If you wanted a drink, you would have to go to the hotel bar. I think originally this was meant to be a premium hotel, but over the decades, the standards have declined incrementally to the point where it's become a shadow of what it once was, and was intended to be It's basically a two star hotel on the inside of a five star hotel building. Very sad.

[@cleanerben9636]

@@robtyman4281 I think the idea was to "expand to a larger market" which as you correctly stated drives the standards lower and lower until it ends up like every other chain hotel. Once everyone can afford premium, nothing is. The vending and fruit machines add to the cheap feel a long with the price. A complete and total waste of such a grand building.

[@elgoog-the-third]

3. All you'd have to do is to follow the exit signs that are at every corner

[@Primodummy92]

I cleaned rooms at the Grand for a few months and it wasn't the best let me tell you! One day it rained so bad most of the pantry ended up drenched, all they had to mop the water up was towels 🤢

[@WalkWithMeTim]

:-(

[@user-io1ty3lr1t]

Dear Tim last year … July 2022 I got forced to stay at home because I got COVID for a couple of weeks … I found relief and entertainment just looking at your amazing “tour guide” videos while I was chilling on my sofa and on my bed … I think the English seaside places you visited are so romantic and old fashioned … It’s a pleasure to watch these videos and understand the history and the story behind every place you visited … I know a little bit of English language because of what I learned in secondary school and high school … so I do understand your videos … keep it up ! Oneday I hope I’ll be able to take a beautiful trip with my wife to these amazing destinations … by now I watch and enjoy your beautiful vids … greetings from Italy to you and your family …

[@lfctez]

We are currently here at the grand hotel, also staying in the basement. How bizarre we were mid way through your video when the fire alarm goes off, made our way through the maze of stairs to get to the lobby to find everyone stood round having no idea what’s going on, however the bar staff are carrying on as normal serving drinks while the alarm continues to go on and off!

[@mooncookier]

That is strange. I hope you enjoy your stay😅

[@Benjamin.Jamin.]

Yeah first thing I'd do is check the route to the fire exit if is was staying down there!!!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Omg

[@stevenc123]

My neighbours smoke alarm went off as I read your comment

[@highpath4776]

@@WalkWithMeTim I think that key / lock was for turning the alarm system off

[@MargaretUK]

To be fair it is a bit better, but the state of the bed with all of those hairs would have had me running to reception and demanding a room change 😳 Still, for £45 is not too bad, maybe that's why it was busy if a lot of rooms were that cheap. I don't know if the black light is a blessing or a curse, and you didn't try the bathroom with it either! Well done for being brave on our behalf again Tim 👏 👍

[@martinwebb1681]

Oh come on what's wrong with a few pubic hairs? They probably belonged to Ellie. 🤣

[@davidwelch6796]

In my (hideous and not to repeated) experience Britannia Hotels is hotel speak for, 'Give up all hope ye who enter here.' The Grand was once a marvellous hotel and its a pity that the current owners don't pause to look at some of their photo.s of the hotel in it's heyday - they might pick up some tips on how to run a hotel properly. I am pretty certain that the basement rooms, like the one you were in, were originally intended for the use of guest's personal staff such as maids and butlers.

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Might be right altho there is a lot

[@olao9893]

Also staff working for the hotel, which would have been quite a lot as well.

[@martinwebb1681]

Sadly like all UK seaside towns the clientele are no longer there to make hotels like this a feasible investment, it would be hard to attract enough custom even in the summer time, the rest of the year would be a total non starter.

[@minixtvbox]

Tory scum Britain austerity 13 years and Thatcherism, rich cash out and run to Switzerland

[@ianstobie]

The owners are probably holding out for a sudden massive government contract. Probably caused by a policy failure so gov will spend money like crazy to cover it up. Likely candidates: prison burns down or gets condemned by some other government department or court, migration crisis gets ten times worse as French and Belgium coastguards tow rafts directly to Scarborough beach, return of lockdown and need for isolation units for new scarry disease. Britannia to the rescue!

[@peterskegness3204]

Great video of what looks to be the UK version of The Overlook. Some fascinating features and great views of the town, but those corridors looked very creepy. At one stage whilst watching the video, I fully expected the lift doors to open and two little twin girls to appear 🙈 Great to see, but definitely not an experience I'd put myself through 😂

[@Primodummy92]

Also want to mention the door at 2:00 is a tiny empty room that is mostly mouldy! Honest, when I opened the door for a nosy it was empty except for a few pictures and lots of mould. You're lucky you didn't get the rooms nearby as I had to do a deep clean as they were terrible for mould. I should have a video of the cupboard somewhere... The lift at 18:37 should be the service lift for staff, lovely to see it STILL isnt working 😆 ! It was out of order for a month when I was there, which meant I had to take the cleaning trolley into the main guest lifts that you were using earlier in the video. It also meant I couldn't clean rooms fast enough for management's liking - just imagine trying to lug towels, bedding, cleaning items through the circle on floor 5 in August heat! Lost a stone just a few weeks after starting. So happy to have left!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Wow thanks for the insight tbh so many rooms to clean must be a challenge

[@Primodummy92]

The worst was when we would be given rooms on various floors - to clean a family room on minus 3 all the way up to floor 6 and even the penthouse rooms in the turrets on floor 7 was exhausting!

[@jonduthie2154]

Oooo penthouse rooms, I’d like to see them. Tiiiiiiiiimmmmmm………….

[@lawriefoster5587]

It seems as if they are treating the help as if it were 1900. They should realize that without good help they could not keep the hotel!!

[@t3mpomusic]

The building outside is stunning, and some parts inside, like the grand staircase, etc., but they have neglected like 80%. If they modernised the hotel, they could easily make it a 4/5* rating, but this hotel needs a new owner willing to put the money into the building.

[@scottmatthew9605]

They could do that definitely but would it see the footfall to make the investment worthwhile? These hotels all USED to be at that level, and then cheap package holidays/flights became available and the seaside towns declined. There's a reason Britannia were able to buy them for pennies on the pound. I don't think any investor with sense would drop millions to renovate a hotel that nobody wants to stay at. It's a shame because I think the UK has a lot to offer but with the cost of living no sane family is going to spend 3x as much to stay in Scarborough for a week when they can go all inclusive to Spain for a third of the price. It just doesn't make sense in the current market.

[@MikeSnifferpippets]

I’m sure they accepted trillions of refugees to get government grants for refurbishment, there was people smoking in the hallways and pissing in the lifts etc..

[@annamagowan390]

Stayed the night before last I go to the grand quite a lot lately

[@Locutus]

They would probably have to spend £100m on the place to make it that good, but I don't think it would be worth it for them. Scarborough is not exactly a huge holiday destination.

[@justluke9166]

There is no market for a 5 star hotel there.

[@kazt9826]

Thanks for your honest review Tim. I would’ve complained about the shower tbh. That uv light your using could be a good thing but I’d be put off quick by some stains 🤢 I like the building itself and the terrace area it’s a shame a lot of it is run down

[@david1321riding]

I actually live in Scarborough… And I’ve never been inside the grand hotel. Your review video was brilliant. But the feeling I got from the building is that it would be a perfect setting for a horror movie. 😮

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tramcrazy]

I LOVED the intro on this video, the tense music and TripAdvisor reviews with the night background really built up the anticipation! The production on your reviews is amazing!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Awesome, thank you!

[@robelvery]

Well I stayed at the Grand for one night in mid August. An absolutely stunning building but needs a bit of TLC. I paid £75 for a room with a window on the 4th floor. A bit more than I've heard some people have paid but I suppose it was the height of the season. You can pay double that and more for Travelodges and Premier Inns now. My room was fine. It smelt fresh and was clean - no mould in the bathroom, no hairs or urine stains on the mattress etc. It looked like it had new carpets. The only thing was the window was quite grubby but this was on the outside and I wouldn't expect window cleaners to regularly risk their lives by working at that height. From what I could see the rest of the hotel was clean too. It looked like it recently had a lick of paint in certain areas. I must admit I didn't eat in the restaurant there. It's a fascinating building. It really needs a company to invest in it and bring it back to its full former glory. Maybe something along the lines of the former Midland Grand at St Pancras now the St Pancras Renaissance. Maybe not as high end as St Pancras - I imagine you wouldn't get a room there under £1000 a night or maybe much more. There is so much potential at the Grand in Scarborough though. Maybe a combination of affordable living space - flats and apartments for local people and good quality but affordable hotel rooms for holidaymakers and visitors to Scarborough retaining those ballrooms and large rooms for entertainment and conference facilities. Would I stay there again as it is now though - yes definitely.

[@martinsallenger5526]

Hi Tim, The Grand is such an amazing building, especially architecture. You can see why they called it the Grand but sadly parts looking very neglected and dirty,don't think I would stay in room without windows,l remember seeing a hotel before without windows and it had a mural on wall looking out on to New York,this hotel was in Manchester how strange,great video really enjoyed watching this video 👍

[@kevanhubbard9673]

You are a brave man and a glutton for punishment!I walked past that hotel a few weeks ago and I saw a huge dead rat on the steps between the hotel and the funicular railway.I hope that the rat didn't come out of the hotel but I very much doubt that it lived in the funicular railway!

[@andream2110]

My daughter is a police officer in Scarborough and she tells me she makes frequent visits to this hotel , I’ve been in the hospitality business all my life and in my training we were taught that when a room has been cleaned and before the new occupants move in the room should have no evidence of anyone ever being there before. So no hairs and no toe nail clippings 😆 You are a brave brave man 😂. Ha ha yes I’m back w hen you mentioned the kids running in and out and turning the taps on and flooding the place my daughter was dealing with that but it’s a lost cause they were going to numerous other hotels too .

[@cdylancarter9968]

I use to work for the Premier Inn as night porter, but I helped out housekeeping and we had that rule. The room must look like it's just been set up for that guest and that guest only. Problem is Britannia brand use to be first class but late 2000s it started to rapidly go downhill.

[@carolcamp4828]

That room looks scary claustrophobic, not to mention a possible death trap in a fire. No visible fire alarm in the room.😱. I guess it compares to an inside, below sea level cabin on a cruise ship!😅. Plus the saggy mattress! You're a braver man than me Gunga Din🤪

[@christophergoff36]

Seems as if improvements have been made but in a place that size there will always be water leaks. I wonder if your room was originally for staff or the staff of the rich guests when it was originally built. £45 was an ok price but I wouldn't like having no window. Good to see an update.

[@tracyjacobs7862]

I worked at the Grand in 1976 the staff rooms were up the top with the round windows!

[@patrickbyrne9971]

11:32 I love how he pans to the open door. I don’t know if it’s deliberate but it just feels like when you’re playing a horror video game and you quickly turn to a open door. God I don’t know why but I love this channel, oddly comforting. Kind of love these kinds of hotels spent a lot of my childhood in hotels like this across Ireland. A certain charm to them. Keep up the good work m, Tim :)

[@gobbletv409]

Great video. I have a content idea for you, I don't know if you've ever heard of the TV show the hotel inspector but it would be good if you could visit some of these hotels that have appeared on the show through the years to see if they have got better or worse.

[@MargaretUK]

I love that series, you can see some of them on KZbin, and that is a great idea 💡

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

What an awesome idea!!

[@vincenzomorrisiano2620]

A room without window is usually called a cupboard in the U.K…

[@TrickyT1981]

I’m 42 and have been going to Scarborough since my childhood, always staying at The Grand. Back then, it was THE place to stay in Scarborough, so it’s really sad to watch this video and how it’s deteriorated. That said, my wife and I return every October (stopping in a Premier Inn mind) and a walkthrough of The Grand is always on the itinerary. Thanks for this video, Tim. Quite a few little areas I didn’t know existed. By the way, the door that was locked at the top mezzanine leads to another balcony overlooking the ballroom.

[@stephenscales353]

I'd recommend the Bike and Boot Hotel which is opposite the Grand. It's lovely

[@nomdaploom]

I moved to Scarborough in 1968 and at no time since then has The Grand Hotel been known as THE place to stay in Scarborough. The Pavilion, The Holbeck Hall Hotel, The Royal and The Crown have all at one time or another earned that accolade, but The Grand already had a reputation back in the late sixties for being down market and nothing has changed since. An interesting place to wander around and admire the faded grandeur of a bygone age, but THE place to stay in Scarborough? Never in your lifetime.

[@MrStath1986]

Some of those damp patches are a classic sign of air conditioning being installed in a building that was never intended for it; it's the same where I work - it's a listed building from the 1800's and AC has been installed recently. It works fine when turned on, but when winding down the water leaks through several floors and causes damp patches like these, even waterfalls at points.

[@WalkWithMeTim]

maybe

[@70053morayfirth]

We were on a coach trip with people who had stayed at at Britannia Hotels on previous trips. They talked about them almost as if they were a badge of honour, about which was the worst. Yet some of them were going to a Britannia Hotel for Christmas!

[@mypointofview1111]

It's nice there are venues for people of all tastes and budgets.

[@psprog]

Love this series ("bad hotels")! I've yet to stay in a Britannia Hotel they seem to be consistently and deliberately crappy, but looks like they've made a bit of an effort here since last time...

[@icedbun101]

Editing on this is fantastic. The music is really atmospheric and feels like a mini Netflix doc. Awesome stuff!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Thanks a ton!

[@josphern9368]

Great video , behind that brown locked door is the ballroom balcony just a viewing point for over the dance floor 👍

[@prykey8674]

Ah love your worst rated hotels videos and great to see the comparison! Looks like some improvements and such a grand building in a prime location, shame it’s not more well looked after! Mad how that wire in the ballroom is still there!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@mgthestrange9098]

It’s a design feature of the room.

[@sl3772]

It's so brave of you to stay in the backrooms

[@DannyEvs]

This is when I first started watching! Your channel has grown and grown and grown since then! Well done mate

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Welcome back!

[@chad0x]

The Grand used to be one of the best hotels in the UK. Such a shame that they've let it become so run down :(

[@minixtvbox]

Tory Britain, Thatcherism, rich cash out and run to Switzerland

[@TheTonytiger89]

@@minixtvbox Or, the demand for the location has completely collapsed, leaving a hotel that now struggles to even break even, yet alone make a profit, but still has all the insane maintenance costs of a large grand building aimed at wealthy tourists, so now you have a company struggling to keep it running rather than letting it completely fall into ruin.

[@cleanerben9636]

@@minixtvbox As opposed to a Labour Britain with rolling blackouts and rubbish piling up in the street?

[@johnlovesleeds]

Went to Scarborough last weekend to look at this place, booked a different hotel to stay in, the hotel is huge and a fascinating building, terrace has best views in the town. On the downside the place smelt like a nursing home, and was really really warm inside, loads of old people sat about gave more credence to the nursing home vibe, huge line of people waiting to check in too, overall a really odd, fascinating place

[@maylloyd3348]

Stayed in this once for my sins, and yes it was boiling hot. But stayed in a UK Hilton once that was like Death Valley it was unbearable for heat and lack of fresh air.

[@joshmofromkokomo]

I like that ' for my sins'. :)

[@martinwebb1681]

@johnlovesleeds ... You'll be one of those "old people" yourself someday. If you're lucky enough, that is.

[@davidbandler]

A hotel with rooms with a lone lounge chair by the bed, facing the bed, completely gives "rent by the hour" and other disturbing vibes. May be some cultural differences, but with the random empty alcohol containers also all over, I would really hesitate booking a family stay (or even a stay by myself) in a place like that. Aged and unsavory are different (negative) attributes - the aged can be overlooked, but the unsavory is what would turn me away.

[@highpath4776]

I dont think there is enough demand to take the hotel further upmarket or specialist retro (vintage) design.

[@cleanerben9636]

@@highpath4776 With such a large space it needs a lot of throughput to afford to keep going and as you say there is not a demand, in Scarborough, for anything upmarket or affluent whatsoever. Most people nowadays see it as a cheap day out to the beach with the kids or maybe a weekend at most. Not anything remotely extravagant or worth putting a lot of money into.

[@TheGaragebandGuide]

Really good to see you return to this one - do you plan on revisiting any other of the other places from your ‘worst rated hotel in…’ series?

[@WalkWithMeTim]

See how this goes lol

[@eviegeorge603]

@@WalkWithMeTim the royal albion hotel in brighton? 😅

[@danmillward3480]

My grandfather used to paint the fencing and port windows around the domes at the top of this building...on a clear day he said you could see all the way to Europe

[@lauranorfolk9458]

Great video Tim, these worst rated hotel ones are my favourites! One question though....why do you always go to breakfast so late?! If there's a breakfast involved for me my alarm is set nice and early so I don't miss any bacon 😂 Keep the content coming, loving it all!

[@Kevin-wi6mm]

Lol...me too. Best part of the stay 😀

[@WalkWithMeTim]

I didn't I thought breakfast finished at 10 so I had plenty of time

[@tommarvoloriddle1]

Thanks for the video Tim, it looks like there's some progress since I stayed there myself a few years ago, in a room on the lower floor, which I ended up changing because my original room hadn't been cleaned at all, thankfully the operations manager was very understanding. The Royal Albion hotel in Brighton suffered a large fire a few months ago, which is also owned by Britannia, and had to be partly demolished. Lets hope there's no more hotels destroyed, and Britannia have a robust refurbishment programme in the future.

[@susannah1184]

Seemed better than reports of the place. Claustrophobia springs to mind with that room. I'd have to pay a bit more for a window room. Thanks for your vlog xx

[@ashdrive]

These are great videos of yours, just subscribed and now binge watching your past videos..

[@lucky_nugget]

Thanks for the review Tim! It’s a very beautiful building, the company seriously needs to take in consideration of concerns and the negative reviews as such, it needs some major TLC and probably less amusements/fruit machines lol, I don’t think I’d cope with no window in the hotel room, I’d imagine it what it would’ve been like back in it’s heyday, it was probably a hugely popular choice regarding tourism and of course, the locals in Scarborough back then. £45 is pretty good, considering how expensive things are at the moment but personally, I wouldn’t stay here unless things improve, again, thank you for the review and I hope all is well!😊

[@WalkWithMeTim]

well its getting there lol

[@lucky_nugget]

@@WalkWithMeTimthat is true, it’s good to see improvements are being made, fingers crossed they continue to keep improving though!🤞🏻

[@rebeccaenlow7395]

The first thing I do in a hotel room is to remove any bedspread and toss it into a corner. They don’t get washed very often. Next wipe down the remote with a sanitizing wipe. The phone, too .

[@littleted4275]

Just wondering Tim watching your video, what do you do if there's a fire in a room with no windows? Sounds quite dangerous really 🤔

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Good point

[@gailhickman743]

Ha ha, always makes me laugh when you pretend to be going into the room for the first time, being as your camera is already rolling, waiting for you to enter and you're not carrying any bags. 😂 💕

[@wendycopcutt4891]

I enjoyed your VLOG Tim. It's such a magnificent building and I can see that some improvements have been made since your last visit. It would cost an absolute fortune to bring it up to scratch and at £45 per room, it would take a long time to raise enough cash. I would hate to be in a room without windows, so even at the price you paid, I wouldn't want to stay there.

[@jasongates2300]

The building must take an absolute fortune to maintain, it’s a shame it still seems so empty, but times have changed.

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Agree

[@JulieSolnce88]

Oh dear..no any chance I will stay in room without windows. Thank you Tim for video x

[@WalkWithMeTim]

me too

[@rodsinclair2573]

James Herriot (vet) was stationed in the Grand Hotel when he was a recruit in the RAF during the Second World War. He relates in his book (Vet in a Spin) how they used to do training along the beach front.

[@BigBirdCEO]

Nice bit of paranormal activity caught there. Maybe they should start selling it as a haunted hotel! 😂

[@WalkWithMeTim]

I know right they could do ghost tours

[@martinwebb1681]

Now if someone had some money and some initiative they could turn that into a horror theme hotel, that would be brilliant and a real tourist attraction.

[@rosieHolliday5887]

It must be a nightmare to maintain. Right on the sea front with all that weather hitting it day after day & just the size of it. It's an amazing building, but oh my gosh I'm so glad that I don't have the headache of having to keep it clean & mould free. Absolute nightmare

[@WalkWithMeTim]

It sure is

[@rickyloftin2968]

The basement of a hotel should never contain bedrooms. Having no window would freak me out, I don't think I'd be able to sleep. Also says a lot when the best view of Scarborough is in the dark 😂😂

[@CherylJKirk]

I have very fond memories of this hotel when it was a Butlins hotel in the 80's. At 12 years old I basically had free reign of the place for a week and barely saw my parents. The locked door on the 2nd mezzanine goes through to a similar balcony on the other side that looks down on to what used to be the Princess ballroom, which is the room you said is for functions. In the upper rooms you could climb out of a window and walk on an ancient white metal catwalk, it was very high up and narrow. And, there was the old elevator that had a crosshatch gate that went down to the basement and up to the terrace, you could stop the lift between floors if you opened the gate. We had a beautiful, large, se view room. It was an amazing adventure for kids at that time, we were gen x though, and gratefully left to our own devices.

[@jaydondayson2173]

It’s sad how these old buildings get even more ruined by Britannia and it’s wrong how the hallways to the rooms and actual rooms are dirty and damp

[@michaelknight2721]

Thanks for your latest video on the Royal Hotel,I agree with you .I wouldn't want a room in the basement,especially with no window.Shame you missed breakfast, the whole hotel is creepy.Nice to see they have improved the basement,let's hope they are going to improve the rest of the hotel.I imagine the sun terrace will be nice when the weather is right.They need to fix the damp in places and put new carpet down in the areas they haven't spruced up.then it might be a half decent hotel again.Also those fruit machines need to go.

[@marilynmcphail9221]

Such a shame- it really was a Grand Hotel in its day! The PH count on the bed would've scared me off and the broken shower would have made me want to ask for another room. I liked the quiet area but would be a bit uneasy hanging out there alone. Glad to see some improvements since your last visit.

[@Thisthat654]

Another good review! Once you go blacklight things can get scary, then if you take bacterial counts in the bathrooms, chairs, etc.....you should see Dan Bells Another Dirty Room series on KZbin for the truly scary rooms. You'd never travel again ..

[@terencestewart8788]

Thanks for your review as always I don't think this place is as bad as the rating suggests. There corridors give me heebie-jeebies like something out of the shining 😅

[@colettecook9273]

Lots of people saying it wouldn't be worth the investment doing it up, its only Scarborough etc. This is a magnificent building, on the seafront, with a ballroom etc. If it was in good condition it would make a fortune in weddings, conferences etc. If hotels in Manchester can be of a 5☆ standard and make a go of it, the grandest building in Scarborough could and should be the same. Not everyone wants to go abroad.

[@jasonhall3911]

Unbelievable looks so grand from the outside I always loved Scarborough but never been inside the hotel. That was a very cheap holiday but you are one brave man Tim, I could not have stayed in that basement so well done to you Sir. Again I absolutely love your video and look forward to your next take care 👍👍👍.

[@TintagelTina]

Good vid Tim as always. Would love to recommend my hometown of Tintagel to visit. You will be the only man trendy enough to be wearing Hollister! Look forward to next weeks video 😊

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Lol

[@trelizaberkeley9973]

Hey Tim. Great vlog once again. You're very good going to these bad rated hotels. Though being a "bad" rated hotel, it looked very very busy! People seem to still come & stay here. Shame the owners of the hotel are letting the hotel get run down. It looks immaculate from the outside! Take care Tim. Xx

[@Blaidd7542]

People definitely go there, but it's not the same customers it would have had a century ago, those customers are now in a hotel/cruise ship in the Mediterranean or a airbnb holiday home in Wales. So the only way for places like this to stay in business is to be cheap, and this is what you get when you try to run a 5* hotel like a travel lodge.

[@maureen14]

When you were in the cocktail lounge and you heard that whisper, it was right after you said there's nobody in it and the whisper said "Just me".

[@chrisd6719]

It's severely haunted.

[@bcdave91]

Great video. I've never even seen a hotel without a window never mind stayed in one (and I don't plan to). I think hotel rooms without windows are illegal here in Canada -- probably due to fire regulations.

[@free_gold4467]

I'm surprised they are legal here.

[@Liz-in8lu]

I was thinking the same thing for the US. I think to be called a bedroom (not sure about hotel rooms) you need a window.

[@paulchartley]

My wife and I stayed there earlier this year and the lock on the door to the room was held on with sticky tape so that the locked door could be open with force applied from a single finger. This was reported to reception who said it would be fixed while we were out so we loaded out belongings back into the car and went out for the night but when we returned at midnight the lock had still not been fixed and we as the hotel was busy that night, the only room available was down in the basement. It was the last room in the hotel and their computer system is such that they cannot issue refunds at the hotel. You have to ring or write to their customer services department and they cannot check for vacant rooms at other hotels if you can not be accommodated, even the one across the road for them which is also run by Britannia. I think missing or damaged furniture and is a standard feature of Britannia hotels. We stayed in the Britannia Hotel on Manchester and that had a missing wardrobe door, not one piece of furniture in the room matched any other or was manufactured in the same decade as any other and the window wouldn't close properly.

[@CLGlitter76]

I would love it if you explore a haunted hotel, especially for Halloween lol 😊

[@WeanerBeaner69]

Do you know how a hotel is haunted?

[@maureen14]

It would be nice when you revisit a hotel that you already reviewed, if you could show still pictures of what it looked like when you first encountered it. Whether improvements or worsening conditions, that you found on your second visit. 😊

[@judiclarke7645]

The Grand Hotel is HUGE !! Loved the ornate staircases Tim. I could not stay in a room without a window . Was the smell of paint masking the smell of damp ?

[@roboliver9980]

The state of Britannia hotels is representative of Britain as a whole. Appears grand and has formidable history. Beneath the surface it’s sewage, decline and despair.

[@kevincooper1982]

Couldn't have put it better myself 👏

[@natalietodd3608]

The building is amazing it just needs a company to spend money and time on it. The history behind it is fascinating 🎉

[@WalkWithMeTim]

agree

[@martinhickmott8916]

I think you've softened 😂, there's a few bits caught on camera that you didn't comment on, but it's good to see it has improved a bit. Still don't think I'll be booking a room any time soon 😅

[@PS-sd8yc]

If you want a bit of luxury, try out the Gisborough Hall Hotel in Guisborough. Just spent a few days there. A bit pricey but you get what you pay for. Really nice place.

[@evelynwoolston7]

The windowless basement rooms were creepy and why oh why do they have a loathsome shower curtain rather than a perspex screen But the rest of the hotel is a stunning example of art deco architecture. Those sitting rooms were wonderful and the terrace was a treat. I agree with you about the arcade machines, they should have been in solitary confinement somewhere. £45 a night however in peak season is very affordable.

[@mgthestrange9098]

This hotel seems to have a spooky vibe, judging by the video alone. Although I went to Scarborough when I was 8 and from what I remember, the whole town felt spooky to me due to the old buildings. I was used to Blackpool.

[@Photofinish43]

The last time we stopped there (15 years ago)they put us in one of the turret rooms on the top floor with only a tiny round window to look out of. It was so claustrophobic in there too.

[@stevenmckenzie7237]

Imagine what it would have been like back in the 1860s/1870s as a new hotel. Would have been an amazing experience.

[@user-vu3ob6uo4b]

Hi Tim. I would suggest that you purchase some Sticky traps for insects on your travels, place a few traps around the premises whilst your staying and make sure you don't let the Bedbugs bite, Never mind the Cockroaches and Rodents. Be very careful what your taking home with you.

[@PeatedPete]

God that room is creepy as hell! You're doing Gods work Tim and we appreciate you ❤

[@WalkWithMeTim]

Thanks

[@arkjag2991]

I just found your channel and after binge watching a bunch of these videos, I can say as a Yank that I'm incredibly jealous of these gorgeous, historic hotels you have across the pond. We only have a handful of true grand hotels in the States, and even the best can hardly hold a candle to those you've featured in regards to history and architecture. I also echo the sentiments of many who feel that it's criminal that so many of these buildings have been allowed to deteriorate to such a degree. Just tragic.

[@WalkWithMeTim]

thanks so much! yes they have some amazing hotels and so sad to see them like this

[@AndyWoodger]

When this hotel was built it catered for the Victorian rich. Back then it had all the amenities typical of an upmarket seaside hotel. As time has gone by and a change in holiday habits the hotel has struggled to make its money and the expense of a refurb became untenable. I think...maybe....that if Brittania didn't take it on, it might have ended up an empty place. You've made some fair comments @walkwithmetim but it I'm not sure I'd want to stay here.

[@martinwebb1681]

It would be a great building to renovate into seaside apartments, it would be costly but worthwhile and would make some company a profit, if they can transform victorian dock warehouses in London and Liverpool into luxury flats the I'm sure they could transform this place.

[@ZenosOsgorma]

I did not know about the quiet room! i'll definitely be using that next time i'm staying in scarborough. the basement rooms do seem to get the most mould unavoidable in such a old building.

[@winklepicking3202]

Tim I know it wouldn’t be allowed but channel 4 really should take you on as a presenter, travelling all over showing good and bad hotels…

[@maureen14]

Being so close to the water, it must have flooded on occasion and that's why you're getting that musty smell from the basement. The poor little library windows need longer drapes to make the room more appealing and appear larger. The painter probably thought the mold in the hallway ceiling was a decoration. 😮 ⛵ 🏩

[@zatosing]

The only thing missing is Jack Nicholson

[@BritishEngineer]

4:07 That’s because this is a vent. The air conditioning unit is either located in a local crawlspace in the walls, or it’s part of a larger universal air conditioning system. The lack of thermostats indicate this could be a universal air conditioning vent.

[@chrisjames5188]

They could do so much with a hotel and building like that, the architecture and the history and location. Shame they can't invest more in it.

[@ffrancrogowski2192]

When I get round to it, Tim, I like watching your visits to these hotels. This Grand is incredibly massive! I would never have known that floors went down, and the room you stayed in would feel rather strange with not having windows, but feeling unusually cool in temperature, whereas the upper floors were hot. From what I could weigh up with this video, is that the place is extremely inviting, but requires a fair amount of maintenance as regard ceiling stains, elevators and wires that should be covered up that are sticking out of walls. Maybe your room could have been vacuumed as regards hairs on the mattress, etc. Anyhow, thank you for this presentation.

[@mattsmithlon]

It makes me cry! To think of what that was so grand. I would love to see the original top-to-bottom floor plans of the building, including servent and kitchen wings. If anyone knows where I can get a copy, please get in touch! I suspect this hotel won't be with Britannia for much longer! Maybe a hunch but to me that's what paint jobs usually mean! I've never been, I really should at some point if only to look at all the servents pictures on the walls. Thanks Tim!

[@WalkWithMeTim]

I know they are trying tho it seems

[@mattsmithlon]

@charleswhite758 thank you I did notice bit for some reason could not edit!

[@mattsmithlon]

@charleswhite758 I wish you had some power over BBC online 😂

[@martinwebb1681]

@charleswhite758 ... *You're

[@adamholden1491]

Cheers Tim for this lovely tour of this palace its so huge also does not surprise me its haunted did the voice whisper at around 19:55 sound like a woman or a child and did you feel a presence at all in that basement room you stopped in

[@WalkWithMeTim]

It felt very odd down there

[@mr.chrisfloyd]

Ahh like I said to you on Instagram the other day, I’m shocked they let you come back if you’re basically and rightly so outing their hotel… So people did recognise you outside! Luckily it wasn’t staff 😅 I don’t think they would’ve let you check in if it was staff you know! They must’ve knew you were coming because they left a box of tissues next to the bed 🤣

[@insignificantaftermathPROJECTS]

Like populated beaches during heatwaves, people tend to gravitate to the well known easy access areas and surround themselves by lots of other people and noise. Plus they tend to not have the initiative to explore.

[@samuelkirkwood6702]

After looking online for a hotel recently, I think Oyo might give Britannia a run for their money. This looks like they've at least tried to improve it.