If you really want to visit the worst rated hotel … you wanna head to the minster garth in Beverley East Yorkshire! Have a look on trip advisor 😬 Bet you a fiver Tim to last a night in that place!
I have watched every episode. We'll be visiting sometime in the next 24 months and I'm tempted to stay in one or two of these just for the hell of it! Lol it'll probably be The Grand in Scarborough. The scenery is too beautiful to ignore. 💘
It's one thing to criticise the hotel, which is fine, but what I find mind-boggling is: what sort of person stays in a hotel room and then decides to start peeling the wallpaper off? Just a totally stupid thing to do, but the person doing it obviously thinks it's really clever, because nobody can see them doing it.
You should 100% do a “white sock” test for the worst rated hotels, walk along the corridor of your room and see how dirty the socks are afterwards. Imagine how bad this one would have been! 😂
or maybe a UV torch... then thinking what that torch would show up... missing the bin would be least of your worries... so maybe not UV !!! ;oO - will also guess their fire safety standards will be... well.... hmm.
Brittania have taken on too many hotels and are unable to keep them to a good standard. Good that you show us these vlogs and hopefully people who see them wont use these places. Thank you xx
I think the problem is Britannia has taken on many of the Grand Hotels, ones that used to be only accessible to the wealthy often in seaside or major cruise port locations, since the Jet age these hotels have lost their wealthy visitors and at the same time we’re getting old and required a huge amount of maintenance, Britannia has purchased them and at least for a while saved them from being demolished, but can’t charge the huge prices needed to support their upkeep.
Honestly, we should be happy Britannia can even somehow make a viable business out of these buildings from a bygone era. If people started going to the hotels they'd not be in the state of disrepair they are.
I used to work in a hotel that had basements this bad. its really disheartening for a housekeeper cos they can clean their best ultimately we become like "what's the point, look at the state of this building" so you did your best for the guest staying, but it was very frustratingly not good enough for the prices guests are paying. I hope people that review don't criticise the housekeepers, cos often they are underpaid, understaffed, and underappreciated - especially when working in old hotels like this that feel like they are falling apart.
Man, that basement just got worse, and worse, and worse, AND WORSE. By the time that part was over I half expected our host to round one of those blind corners and see a set of twins in blue dresses telling him to play with them.
Like with some of the other Britannia hotels you've taken us to - it says a lot when your first impression of a room is 'well, hey, it doesn't overly smell that bad'...
I’m 36 and stayed here 1994 til 2000 with my parents every October half term. We’re northerners so London was an exciting annual destination. My dad was a geography teacher and chose it as the Docklands area was undergoing such a fascinating transformation (and still is). Every year a new tower had gone up around the hotel and we always got a ‘front view’ room. I visited again last year, almost purely for the nostalgia (although it was cheap too) and it has honestly barely changed. It was actually fine for the price (though the breakfast is pretty poor!). The basement used to have a pool and gym in it. You can see pics if you google it. Not a controversial statement but I think the basement is where they house asylum seekers and those in need of supported accommodation (or those just unlucky enough to get a room down there). There’s a very odd mix of clientele at breakfast. All in all though, it ain’t that bad for the price. I’m just amazed it hasn’t been demolished and swanky flats built on the plot.
We used to visit around the same time with our small ( at the time) children. It was a nice hotel probably a lot of business customers and cheaper at the weekends. It felt like a grand hotel for the price. The cheaper hotel chains such as Travelodge started to open and attract more tourists. The location of the hotel was great for sightseeing. We only visited once after the IRA bomb at South Quay station not far away in 1996 as there was a lot of scaffolding and rebuilding going on.
Having driven past this hotel almost daily since it was built, I can say that the huge skip out front has been a permanent fixture for as long as I can remember!!
15-20 years ago as a young adult, this was my favourite hotel to go. With the awe of Canary Wharf around it, rocking up to the on-site parking, and that grand entrance, it felt pretty special. Relations were broken - making it our last stay - when for breakfast they shunted us to a side-room with unsuspecting tourists and provided a very slim selection. It’s clearly suffering from lack of investment - shame as it has such a premium location and structure - the potential to be great once again.
I love hotels such as these and can only imagine what a task it must be to clean and carry out maintenance on a hotel that size. From watching the videos, Britannia seem to invest heavily on upgrading the exteriors and lobbys/communal areas (for good first impressions) though neglect the actual rooms. What also surprises me is the lack of staff for a hotel of this size and people wondering about away from the lobby areas. I'd like to know what the room occupancy rates are at any one time and balance sheets for this particular hotel.
Legend has it poor tim is still lost amongst the basement corridors. Bless him. Certainly was a maze. Good vlog. Certainly gives me eerie vibes. Hopefully the whole hotel will be better once restorations are completed. Look forward to the next vlog. Xxx
The hotel opened with 442(ish) bedrooms... it now has 601, and the building as far as I am aware has not been extended. I believe they converted all the function rooms and leisure club areas into bedrooms - there are photos online of a rather than ballroom that has since been split into bedrooms which are still accessed by the wide stairs so it looks so odd now lol
The weird round pin plug is usually for when you want a floor lamp on a lighting circuit. Lighting circuits use smaller wires than the ones for normal plugs, so there's a special plug to stop you plugging in something that'll overload it.
The ZA sockets are 15A round pin, as opposed to the 5A round pin (they're smaller) for a lamp socket. Both are old British standards from before BS1363 replaced them. 15A are still used in theatres in Britain, presumably originally to differentiate between dimmed outlets and hard power.
I cannot believe people paying to stay there .Britannia should be ashamed of the rooms and basement carpets ,wires hanging out of wall dangerous .Smelling ,water spillage on walls .Thank you for showing this No way .False impression when you walk through front door
Delighted by the "Keeping Up Appearances" reference. Hyacinth would be so pleased and might just issue you an invitation to one of her infamous candlelight suppers!
Some insider knowledge for you… Britannias policy is that if someone checks in for a booking and there are upgraded rooms available they automatically do so it gives people the incentive to return. This explains the upgrades you will be getting 😊
As soon as the bed in a room is that bad, the hotel is a wright off. The reason for hotels is to provide a comfortable place to sleep, if they can't do that then they are useless.
Yep they have 3 things to get right. Good bed. Good shower. Comfortable temperature. That’s it. Everything else doesn’t matter. Fail on the bed and it’s consigned to the never again pile.
certainly a hotel of two halves! Very impressed by the reception area but then it goes a bit downhill. But, for the price you paid, taking into account the location, I would certainly stay there if it was just for a convenient one night.
For me, a room with peeling wallpaper and chipped furniture doesn't appeal, no matter how glam the rest of it looks. Especially the bed being hard! I guess the older I get the more I want a bit of comfort and luxury. One of my favourite hotels is the Sofitel at Gatwick North Terminal. The beds are out of this world!! As someone with chronic arthritis who suffers in most hotel beds, I can tell you the beds at Sofitel are just the most fabulous. I wish I could find out what make they are and what toppers they use because I'd have one at home in a heartbeat. You should do a review of the Sofitel north terminal as one of the best hotels.
I totally understand this problem - holidays, rentals and nights away can be a minefield. Why not contact the Sofitel and ask for the mattress and topper specs? I've taken beds to bits before now to find product labels - sadly they have all been out of reach financially. I respect the Premier Inn team who came up with the "good night sleep guarantee" - which starts with a (very) comfy bed!
Another great vid Tim, keep them coming. I've never seen a 'clean' Brittania hotel ever, and I could see what was in store for us with this one when I saw that the letter 'I' was broken and hanging down on the main sign for the hotel outside the main entrance. Manky and filthy, and I wouldn't even stay there if you paid for my room Tim.
I stayed there several times for work in the mid 1990's and the hotel is just as I remember, including the décor. Obviously fairly new then and the service was good. The "dubious pictures" are a later addition. The hotel was very popular with overseas tour groups. I was told that the building was originally designed as offices which is why there was a queue for the lifts when the hotel was full. I used the service elevator a few times! I don't remember basement rooms. I suspect they may originally have been part of the car park.
The upkeep of a building this size must just be impossible. Parts of it really are in a bit of a state. But I must admit, I expected worse. I'm just so relieved that you weren't tempted to stick your digits in any of those seriously dodgy socket holes. You have learnt your lesson Mr Tim 🤣😘
Stayed there last month, paid £130 and was in basement. Total dump and noisy ventilation all night. Fortunately was there for only one night and I can pretty much sleep anywhere. One thing to bear in mind with that basement, there are 2 basement floors all that water you see outside next to the building, you’re below it! I got the impression damp is an issue, in the basement at least.
I'm a coach tour driver and have the misfortune if staying at all of the Brittania hotels. This particular hotel suffers with drunks at weekends. I've witnessed the police arriving en mass a few times.
I believe that socket is a 5A BS546 socket. While BS546 is the predecessor to the common BS1363 plugs and sockets we use today, they still find use in lighting installations. The smaller 5A version, like in the video is used for domestic and commercial installations as specific lamp sockets (often controlled by a light switch) while the larger 15A version has seen constant use in theatre installations, primarily to provide a means of differentiating between 'hot' and dimmed circuits.
Your room was okay (although the bed looked rock hard!) but I was really taken aback by how bad the damp problem was. At least with places like the Grand and the Adelphi, you can say that they're old buildings and haven't had enough money spent on them but this building is relatively new and is clearly having real issues. The restaurant seemed decent, though.
Those basements are terrifying. If I was sent down there I would take one step down and turn back around. No way in hell I’d even traverse those halls, let alone stay in a room down there!
Many years ago my dad had an antique dealer/house clearance friend and he sold loads of traditional brown furniture to American dealers who filled up containers to ship to USA, as they loved British stuff. Nowadays I think Britannia buys it all! Not sure about the rainbow walls, job lot of paint?
That furniture is moulded fibreboard. (My ex-husband had a furniture store) that's why it chips. Stag used to make their furniture with fantastic grade wooden fibreboard, but Brittany's has just got the duff stuff.
Brilliant Tim I actually stayed here 2 months ago and was going to ask you to review it. We had a room in the basements and it was extremely stuffy. I sent a complaint and they offered me a free upgraded if I returned, no thanks!
Brittania specialises in taking slightly tired 4* hotels with a lot of potential (with good management and refurbishment) and turning them into shabby 2* dumps that rank around the lowest in the city. See the former Dragonara / Hilton in Edinburgh which they have run into the ground. It used to be a lovely place, now it's the worst hotel in the city centre (where demand in peak season is huge).
I slept in terminal at Amsterdam Schiphol a few years ago and during the night there were thousands of mice on the terminal floor during the night, quite shocking! Nice review, interesting basement!
First thing I thought when you entered the room was “Shades of Hyacinth Bucket”. Well, apparently we think alike. Great video as usual. Cheers from Sweden
Haha no way! I've been to this hotel. I remember it being amazing. But I think that might be because I went down for an interview after uni and it was cheapest. I still remember jumping on a bed in an identical room telling me I'd been offered an amazing job in Canary Wharf.
I never touch any switches/remotes in a hotel till I have cleaned them. I clean all the bathroom fittings/taps and always wear slippers. Take bottled water and drink out of the bottle not any cups supplied.
I stayed here about 8 or 9 years ago and it was great. It was a short stay but it was a lovely hotel, I really liked it. To see the reviews now absolutely baffles me, how could something that good get so bad so quickly?
To be fair the room looked fine, stayed in a lot worse. The bed needed a new mattress. The communal areas looked really nice, and the Yamaha piano was lovely and would have a great sound.
Hi Tim ! Lol random chairs you make me laugh. Room didn't seem that bad . Another tired Brittania hotel God I wish a company would take over that actually cared. Thanks for sharing with us. Love to you as always Tracey 💕 xxxx
Brings back memories. I used to work in the office block over the road 20 years ago and the corner lounge was where we often went after work on Fridays for a couple before going home. Looks like they haven't spent much money on it since then! It's an old building in Canary Wharf terms and I imagine it's due for demolition soon and they can't be bothered to invest in it much.
That's what I'm thinking, surely it's days are numbered but why oh why doesn't the group build a mix use tower with hotel and apartments there, they would make a fortune. Surely they own the leasehold. The mind boggles at the lack of ambition
I live just around the corner from this hotel. I've walked & cycled past it so many times but never been inside. So this was very interesting, thank you! 😂
Anyone else notice at around the 7.45/7.50 mark, when Tim's in the bathroom, that a door behind him opens on its own? One hand was moving whilst talking and the other holding the camera! :o
@@WalkWithMeTim There is something going on almost like you are attracting these "events" or maybe something is following you around, perhaps some form of guardian spirit
Very interesting and informative.Thank you for sharing England in this way ..good and bad.Your terrific energy and enthusiasm always make the videos great to watch!Always Your devoted fan in America
We stopped in one in Liverpool a few years back, and it wasn’t too good then. Since then, I’ve heard / read that they have got progressively worse. They are now a ‘by word’ for hotels to avoid at all costs.
I stayed here a few years back for one night and was pleasantly surprised! We decided to book a room with a window and thank god we did. Our friends ended up in the basement and we saw their room before getting into ours - we were worried about what was in store for us. However, we opened our door to a stair case and a huge upper floor, as well as a balcony! Very outdated decor but we thought it was a bargain for the amount of space we had.
Tim, please could you include video of hotels showing how accessible and safe they are for wheelchair users? London International seems to have a lot of short stairs: how would they get a wheelchair out in an emergency? Perhaps show how clear are the emergency exit routes and whether fire extinguishers are easy to find. Thanks.
Stayed here in 2018, for the price and the location it was fine, we were at a late night gig just one stop on the tube, so didn’t spend much time in the room, but as a bed for the night it done us well. The car park on the other hand is hellish, it goes underground about 3-4 stories and is so tight, definitely one to avoid lol
I did some work there in the early nineties. It was a nice place in the middle of a regeneration area, It seemed to be open a bit too early, and in the middle of nowhere. Nothing much has been modernised in thirty years. Britania Hotels should be closed down! Happy to take your money, but not so happy to spend it.
Great vlog Tim, room looked decent, sleepless night then with that bed, spooky ďown in the basement, loving the new colour scheme, very retro. Thanks for sharing take care see you soon x
Tim you should go and check out the hockey house hotel in Birmingham. It's disgusting their was bugs in the shower, hairs in the bed the carpet was dirty and just generally disgusting
I stayed at the Hilton hotel in Glasgow about 10 years ago. It was horrible. Old out of date chipped and broken furniture. There was a leak outside my room that turned into a swimming pool. They didn’t move me. I just sloshed through it every day. I was there for 10 nights. If that’s what the Hilton brand is all about then it explains Paris Hilton!!!
The price of this place is really good for the area its in and I'd definitely give it a go. If you haven't already Tim, the worst hotel I've ever stayed in was Brittania Wolverhampton, definitely worth a look x
I remember staying at a hostel in London in the mid-nineties for 5 pounds a night. I was looking just a couple days ago, and the same hostels are nearly 200 a night. For a bed in a shared room, and a shared bathroom. Yikes! the world has changed.
We stayed here when we were building the ice rinks in London last year. Although it was basic, we found it to be ok! The only complaint being the bar which never seemed to be open! I am starting to get complaints from my crew at work though, as every hotel I book them into for work ends up on your channel :-)
4:46 - While that looks like an old mains socket, it's actually a lighting circuit socket. The idea being you have all the lights with those small, round pin plugs, which can all be controlled from a wall switch.
I believe that the reason for pushing 2 single beds together to make a double, is that it allows a hotel to provide either a twin or a double for a room, and so more efficient, and more flexible. Although the single beds do need to be the same, and the mattresses need to be comfy, unfortunately not here. Never mind. I hope it didn't cost too much.
Hi Tim, I don't think that Hyacinth would like that hotel, she would have something to say about the torn wallpaper for sure. I live in the western U.S., and I watch reruns of Keeping up Appearances every Saturday night! As Time Goes By, too! I love those shows.
Stayed here for work for a few days in April 2022 - was fine considering but there was no openable windows and the air conditioning did not work - it was roasting and it was only April. Can't imagine being there in a heatwave.
I stayed in London in the early 1990s at a hotel I didn’t pick out; you had to be escorted to the shower and back again. Communal dining table. It looks like London has improved somewhat.
Hi Timmy, I stayed in that hotel about 17 or 18 years ago, and I have to agree with what you said. Around that time I went to London very often and this was the worst hotel I had been to in the whole city. Two things I liked: the very posh entrance hall and the location in Docklands, close to the DLR. The worst bits for me back then were that the window in my room wouldn't open - and the room was smelly (as well as outdated even back then), the very poor breakfast and extremely rude staff. Needless to say I never came back. I tried Britannia some years later in Coventry and it was even worse. Well, I learnt that lesson. There are premier inns, B&B's, family owned nice old-fashioned 2 or 3 star hotels... All much better for less money.
Hi Tim, Yes…keeping up with appearances is perfect analogy! Dated is one thing…dirty is another….I especially appreciated in London the nice tea and coffee service in the rooms. As a Canadian, this was nice as our dollar is not great in the UK and that saved on some of the take away coffee need. Thanks Tim….love your reviews! Cheers 😊
I stayed at this hotel for a night just after it opened quite a few years ago when everything was brand new but its obvious that the owners have let it get pretty well run down, it needs to be completely refurbished and modernised, being in such a good position someone needs to take it over !
Amazing how they get away with things in London, especially considering that’s hotel location in London, great video, I know mentioned this before but one hotel to look at is Travelodge London Kings Cross Royal Scott horrible hotel stayed in last year, currently on 1,500 terrible reviews, hope you review one day.
Great video 👍 ! This rundown hotel would be so perfect for a liminal space horror movie, with that maze of hallways in the basement. Better not get lost there indeed and end up in the backrooms - or worse, to stay in this shabby hotel forever with no way out 👀😬😛🤣!
Stayed at a place with a bed like that once. After about an hour, I remade the bed with the mattress stacked, much better if a bit wobbly, but at least I did sleep.
Interesting vlog Tim. I almost booked a basement room in this hotel last year for the London marathon weekend, mainly because of the price and location, so glad I didn't.
WATCH MORE Worst Rated HERE 👉tinyurl.com/yrbybbn2
If you really want to visit the worst rated hotel … you wanna head to the minster garth in Beverley East Yorkshire! Have a look on trip advisor 😬 Bet you a fiver Tim to last a night in that place!
I have watched every episode. We'll be visiting sometime in the next 24 months and I'm tempted to stay in one or two of these just for the hell of it! Lol it'll probably be The Grand in Scarborough. The scenery is too beautiful to ignore. 💘
Hi Tim would you ever visit the pontins sites again?
It's one thing to criticise the hotel, which is fine, but what I find mind-boggling is: what sort of person stays in a hotel room and then decides to start peeling the wallpaper off? Just a totally stupid thing to do, but the person doing it obviously thinks it's really clever, because nobody can see them doing it.
I think t skip isnt 4 rubbish, its where they get their furniture from 😄
I think that piece of wood over the window on the 13th floor was to prevent people from throwing themselves out after seeing their room .
No, it's H & S again. It's to stop people running about, and going through the window. I had to fit a similar thing in a school boarding house.
Thats a lot of stairs to run up from the basement.
@@grumpyoldgit3403 I think they were being sarcastic
@@JP-rh7eb Try telling my boyfriend that. He doesn't care if I start to feel tired. He'd just shrug. 😄
@@grumpyoldgit3403 Did you just use a bit of unfinished 19 by 38 too?
The basement is truly a "backrooms" level. It's like the entire hotel is an early 90's time capsule.
Came to say this. Liminal space
Backrooms is just what I was thinking!
Honestly especially that horrendous orange ground floor and green basement 💀💀🤮
Yes my thought too. Absolute backrooms vibe
Check out innercity apartment hotel in Perth. Worst hotel in Perth
You should 100% do a “white sock” test for the worst rated hotels, walk along the corridor of your room and see how dirty the socks are afterwards. Imagine how bad this one would have been! 😂
Try that at any of Britannia's Pontins sites and you'd need to get the bleach out afterwards....
Lol great idea
or maybe a UV torch... then thinking what that torch would show up... missing the bin would be least of your worries... so maybe not UV !!! ;oO
- will also guess their fire safety standards will be... well.... hmm.
I agree! As someone that won’t walk around a hotel room in bear feet, I can only imagine how gross a white sock would be.
@@robynvandergrift8360 Grrrrr! ;)
Brittania have taken on too many hotels and are unable to keep them to a good standard. Good that you show us these vlogs and hopefully people who see them wont use these places. Thank you xx
I think the problem is Britannia has taken on many of the Grand Hotels, ones that used to be only accessible to the wealthy often in seaside or major cruise port locations, since the Jet age these hotels have lost their wealthy visitors and at the same time we’re getting old and required a huge amount of maintenance, Britannia has purchased them and at least for a while saved them from being demolished, but can’t charge the huge prices needed to support their upkeep.
Honestly, we should be happy Britannia can even somehow make a viable business out of these buildings from a bygone era. If people started going to the hotels they'd not be in the state of disrepair they are.
They will use them because the prices are reasonable.
high interest rates will fix this problem
@@ScottZ370 Perhaps the multi millionaire owners non dom tax exile status helps keeps things ticking along
I used to work in a hotel that had basements this bad. its really disheartening for a housekeeper cos they can clean their best ultimately we become like "what's the point, look at the state of this building" so you did your best for the guest staying, but it was very frustratingly not good enough for the prices guests are paying.
I hope people that review don't criticise the housekeepers, cos often they are underpaid, understaffed, and underappreciated - especially when working in old hotels like this that feel like they are falling apart.
Man, that basement just got worse, and worse, and worse, AND WORSE. By the time that part was over I half expected our host to round one of those blind corners and see a set of twins in blue dresses telling him to play with them.
Like with some of the other Britannia hotels you've taken us to - it says a lot when your first impression of a room is 'well, hey, it doesn't overly smell that bad'...
lol
I heard this hotel breaks LOADS of fire safety laws right now... PLUS imagine having that coupled with a room with no window.. nightmare!
many hotels do actually
I’m 36 and stayed here 1994 til 2000 with my parents every October half term. We’re northerners so London was an exciting annual destination. My dad was a geography teacher and chose it as the Docklands area was undergoing such a fascinating transformation (and still is). Every year a new tower had gone up around the hotel and we always got a ‘front view’ room. I visited again last year, almost purely for the nostalgia (although it was cheap too) and it has honestly barely changed. It was actually fine for the price (though the breakfast is pretty poor!). The basement used to have a pool and gym in it. You can see pics if you google it. Not a controversial statement but I think the basement is where they house asylum seekers and those in need of supported accommodation (or those just unlucky enough to get a room down there). There’s a very odd mix of clientele at breakfast. All in all though, it ain’t that bad for the price. I’m just amazed it hasn’t been demolished and swanky flats built on the plot.
Good point
We used to visit around the same time with our small ( at the time) children. It was a nice hotel probably a lot of business customers and cheaper at the weekends. It felt like a grand hotel for the price. The cheaper hotel chains such as Travelodge started to open and attract more tourists.
The location of the hotel was great for sightseeing. We only visited once after the IRA bomb at South Quay station not far away in 1996 as there was a lot of scaffolding and rebuilding going on.
well said, it was dated but it was ok and I would go back for nostalgia too
Having driven past this hotel almost daily since it was built, I can say that the huge skip out front has been a permanent fixture for as long as I can remember!!
15-20 years ago as a young adult, this was my favourite hotel to go. With the awe of Canary Wharf around it, rocking up to the on-site parking, and that grand entrance, it felt pretty special. Relations were broken - making it our last stay - when for breakfast they shunted us to a side-room with unsuspecting tourists and provided a very slim selection. It’s clearly suffering from lack of investment - shame as it has such a premium location and structure - the potential to be great once again.
I love hotels such as these and can only imagine what a task it must be to clean and carry out maintenance on a hotel that size. From watching the videos, Britannia seem to invest heavily on upgrading the exteriors and lobbys/communal areas (for good first impressions) though neglect the actual rooms. What also surprises me is the lack of staff for a hotel of this size and people wondering about away from the lobby areas. I'd like to know what the room occupancy rates are at any one time and balance sheets for this particular hotel.
Legend has it poor tim is still lost amongst the basement corridors. Bless him. Certainly was a maze. Good vlog. Certainly gives me eerie vibes. Hopefully the whole hotel will be better once restorations are completed. Look forward to the next vlog. Xxx
Tim should have added the Crystal Maze theme to the basement section of the video for comedic/dramatic effect
😂😂😂
The hotel opened with 442(ish) bedrooms... it now has 601, and the building as far as I am aware has not been extended. I believe they converted all the function rooms and leisure club areas into bedrooms - there are photos online of a rather than ballroom that has since been split into bedrooms which are still accessed by the wide stairs so it looks so odd now lol
Did it open in about 1994?
@@ajs41 Yes
@@crazyshedlife Thanks. I wish I'd visited the Canary Wharf area at the time. The BBC TV show Bugs has lots of shots from the area around that period.
The weird round pin plug is usually for when you want a floor lamp on a lighting circuit. Lighting circuits use smaller wires than the ones for normal plugs, so there's a special plug to stop you plugging in something that'll overload it.
The ZA sockets are 15A round pin, as opposed to the 5A round pin (they're
smaller) for a lamp socket. Both are old British standards from before BS1363 replaced them. 15A are still used in theatres in Britain, presumably originally to differentiate between dimmed outlets and hard power.
Used in theatres because they're not fused. No one wants climb scaffolding or a 30' ladder to change a plug fuse
@@Mitch-Hendren aye i never thought about that, that makes sense. Most of our bars are at 13' so it wouldn't be so bad but definitely worth avoiding
I cannot believe people paying to stay there .Britannia should be ashamed of the rooms and basement carpets ,wires hanging out of wall dangerous .Smelling ,water spillage on walls .Thank you for showing this No way .False impression when you walk through front door
Delighted by the "Keeping Up Appearances" reference. Hyacinth would be so pleased and might just issue you an invitation to one of her infamous candlelight suppers!
She would certainly need her cleaning cloth, she would immediately give that room a going over. I would too.
Some insider knowledge for you… Britannias policy is that if someone checks in for a booking and there are upgraded rooms available they automatically do so it gives people the incentive to return. This explains the upgrades you will be getting 😊
yes I heard that ... people think its because they watch the videos lol
As soon as the bed in a room is that bad, the hotel is a wright off. The reason for hotels is to provide a comfortable place to sleep, if they can't do that then they are useless.
Yep they have 3 things to get right. Good bed. Good shower. Comfortable temperature. That’s it. Everything else doesn’t matter. Fail on the bed and it’s consigned to the never again pile.
certainly a hotel of two halves! Very impressed by the reception area but then it goes a bit downhill. But, for the price you paid, taking into account the location, I would certainly stay there if it was just for a convenient one night.
My thoughts exactly
The labyrinth of corridors in the basement is like something out of the backrooms, very eerie.
very!
You should stay in a penthouse/suite at one of these worst rated hotels mate. It would be really interesting to see what you get
Good idea
I've stayed in one of the deluxe suites at this very hotel. Added bonus: water pouring through the ceiling at 3 in the morning!
@@leeosborne3793 lol brilliant alarm
@@ahyaan2552 It certainly woke me up fast.
You’ll need to start booking Britannia hotels with a pseudonym soon 😂 you must be becoming Britannia’s most loyal customer 😂😂😂
lol ive spent loads
@@WalkWithMeTim you need a loyalty card 😂💳
Get a free orange juice at breakfast
From what i've seen from your other videos of Britannia hotels I think i'd rather sleep in the skip outside under the canopy
For me, a room with peeling wallpaper and chipped furniture doesn't appeal, no matter how glam the rest of it looks. Especially the bed being hard! I guess the older I get the more I want a bit of comfort and luxury. One of my favourite hotels is the Sofitel at Gatwick North Terminal. The beds are out of this world!! As someone with chronic arthritis who suffers in most hotel beds, I can tell you the beds at Sofitel are just the most fabulous. I wish I could find out what make they are and what toppers they use because I'd have one at home in a heartbeat. You should do a review of the Sofitel north terminal as one of the best hotels.
I totally understand this problem - holidays, rentals and nights away can be a minefield. Why not contact the Sofitel and ask for the mattress and topper specs? I've taken beds to bits before now to find product labels - sadly they have all been out of reach financially. I respect the Premier Inn team who came up with the "good night sleep guarantee" - which starts with a (very) comfy bed!
Another great vid Tim, keep them coming. I've never seen a 'clean' Brittania hotel ever, and I could see what was in store for us with this one when I saw that the letter 'I' was broken and hanging down on the main sign for the hotel outside the main entrance. Manky and filthy, and I wouldn't even stay there if you paid for my room Tim.
I stayed there several times for work in the mid 1990's and the hotel is just as I remember, including the décor. Obviously fairly new then and the service was good. The "dubious pictures" are a later addition. The hotel was very popular with overseas tour groups. I was told that the building was originally designed as offices which is why there was a queue for the lifts when the hotel was full. I used the service elevator a few times!
I don't remember basement rooms. I suspect they may originally have been part of the car park.
Some comments say there used to be a swimming pool, maybe that was in the basement.
The upkeep of a building this size must just be impossible. Parts of it really are in a bit of a state. But I must admit, I expected worse.
I'm just so relieved that you weren't tempted to stick your digits in any of those seriously dodgy socket holes. You have learnt your lesson Mr Tim 🤣😘
Stayed there last month, paid £130 and was in basement. Total dump and noisy ventilation all night. Fortunately was there for only one night and I can pretty much sleep anywhere.
One thing to bear in mind with that basement, there are 2 basement floors all that water you see outside next to the building, you’re below it! I got the impression damp is an issue, in the basement at least.
I'm a coach tour driver and have the misfortune if staying at all of the Brittania hotels.
This particular hotel suffers with drunks at weekends. I've witnessed the police arriving en mass a few times.
These hallways were true backrooms material. Impressive.
"Hello? Yes?" It's the 90s on the phone, they want their hotel back.
I believe that socket is a 5A BS546 socket. While BS546 is the predecessor to the common BS1363 plugs and sockets we use today, they still find use in lighting installations. The smaller 5A version, like in the video is used for domestic and commercial installations as specific lamp sockets (often controlled by a light switch) while the larger 15A version has seen constant use in theatre installations, primarily to provide a means of differentiating between 'hot' and dimmed circuits.
Your room was okay (although the bed looked rock hard!) but I was really taken aback by how bad the damp problem was. At least with places like the Grand and the Adelphi, you can say that they're old buildings and haven't had enough money spent on them but this building is relatively new and is clearly having real issues. The restaurant seemed decent, though.
Don't think that's damp, it's surely leaking pipes and air conditioning units
Those basements are terrifying. If I was sent down there I would take one step down and turn back around. No way in hell I’d even traverse those halls, let alone stay in a room down there!
Many years ago my dad had an antique dealer/house clearance friend and he sold loads of traditional brown furniture to American dealers who filled up containers to ship to USA, as they loved British stuff. Nowadays I think Britannia buys it all! Not sure about the rainbow walls, job lot of paint?
Wow this hotel seems like a huge fire safety hazard with the endless corridors and lack of windows. Not for me thanks!
That furniture is moulded fibreboard. (My ex-husband had a furniture store) that's why it chips. Stag used to make their furniture with fantastic grade wooden fibreboard, but Brittany's has just got the duff stuff.
I don’t think Hyacinth Bucket (Bouquet) would like you comparing her home to this hotel😂
The decor lol
Brilliant Tim I actually stayed here 2 months ago and was going to ask you to review it. We had a room in the basements and it was extremely stuffy. I sent a complaint and they offered me a free upgraded if I returned, no thanks!
wow
Hi Tim. I can't sleep on any bed that is uncomfortable. Lobby looks great. xx
agree
One could make an awesome Shining-like horror movie in those hallways!
Brittania specialises in taking slightly tired 4* hotels with a lot of potential (with good management and refurbishment) and turning them into shabby 2* dumps that rank around the lowest in the city.
See the former Dragonara / Hilton in Edinburgh which they have run into the ground. It used to be a lovely place, now it's the worst hotel in the city centre (where demand in peak season is huge).
I slept in terminal at Amsterdam Schiphol a few years ago and during the night there were thousands of mice on the terminal floor during the night, quite shocking! Nice review, interesting basement!
Did they have clogs on?
Even found that recently at T2 Heathrow.
Oh wow!
First thing I thought when you entered the room was “Shades of Hyacinth Bucket”. Well, apparently we think alike. Great video as usual. Cheers from Sweden
thanks Daniel
“ The bouquet residence….”
Haha no way! I've been to this hotel. I remember it being amazing. But I think that might be because I went down for an interview after uni and it was cheapest. I still remember jumping on a bed in an identical room telling me I'd been offered an amazing job in Canary Wharf.
I never touch any switches/remotes in a hotel till I have cleaned them. I clean all the bathroom fittings/taps and always wear slippers. Take bottled water and drink out of the bottle not any cups supplied.
Is your psychiatrist helping you with that?
Antique furniture? Check.
Old grandeur? Check.
Key location? Check.
Zero Upkeep? Check.
Something tells me it's a Britannia Hotel
This was a very fair review. The hotel clearly needs to pick up the pace on renovating, but things are clean in the active guest areas.
It needs to be demolished...
A classic look is never bad, but dirty and worn out is NOT GOOD!!
I stayed here about 8 or 9 years ago and it was great. It was a short stay but it was a lovely hotel, I really liked it. To see the reviews now absolutely baffles me, how could something that good get so bad so quickly?
No investment probably.
To be fair the room looked fine, stayed in a lot worse. The bed needed a new mattress. The communal areas looked really nice, and the Yamaha piano was lovely and would have a great sound.
Hi Tim ! Lol random chairs you make me laugh. Room didn't seem that bad . Another tired Brittania hotel God I wish a company would take over that actually cared. Thanks for sharing with us. Love to you as always Tracey 💕 xxxx
lol
Brings back memories. I used to work in the office block over the road 20 years ago and the corner lounge was where we often went after work on Fridays for a couple before going home. Looks like they haven't spent much money on it since then! It's an old building in Canary Wharf terms and I imagine it's due for demolition soon and they can't be bothered to invest in it much.
That's what I'm thinking, surely it's days are numbered but why oh why doesn't the group build a mix use tower with hotel and apartments there, they would make a fortune. Surely they own the leasehold. The mind boggles at the lack of ambition
I live just around the corner from this hotel. I've walked & cycled past it so many times but never been inside. So this was very interesting, thank you! 😂
Anyone else notice at around the 7.45/7.50 mark, when Tim's in the bathroom, that a door behind him opens on its own? One hand was moving whilst talking and the other holding the camera! :o
Yep, that was weird, very weird
Omg clip it and share
Omg omg omgggg
@@WalkWithMeTim There is something going on almost like you are attracting these "events" or maybe something is following you around, perhaps some form of guardian spirit
@@WalkWithMeTim I have sent the clip via your Facebook page if you want to have a look! 👻 I wasn't sure how else to send!
I would imagine a hotel that size is expensive to maintain.
I like how you are down to earth and not on some youtuber ego trip. This kind of hotel is affordable for most people. And the location is great
Thanks
Very interesting and informative.Thank you for sharing England in this way ..good and bad.Your terrific energy and enthusiasm always make the videos great to watch!Always Your devoted fan in America
thank you Tricia , love the devoted part :-)
We stopped in one in Liverpool a few years back, and it wasn’t too good then. Since then, I’ve heard / read that they have got progressively worse.
They are now a ‘by word’ for hotels to avoid at all costs.
Govt give them our Money to house the new ' visitors ' some from the likkle boats
I stayed here a few years back for one night and was pleasantly surprised! We decided to book a room with a window and thank god we did. Our friends ended up in the basement and we saw their room before getting into ours - we were worried about what was in store for us. However, we opened our door to a stair case and a huge upper floor, as well as a balcony! Very outdated decor but we thought it was a bargain for the amount of space we had.
Tim, please could you include video of hotels showing how accessible and safe they are for wheelchair users? London International seems to have a lot of short stairs: how would they get a wheelchair out in an emergency?
Perhaps show how clear are the emergency exit routes and whether fire extinguishers are easy to find. Thanks.
Stayed here in 2018, for the price and the location it was fine, we were at a late night gig just one stop on the tube, so didn’t spend much time in the room, but as a bed for the night it done us well. The car park on the other hand is hellish, it goes underground about 3-4 stories and is so tight, definitely one to avoid lol
Wow
That room reminds me of Alan Partridge's at the Linton Travel Tavern 😂
Lol
Britannia Hotels - Buying old, grand hotels in their heyday and running them into the ground.
We stayed at St Joseph Hotel, mold everywhere, crusty carpets, unwashed sheets.
The one I of Britannia hanging down from the sign is the first clue that something could be wrong here.
I hope you're right and no one is being put into the basement. I don't think I would have stayed at the hotel if I was put down there.
Always great to see live and neutral electric wires poking out adjacent all those lifts 😮
I did some work there in the early nineties. It was a nice place in the middle of a regeneration area, It seemed to be open a bit too early, and in the middle of nowhere.
Nothing much has been modernised in thirty years. Britania Hotels should be closed down! Happy to take your money, but not so happy to spend it.
Great vlog Tim, room looked decent, sleepless night then with that bed, spooky ďown in the basement, loving the new colour scheme, very retro. Thanks for sharing take care see you soon x
Tim you should go and check out the hockey house hotel in Birmingham. It's disgusting their was bugs in the shower, hairs in the bed the carpet was dirty and just generally disgusting
Yikes
Christina ,do u mean hockley house in solihull x
@@susanreid9857 yh
I love how this is the only place on Earth that would be a recommendation rather than a warning.
@@susanreid9857 yes, this was in 1977 though.
I stayed at the Hilton hotel in Glasgow about 10 years ago. It was horrible. Old out of date chipped and broken furniture. There was a leak outside my room that turned into a swimming pool. They didn’t move me. I just sloshed through it every day. I was there for 10 nights. If that’s what the Hilton brand is all about then it explains Paris Hilton!!!
The price of this place is really good for the area its in and I'd definitely give it a go. If you haven't already Tim, the worst hotel I've ever stayed in was Brittania Wolverhampton, definitely worth a look x
That's not the famous Jonathan's Hotel, is it? Or was that in Walsall?
The basement being like that is probably why didn't let you stay down there , it's probably why they moved you Tbf if they're working on it .
I'd stay here, it's good to see the hotel being updated. Great video as always x
I totally agree!
Hotel looks like a mixed bag. Def not the worst but if I was on a budget and didn't plan on hanging out in the hotel all day, i'd book it.
I remember staying at a hostel in London in the mid-nineties for 5 pounds a night. I was looking just a couple days ago, and the same hostels are nearly 200 a night. For a bed in a shared room, and a shared bathroom. Yikes! the world has changed.
The basement looks like the Backrooms. This place is cursed.
We stayed here when we were building the ice rinks in London last year. Although it was basic, we found it to be ok! The only complaint being the bar which never seemed to be open!
I am starting to get complaints from my crew at work though, as every hotel I book them into for work ends up on your channel :-)
lol
4:46 - While that looks like an old mains socket, it's actually a lighting circuit socket. The idea being you have all the lights with those small, round pin plugs, which can all be controlled from a wall switch.
I believe that the reason for pushing 2 single beds together to make a double, is that it allows a hotel to provide either a twin or a double for a room, and so more efficient, and more flexible. Although the single beds do need to be the same, and the mattresses need to be comfy, unfortunately not here. Never mind. I hope it didn't cost too much.
nope was good price for London
Hi Tim, I don't think that Hyacinth would like that hotel, she would have something to say about the torn wallpaper for sure. I live in the western U.S., and I watch reruns of Keeping up Appearances every Saturday night! As Time Goes By, too! I love those shows.
Stayed here for work for a few days in April 2022 - was fine considering but there was no openable windows and the air conditioning did not work - it was roasting and it was only April. Can't imagine being there in a heatwave.
Omg
I stayed here a couple years ago and hated it. No window, dirty sheets and stained walls, just generally gross. Britannia Hotels should be shut down.
I love these worst rated hotels vids I would like more
I stayed in London in the early 1990s at a hotel I didn’t pick out; you had to be escorted to the shower and back again. Communal dining table. It looks like London has improved somewhat.
Nice video , The hotel seemed in general, quite nice. As you said the basement was disgusting, but if they weren’t putting people down there.
I can hear your phone screaming: pick me up from that dirty floor 😂
I stayed here over 20 years ago, once was enough, the decor of your room is exactly the same as it was then!
I bet
Hi Timmy, I stayed in that hotel about 17 or 18 years ago, and I have to agree with what you said. Around that time I went to London very often and this was the worst hotel I had been to in the whole city. Two things I liked: the very posh entrance hall and the location in Docklands, close to the DLR. The worst bits for me back then were that the window in my room wouldn't open - and the room was smelly (as well as outdated even back then), the very poor breakfast and extremely rude staff. Needless to say I never came back. I tried Britannia some years later in Coventry and it was even worse. Well, I learnt that lesson. There are premier inns, B&B's, family owned nice old-fashioned 2 or 3 star hotels... All much better for less money.
Hi Tim,
Yes…keeping up with appearances is perfect analogy! Dated is one thing…dirty is another….I especially appreciated in London the nice tea and coffee service in the rooms. As a Canadian, this was nice as our dollar is not great in the UK and that saved on some of the take away coffee need. Thanks Tim….love your reviews! Cheers 😊
I stayed at this hotel for a night just after it opened quite a few years ago when everything was brand new but its obvious that the owners have let it get pretty well run down, it needs to be completely refurbished and modernised, being in such a good position someone needs to take it over !
Amazing how they get away with things in London, especially considering that’s hotel location in London, great video, I know mentioned this before but one hotel to look at is Travelodge London Kings Cross Royal Scott horrible hotel stayed in last year, currently on 1,500 terrible reviews, hope you review one day.
Thanks for the tip
Great video 👍 ! This rundown hotel would be so perfect for a liminal space horror movie, with that maze of hallways in the basement. Better not get lost there indeed and end up in the backrooms - or worse, to stay in this shabby hotel forever with no way out 👀😬😛🤣!
Absolutely love these vlogs. My god the decor pictures lol. Keep them coming these Britannia hotels are a total maze nobody about bizarre.
Stayed at a place with a bed like that once. After about an hour, I remade the bed with the mattress stacked, much better if a bit wobbly, but at least I did sleep.
MORE WORST RATED HOLIDAY/BRITANNIAS please 😂❤
Lol
Interesting vlog Tim. I almost booked a basement room in this hotel last year for the London marathon weekend, mainly because of the price and location, so glad I didn't.
11:20 felt like part of a scary movie 😂
LDN Hotels in my experience are always like playing Russian roulette, hit or miss.. thank god for reviews like this..