I only needed to watch half of the review Tim, no offence. I don't think you're "weird" for pulling back the bed clothes. Like the hair dryer complete with hairs, filthy curtains, health hazard rads, let's face it this place is a real tip. They should be paying people who stay at the risk of their health and well-being! This dump, like many others you've visited needs either a complete Industrial Clean or burning down.
Hi @walkwithmetim . Great vid. It hasnt changed since i stayed there years ago. Do these hotels ever make an effort to change after you visited them? Woulf be good to get a video where you tell us if they do. You're doing good work. Hopefully it will improve standards across the industry.
I once stayed in a Brittania hotel once for weekend and it wasn't that bad. It was a double room, cooked breakfast included, TV and WiFi. I guess I got lucky.
nobody does the worst rated better than Tim , i absolutely love this content , i think Tim just has such a personal presentation style i think i'm there with him ❤ brilliant
You need to send someone into the basement rooms. They have only view into the air system. No light felt sick as other guest did. Got chest infection both times I was forced to stay there. Mold on all floors gets paint job but no real fix.
Considering what happened to the hotel the other day, I had to laugh out loud when you said "I can really smell smoke" !!! What a shame these lovely old buildings become too expensive to maintain and slowly rot away 😒😒
Tim. I hope the BBC come calling soon, I find your presenting style very engaging and your confidence puts me, the viewer, at ease, I never tire at the length which is also a credit to your ability to keep people switched on! Absolutely love this series, just a shame there are so many to pick from in the UK!
Second fire since being taken over by Britannia. I witnessed the 1998 fire as I was on my way to a dental appointment at a surgery just around the corner from the Albion. It look bad that day as well and it was 2 years before it was reopened. The fire this time was in the same part of the hotel as the last one, which is strange. Walked passed this morning and the fire brigade were still pouring water on the remains.
I think the recent fire (fires!) must be some sort of insurance claim.... how this could even be a hotel looking so run down is beyond me, and the cost to update it must be thousands.
The fact that it is like a maze and is corridors on corridors goes a way to explain why the fire service didn’t send people in to fight the fire - could you imagine being a firefighter in smoke and flames trying to navigate! The random rubbish and numerous issues just go to show this place was an accident waiting to happen.
Having worked for Britannia hotels I've seen first hand how much the company really doesn't care about the upkeep of the hotels, they come in and buy up these really nice grand looking places, give it an initial refurbishment and refresh and then forget about them, it's such a shame 😥😥
I just don’t get it. What’s the point? If they’re not looking to tear them down, then surely they can’t be making much money from these places, and all they’ve done is tank their reputation. I don’t know enough about UK tax laws to understand what sort of dodge they are doing to make this worth their time and money.
I worked at this hotel in the offices until 20+ years ago when it was taken over by Britannia Hotels and left because I did not like the way they treated staff and customers. The hotel then was in need of some repair (it was an old building) but it was always clean and we respected our customers and gave value for money, especially at private events like weddings, parties etc. The windows were always difficult to keep clean in view of the salt from the sea spray and seagulls.After the fire in 1998 the hotel was completely refurbished, unfortunately cheaply and has not been cared for since. Such a shame as a beautiful building in a good location. A real trip down memory lane.
@@marilynhillman4887 was it the staff or the management? 🤔 I'm confused as the staff should be taking pride and looking after such a beautiful building and doing their job 🤷♂️
This is the one I've been waiting for. We stayed here in a basement room about 12 years ago. The room looked like a scene out of Dexter, there was what looked like blood splatter on the walls, skid marks in the toilets. Was just unbelievable. Like you I'm disappointed you got an upgrade lol
I feel like some presevation society really needs to step in and stop Britannia from ruining these treasures of buildings... their heritage its at risk with the way Britannia "care" for them! Another Great video though, love this series!
So sad to see this historic building of nearly 200 years burn like this but at least no one got hurt. I know it wasn't the best hotel but I was there last year and it had some beautiful interiors to explore. Hopefully it can recover and realise its full potential in the future in the right hands. Watching the video again!
@screenfly7181 I've read they've brought in demolition crew to take down the old part to access the other areas. I'm not from Brighton but it's incredibly sad 😢
@@shaunna16x Yes they are demolishing the facade of the old part of the hotel today . Makes you wonder what caused the fire on Saturday😔 Looks like they can save the newer end of the building.
I was in Brighton holidaying elsewhere when this burned, but I do know somebody who was staying there, thankfully no injuries to anybody which was a miracle! So incredibly sad and scary to see it on fire. The whole of Brighton smelled like a bonfire, maybe it was those people smoking who shouldn't have been but investigations still need to happen 😢
@@tjc8758 Will be interesting to see what the outcome of an investigation would be. I think the fire started in the afternoon. It could have been so much worse if it happened in the middle of the night.
This isn't the first random upgrade you have received. I'm starting to genuinely think these poorly rated places know who you are and give you their best room.
@@WalkWithMeTim I was in a Britannia last week - taking some 360 degree photos as I do and staying there for the night. Got one of the staff to allow me access to the swimming pool are after hours - she asked if I was going around doing videos giving them a bad name....I just smiled and said, that's not me...
Once I got a random upgrade in Hotel Adlon, from a standard room to a junior suite facing the Unter den Linden. Just a floor above was the room Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip once stayed in. Wow, I really wondered why...
Hotel catches fire the year after you stayed in it. No surprise there looking at the quality of maintenance Britannia usually imbue their hotels and the 9:55 smokers everywhere as you noted.
I booked just down the road from here in a B & B a few years back after spending a day in Brighton. Top floor, had to turn sideways to get round the bed, shared toilet with loads of other people, furniture falling apart! First thing the owner did was give us a hot corn on the cob as we walked in the front door! Random!! We took one look at the room, turned on our heels (corn on the cob in hand) and crept out of the front door again and went back home! Love your worst hotels vids!! x J x
It's such a shame for these older buildings to be in such a bad state of repair sometimes and it's all very well expecting the company to restore them, but they probably don't have the occupancy levels they need, because most people go abroad these days. Love the videos though!
I think its a catch 22 situation- if you restored the buildings you have to charge more for the rooms - charge more for the rooms you wont get the customers, cant get the customers, cant upgrade the building. I still think if Britannia didnt run some of these hotels, they would be empty and in a worse state.
@@1davidsmall I worked for a hotel company based in Newcastle who like Britannia have taken hotels out of receivership and bought when hotels are broken down like this, they however learned very quickly to invest in structure and refurbishment along with staffing to rejuvenate these properties and develop business, they then started to move their hotels into brands like Holiday Inn, Hilton, Mercure and so on, they have expanded further doing this whilst maintaining standards and quality of operation, it can be done but the owner of Britannia chooses not to.
Nah Britannia have always done this, their only intention and business model is to squeeze as much money out of the building before it gets condemned. The built in level of investment was always minimal. Companies like them are large part of the reason why people go abroad.
My mum was head housekeeper there (and my eldest sister deputy H/housekeeper) back in the v early 70's and another sister was a live in chambermaid. I used to do babysitting for any clients that wanted a night off. I was only about 14 at the time but remember my mother (despite all her faults) was a great stickler for cleanliness.
You’re braver than me. I couldn’t stay in such a dirty room! I like these worst of hotel series but could you review the breakfasts( or evening meals) as well? It be interesting to see what the food/ cleanliness of the hotel restaurants are like. You’re doing a grand job Tim. Love the videos.👍🏻
If the cleanliness of the hotel in general is bad, what does on expect the kitchen to be like??!!, and would you take the chances, there's several videos of the Norbeck castle for example, just dial the hospital in advance!
I was the General Manager at this hotel in the 70s when it was privately owned. Frankly it looks like very little has changed apart from then it was clean.
There are some stunning looking hotels around Britain, it's such a shame some have been forgotten, and left to fall in despair, make old hotels beautiful again 👍
I stayed with family and friends in a hotel in Brighton that was so disgraceful my mum reported them, but it was also so disgraceful that its one of my best memories because of how comical it was, not at the time but looking back and actually thinking about the fact that we stayed there. There was carpet squelching all the way up to the room, the door lock was stuck and the carpet was lifting at the door. We opened it eventually after asking manager for help, and once in, the room stunk. The window was literally nailed open with holes in the curtains and barbed wire with pigeon feathers at the sill, there was 3 bunk beds that were rusty and literally had no ladders, and the carpets were sticky. The ensuite was disgusting and when we sat on the toilet it did sink on one side into the cracked tiles and when you'd stand up it would lift again, and there was no plug in the bath or sink. When we asked about the plug they told us to use a plastic bag. When we were trying to sleep my sister shouted and I shot up off my bed, only to move my pillow and see a centipede or millipede of some sort, running on the sheet, and when I tried to run to go out the room to complain, we couldn't get the door open. We eventually did with 3 of us pulling it and we literally sat on the carpet on the stairs until my dad came back and we told him we refused to sleep there. He said there was no other option, which we knew, and we begged him to stay in the car but he said it was dangerous, so we went back to our room and sat awake talking all night instead of lying down to sleep until we could check out. It was so awful I can't even tell you. It was disgustingly filthy and absolutely completely awful. If I found out now it was actually a fake registered hotel and someone had just reopened a building that had closed down decades before, I promise I wouldn't be surprised. It had absolutely certainly never ever been cleaned or maintained. I have never ever stayed in Brighton since, even when I've travelled hours to visit, I refuse to stay there. Its rancid.
I'm so glad you did this review. I worked in the Bat & Ball pub in Brighton many many many years ago and i stayed in the Royal Albion, even then it was extremely filthy. when i arrived the bath was full of hair where someone had obviously shaved something covered in hair (beard or something else) 🙂 They had to send a cleaner in to clean it. Sadly the entire hotel was as filthy. Seems they have made some kind of effort but i think the cleaners are just damn lazy.
Probably only have one cleaner of the staff. The people who clean up and change the linen probably don't have much time to do any real cleaning, or they give up and move on.
I don’t know what is worse! The bat and ball pub or the Albion hotel. To me they both say a lot about Brighton in general. It’s been ridden hard like an old pony, overpriced, bonkers and rundown 😂
It’s not usually the staffs fault for things being dirty or broken. Honestly, most staff try their best but they’re given an allotted amount of time to turn around a whole room before they move onto the next. If they can’t do it fast enough, they get reprimanded and eventually fired. And the time allotted doesn’t allow for more than a change of sheets, the bathroom, and some surfaces if they look particularly grubby, plus a quick vacuum. Unfortunately like everywhere with minimum wage workers they’re expected to do the jobs of three people each, in half the time, while getting pennies for their hard, manual labour. After a while anyone would get a bit complacent and annoyed. Cleaning is a bitch of a job.
I worked on this hotel around 8 years ago with a huge building firm. We had months and months of work, painting, gutting most rooms, restoring the old wooden windows the list goes on. Its a shame it seems it hasn't been kept on top of but I bet if you visited then you would have enjoyed your stay alot more. Shame really could be such a nicer hotel seeing as it's in such a amazing location it's placed!
The last time I was booking a hotel for a trip to Brighton I was considering staying at the Royal Albion, watching this I’m glad I booked the Travelodge as I usually do. Having said that I bet that hotel was amazing back in its heyday.
Just searched as its currently on fire on the news , and i had forgotten about this hotel. I stayed here about 10 yrs ago for 2 months whilst working away and it wasn’t that bad, the furniture was a little dated but the most important things was my room was clean and quiet. I was massively impressed with the size of the rooms and heights of the ceilings and in most of the rooms you got a sofa. I think this is one of the best britannia hotels ive stayed in, please never go to folkstone one !!
You mentioned the hotel being 200 years old, that explains why most of the hotel was the way it was. They may not have the staff or can afford to pay the staff to look after the rooms. Alot of the hotels here in Canada maybe the same way. Alot of the hotels are looked after because they want the business.
The Royal Albion was probably the third best hotel in Brighton after the Grand and metropole. There was a massive fire there in 1998 which started in the kitchens but spread onto the roof. I think it was shortly after it was repaired that Britannia took over - I suspect it hasn’t been painted since then! I found this interesting snippet online about the fire: “After the fire, the Royal Albion had to contend with looting. A waiter (not from the Royal Albion) was caught stealing a TV and video recorder from the charred remains of the building and has been ordered to do 60 hours community service after admitting burglary. Anthony O'Kane, 22, was arrested by police after he was spotted walking out of the Royal Albion with the equipment in his arms two days after the fire.”
Being a brightonian I remember the steps downstairs to a lovely piano room and bar. I never thought about the hotel until it caught fire years ago caused by an extractor fan. Sadly it went down hill no doubt because of the owners neglect. It is now on fire once again where the fire engines cannot cope as we have 40 hr or more gales. I always think the worse when businesses go down hill. I hope that this is not the case. Too many fires in Brighton. BEDFORD HOTEL. HOVE TOWN HALL. WEST PIER. and others. Including my mother's house , lucky enough it was only the kitchen that was gutted.
So glad you've done the Albion but my lord, you took your life into your hands staying here. A friend of mine once stayed here about 5/6 years ago, I didn't stay but I did see her room. She had the most bizarre room - when you walked in, there was a double bed as you entered, and then in the room itself was a staircase that took you up to a kind of mainsionette affair with another double bed IN THE SAME ROOM. It was potty. We couldn't understand it, this extra level within the room itself, like balcony overlooking the bed below. So weird. The wardrobe also smelled of kebabs as I recall. Only good thing about the Albion is the location because at least you can spend time in the great pubs of Brighton around it and not the fleapit itself. If the fire last month wasn't an insurance job, someone's missed a trick. Great, great video!
From Wikipedia. On the morning of 24 November 1998, the hotel was devastated by a fire which started in the kitchen. A chef was frying eggs and sausages in a pan; hot fat spilt and caught light,[15] and flames were immediately sucked up a vent to the top floor. The fire spread quickly, assisted by strong winds, and all 160 people in the building were evacuated.[15][16] The Public and Commercial Services Union had to cancel their annual conference, due to be held that day, because of the disruption caused to its delegates, most of whom were staying at the hotel.[16] About 160 firefighters from all parts of East and West Sussex attended the fire from about 8.20am until late in the evening, in what was later described as Brighton's "biggest firefighting operation for nearly 30 years".[15] All parts of the hotel were affected by smoke, water and structural damage, but the original corner building was particularly badly affected. Still no excuse.
Just re-watched this vlog on your stay here in the RA Hotel after the aftermath of the fire. Bet you didn't realise just how brave you were. Lots of National Holidays with older citizens stayed here and did so up to last Saturday. Absolutely frightening on all levels!
The padlocked door is probably where they store the loo rolls & cleaning supplies, which is not terribly spooky. Or if you prefer you can think that it is where the hotels resident vampire is chained in his coffin.
@@DaveBeaven-tx2tp I wouldn't be surprised if it is haunted.. A lot of buildings, including surprisingly new ones are haunted. We need to get used to it.
Great video Tim. If you had known beforehand of the upgrade , the family could have stayed with you. 🙂. They're probably doing the best they can on a very tight budget.
Tim Liked your video, very objective and have to agree with you on a few pieces. The SunTerrace and walls were decorated last year, fantastic place to enjoy the sun as We have done once or twice. The hotel staff always very helpful. Tim I think still alot of improvement, but over the years they have improved it.
My uncle has worked as a hotel manager for many years in different hotels around the world. First of all; giving a dirty room to a guest is completely unacceptable by any hotel standards. There’s literally no acceptable excuse for giving a dirty room to a guest! Secondly; there should never be any trash or broken items just sitting where everyone can see it like that. Not only does it give a bad impression but again there’s really no acceptable excuse for it either. So in other words; just a Britannia hotel being a Britannia hotel 👍 Anyway, thank you for the video….gave you a like 🍻
Dirty hotels to my mind are a reflection on how cleaning staff are treated , lack of supervision too many rooms to clean and no doubt paid a pittance ! This doesn’t generate a sense of pride in the working day or attention to detail .
Those who might know the history of Brighton and this particular hotel will recognise that in 1998 it saw the worst fire in Brighton ever. The place was pretty much gutted with the internals having to be completely restored. So all this deterioration has taken a mere 24 yrs of 'neglect' by the management and 'abuse' by the clientele - perhaps the lower floors where public areas are not so bad - but I would avoid staying there like the plague anyway!
@@WalkWithMeTim That would explain why some of the decor "style" choices look like it's where the 90's went to die. Why would you put muted pink/blue fake rag-rolled-esque stripes with a royal blue carpet. Grim is spot on. There is a real liminal feel to all these spaces. You ache for what they once were, yet would hate to see it go but the money needed to restore it (and pay enough staff to run it decent wages, treat them well enough to want to work there) is exorbitant. This is why so many places of this scale end up being bought up and split into apartments. I don't know what the answer is, but I know it's not Brittania. Thanks for your work documenting these places Tim, it's important to have records like this. It will be interesting in years to come to look back and compare. I hope this encourages locals on all your vids to let you know if things change at places you've visited. I enjoy reading their insights or reminiscences.
@@tiapollard9613 Yes I know - and it is rather sad for a repeat 25 yrs on - still smouldering and has evidently left it as a shell once again - couldn'y have happened on worse day for winds fanning the flames.
I stayed here a couple of months ago and I couldn't fault it . Staff very helpful, karaoke in the evenings. Meals were great . Yes the rooms were a bit dated but they were comfortable and at end of day it's not like your in the rooms 24/7. We were out and about. So despite this I give my thumbs up to the royal albion and yes I'd stay there again. Its not all doom and gloom It was affordable and central , it was accommodating, I didn't expect 5 star for the price and that was good enough for me.
It does depend with this hotel. If you get the right room at the right time, you can have a nice enough room for £40 and have a really nice stay in Brighton. Other times you can be paying like £200 a night to stay there, and get a room that is like a basement storage cupboard. It's more often bad than good at this place, but you can get lucky
Another great vid. Love your visits to these terrible places, amazes mart that there are actually people staying there, mostly elderly. Thank you for taking your life in your hands all for entertainment
Loved this vid! I lived in Brighton for years and must've walked past this place countless times, was genuinely fascinating getting to see that the interior is as rundown as the exterior 😆 Also a couple of the houses i rented seemed to be built in a similar era to this hotel & were just as shabby lol My old house had similar ornate details along the ceilings & these 2 old fashioned head sculptures in the hallway plasterwork that were so gnarled it looked a bit like a horror movie set..
Probably got a picture of Tim in every hotel, give him an upgrade but not too good! Touch of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when you were trying the beds.
Sadly this hotel ha been ravaged by a major fire over the weekend. 😢 its mostky a shell now. Fire crews are still on the scene at day 3, so this video serves as a historic record of what it was like inside, particularly as part of it was a grade 2 listed historic building
Another great watch, as usual. I'm trying not to binge the entire channel having only found it this month, I'm going to be disappointed when I catch up and have no new blogs to watch!
Tim, I am always telling people to watch Walk With Me Tim on RUclips, your videos are the best. I adored the one in Lowestoft, takes me back to my childhood and the worst rated hotels fill me with sadness looking at just how beautiful these hotels were and could be.
If there was a prize for offering consistently bad hotels across the UK Britannia would win every year and they would take some beating… I don’t understand how they are still going. Great video again Tim…
They get last place in Which?’s hotel chain survey every year - I’ve been in Britannia Hotels before and the quality is never good as you would expect from these videos
Great video! Britannia has once again done it again with another hotel that’s needs a lot of TLC. Was horrified with the bed making and the bad cleaning in the room. Housekeeping staff definitely need training.
Training yes, but maybe the condition of the hotel makes them give up and do as little as possible. The room that Tim stayed in would take a major cleaning, probably don't have the staff to do that.
It makes me sad that these worst rated hotels could be really beautiful :( even the location is amazing, the beach view and terrace are also stunning and I also feel bad for the people staying there without actually knowing they'll get these nasty and gross rooms
I do wonder if Britannia actually want to own a hotel chain or are just a property holding company. They seem to buy up all these old magnificent hotels on the cheap and then just let them rot a bit more. I fondly imagine one day that Britannia could get bought by somebody with some deep pockets, who'll restore these iconic hotels.
Great video Tim , Me & and my friend stayed here last year and it was awful like you said the beds was hard it was hot and the place wasn’t clean and someone tried to get into the room at night thankfully I locked the door and he tried other people rooms aswell I heard them say and didn’t sleep a wink so we checked out early that morning .
Who is watching this after the Hotel fire, which burnt that area down that he slept in the other day. Judging by his video it looks like it was an accident waiting to happen. Especially if people were smoking when they shouldn't. 200 years up in smoke 😢.
I felt itchy watching that😂, amazing building, its a shame a building that old is slowly rotting" a little TLC and a good scrub wouldn't hurt ....thank you again for sharing and much love 🤗 💛
I once stayed there. It was okay - walls had just been painted as could smell the gloss. However due to a heavy rainfall a flood occurred in the bottom of the hotel and we had to leave
I'm so glad I saw this video back in January when I was deciding on which hotel to book in Brighton this Summer. Ended up staying at The Grand. The Albion burnt down just a week or so before I arrived!
This part of the hotel including the room you’re in has recently burned down in a massive fire a few weeks back. Shame as the old architecture is gone forever.
Really sad that it was not renovated and burned down instead. I looked up some drone footage of the burned ruin and I could make out the blue railing of the old staircase... And it's this side of the hotel that burned down where your room is. So interesting to be able to see it now.
Finally the one Britannia hotel I’ve actually stayed in! My mother and I booked a premier room with a sea view. The view was incredible but you could hardly see it through the filthy window. There was a night club in the hotel too that made it impossible to sleep.
Same! And yes there’s a nightclub over the road and it’s music was booming every night under my window! Was annoying but kinda got used to it. I didn’t find the hotel too bad, wasn’t the most plush hotel ever but it was perfectly adequate.
Tim, first off I really enjoy your videos. They are all very informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work. I kept thinking of the Royal Albion watching your videos and was excited to see you made one on the hotel. My wife and I (from the US) stayed there in the spring of 2008 with some friends. We arrived at the hotel around midnight, so it was dark and quiet, but the outside of the hotel looked cool and grand. However, the interior told a different story. I see in the video nothing improved. The room was dirty, windows were too scary to touch or get close to look outside, it was freezing cold, and the floor was warped. Fortunately we just stayed the one night. Breakfast was included, which was a mistake. The food was not very good. The scrambled eggs were as runny as a kids nose. Fortunately, this was the only bad hotel on the trip. The remaining B&B’s and hotels were top notch throughout England and Scotland. I look forward coming back someday and will be sure to refer to your videos for suggestions. I read in the news the hotel is closed due to a fire from a cigarette (which is ironic you were smelling cigarette smoke). I sure hope they take this opportunity to bring the 200 year old hotel back to its original glory.
Not excusing the state, but a problem all the seafront properties do have to contend with is the onslaught of salt water propelled by heavy wind - it drives through the walls of these older properties, causing lots of problems. Oh and don't say "Brighton Pier" to any long standing Brightonians - it is the Palace Pier :)
Been waiting for this one, stayed here once, it was horrible. I was in the basement, the room was in a poor state. Holes in the wall scuffs everywhere, damaged and missmatching furniture. There was mouse droppings and the TV remote as was so disgusting. I skipped breakfast. I've had two trips to birghton and both times it has been dreadful.
Really really have been enjoying your videos in these old seaside hotels, your relaxed chatty demeanour is very engaging and all the content is interesting for curious people like me!! One comment I would make is it would me great if you could describe the overnight experience, how noisey it is, is the bed comfy to sleep on all night, also what it is like to dine there, what are the bars like , bar prices and choice, is their entertainment and is it good, what is the breakfast like, this is a massive one, we all would love to see the breakfast they offer, I'm not so sure you actually stay the night so the review seems half baked, In fairness to the establishment it may be worth you stopping and doing a full review especially as your videos have become really popular. The cost of the stay/food/drink would also put some context to the review. Good luck with your channel.
Hi Tim ! Another great vlog typical Brittania hotel all run down as normal. As I said before they could be beautiful if in the right hands . Very creepy in places it was like a tardis inside . I definitely wouldn't stay there. Thankyou for sharing with us. Love to you as always Tracey 💕 xxxx
Why is it that the Britannia Hotels group have the worst hotels in the UK? You’d think they’d do something about it to improve their shocking reputation. I’d never stay in a Britannia hotel.
I’m one of your fans I’m an old man who lurks in the background here and travels through you vicariously man you got good energy and I used to have that also I enjoy your Las Vegas as well as other European as well as Las Vegas videos. I truly enjoyed this one on Brighton because I’m a big fan of dad‘s army yes I’m an American and I’ve lived here all my life and I’m 77 but I gotta tell you, I can see where the seaside is beautiful and why it would draw people but you’re right that hotel it’s a little bit wonky you do a great job and I appreciate it and I enjoy it and thank you for the entertainment you do it well!.. by the way, being an avid British comedy fan as it’s called here keeping up appearances was one of the favorites of all our family as well as of course are you being served and the aforementioned dad’s army but there were a few others one that comes to mind immediately, which probably the best of all open all hours. Ronnie Barker was probably one of the funniest man. Thanks buddy I appreciate it. I don’t comment on anything with anybody not even in my own family.😂😂😂
I remember going to Brighton with my parents for a union conference when I was a kid in probably the mid to late 90s and there was a fire at the Royal Albion and a number of people from the conference were staying there. From what I remember nobody was seriously hurt but I thought it had been pretty much entirely rebuild after that. This video makes it look like it's not been touched since long before then.
Hi Tim we were unfortunate enough to stay in the Britannia airport hotel in Manchester and it was just so disgusting. The meals were awful the room was awful. I don’t know if you have been there but I think you should and see what you think. I am a new viewer and think you give such honest reviews keep up the great work look forward to seeing more of your videos.
It's so sad that all of our grand seaside hotels are falling apart. If I win the lottery maybe I'll buy one and renovate it, but I'm guessing most business people think it's a bad investment. 🤔
I'd say 90% of Britannia hotels could be vastly improved and become great hotels but theyll just rot away until theyre demolished. Such a shame That property in canary wharf could be amazing. The one in Coventry could be a mid century design classic. The one in Liverpool could be amazing. Such a shame
Hello Tim some of that old furniture in those hotels could be revamped with chalk paint and it works wonders I have revamped many of furniture and it lifts the whole piece of furniture to blend in with a theme. You could make those rooms look lovely on a budget. Chalk paint sewing machine fabric and a good clean and a few finishing touches
Oh goodness!!! We stayed there in the weekend and our room was super clean apart from some scuffs on the walls - we got it for next to nothing so I wasn't expecting anything and we were really pleasantly surprised. I'm quite a neat freak so I checked everything and it was very good in our room and we had the seaview. Perhaps we were just in luck?
Well, this room and this section of this building no longer exists. Such a shame as this part was the 200 year old part of the hotel I believe. If only those strong winds weren’t present that day, then the fire brigade may have stood more of a chance of saving it.
I went for an interview at he Albion hotel in 1985, for a live in receptionist job. I was desperate for a new job, but when i was shown around decided I wasn't that desperate, a d the tiny v Grubby staff accommodation in the attic was the last straw . The wages were rubbish too. Looks as if nothing has changed in the last 38 years!!
It's a 'chicken and egg' situation - they need to charge more to enable them to do them up, but no one would pay the extra. Having said that, there really is no excuse for filth. Charge everyone an extra fiver and spend it on cleaning. People want to pay pennies for The Ritz!
Hey man, just bumped into your channel! A few years ago I was working there for a few months as a bar staff but ended up doing food service bar helped with luggage because I wanted to help as much as possible as an 18 year old. Funny bit is at the time I was working in the hotel there's a few reviews that mentioned me as the only redeeming thing about that place. Obvs I left quickly I gave up trying haha Nice video ! Cheers
Thanks Tim, as I said look up reviews for the branch in Birmingham, I paid £120 over 10 years ago for 5 nights up front without every checking reviews, within hours I had arranged something else lol. Lesson learned. Also there is a classic arcades event that runs every year in Norbeck Blackpool if you were not aware. Right, I want to say something about Brighton hotels in general, if you look at the reviews of most of the chains in Brighton, you may be surprised to see a lot of bad reviews, Hilton (Metropole), Holiday Inn, Mercure,......even the usually extremely reliable Premier Inn also had a lot of bad reviews, lots are down to age, worn and not had an upgrade or maintenance. From what I could find 2 of the hotels with better reviews were the Ibis and Jury's Inn. Must be something in Brighton .....
@@princebuster93 My point was really aimed at Brighton, using Premier Inn for example, if you go to most others the bad reviews are few and far between...and even some of those are baffling when nothing to do with the hotel, ie a bus was late, a duck quacked at night, if you look at the bad reviews for Brighton's one, it's out of proportion and probably odd for a place like Brighton. I'm sure there are a few bad reviews elsewhere for that particular chain, but when it's multiple for the one area, something is off....and more so when it's the same for other chains.
@@excession3076 Brighton seemed to always be perceived as one of the better seaside type areas, say in comparison to Blackpool, but it seems this is not the case. Blackpool has had investment in a few new hotels recently, new Premier Inn, and 2 at south shore, Pleasure Beach and a Hampton. But yes Brighton at the trendy(ish) factor. Back to the Brighton ones...one night may be just about survivable for one night...which Tim generally does, but try doing that for more than 3 nights, and ones opinion will change! Britannia hotels are also kinda known for "casual hookups", less security at these hotels.
Stayed in the hotel in June of this year, the staff were fabulous always willing to help. When we had problems they solved them. But your right it needs a little TLC! , they had started decorating outside.. Don't even talk to me about check in....
You're going to have some amount of Britannia loyalty points at the end of this series. It's so embarrassing for them that they feature SO heavily in your 'worst rated hotel' series - what a shame! I really wish that they'd start investing in their buildings, or attract a cash-rich buyer to transform some of their hotels - they've got such huge potential, but many are just rotting away...
Astounding Video Tim, your just brilliant to watch & be with in all these scarily shabby Hotels your so uplifting! I liked the history in this Hotel. But the problem is with The Albion being 200 years old a paint job wouldn't suffice, it needs gutting inside, complete restoration of the externals of the building, then restoration of the beautiful ornate cornice"s, etc..damp proofing work, re-plastering & only after all that it then needs complete redecoration & new carpets throughout! It needs the same TLC as a Stately Home it would cost over a million I reckon I'm no expert. Then if that was feasible there would need to be lots of staff cleaners maintenance workers etc to be on a payroll, it would all come to an astronomical amount of outgoings. Britannia will just keep The Albion going until the ceiling falls down, they'll just do cheap patch up work. And it doesn't do a fascinating 200 year old building like this justice. But I I'm not sure if anyone could afford to spend the amount of money it may need to restore this Hotel back to its former glory in this day & age.
@@WalkWithMeTim I can imagine they must of told you some shocking stories about things that go on there nowadays. I feel abit sorry for the staff that work there too.
I stayed in this hotel back in December 2021. The room they gave me was one in the basement. As soon as I opened the door to the room, all I could smell was dried up vomit. The room was far grubbier than the one you stayed in above. As I was only staying for a works do and only needed a place to crash for the evening, I braved it and ended up catching some form of stomach bug. But I suppose that’s what you get for spending £46 for a Saturday night, 2 weeks before Christmas..
I'm from Stockport which had the honour of having the worst Britannia hotel in Britain. Imagine that. The worst BRITANNIA Hotel!!! That basically means it's the worst hotel on the planet. I never stayed there but I've stayed at the Brighton Royal Albion . It was a Tesco club card Deal, so it was free but I still feel overcharged. Genuinely the room was freezing, no heating. We were facing a bus waiting area so the windows rattled as the buses idled and filled the room with diesel fumes. I assume they tell their cleaning staff to take no more than 5 minutes per room. Their common theme is filth. They own Pontins.
The WORST Hotel in Blackpool? 👉 ruclips.net/video/ee9aIVNz6FM/видео.html
I also recommend checking out WheresMyChallenge, worst rated videos are such a vibe
Tim I love the Pontins and Butlins reviews because it brings us all back to our childhood but these worst rated hotel reviews are the best
I only needed to watch half of the review Tim, no offence. I don't think you're "weird" for pulling back the bed clothes. Like the hair dryer complete with hairs, filthy curtains, health hazard rads, let's face it this place is a real tip. They should be paying people who stay at the risk of their health and well-being! This dump, like many others you've visited needs either a complete Industrial Clean or burning down.
Hi @walkwithmetim . Great vid. It hasnt changed since i stayed there years ago. Do these hotels ever make an effort to change after you visited them? Woulf be good to get a video where you tell us if they do. You're doing good work. Hopefully it will improve standards across the industry.
Yeah ive stopped there, the sink was all cracked nice big room though had about 3 beds in same, at least you get choice of best bed lol.
As a non-Brit, the one thing Tim has taught me - if it's Britannia Hotels, do not book 😂
Facts
Never!! 🤣
I once stayed in a Brittania hotel once for weekend and it wasn't that bad. It was a double room, cooked breakfast included, TV and WiFi. I guess I got lucky.
Unless you're looking for an adventure 😂
Thanks for the tip. I've just discovered Things Tim's journey save he's highly rated I see. 🤣
nobody does the worst rated better than Tim , i absolutely love this content , i think Tim just has such a personal presentation style i think i'm there with him ❤ brilliant
wow .. thank you
Whenever I see one of your WORST RATED Hotel videos I always say "It must be another Britannia Hotel" Yep, they never fail to disappoint!
well the last hotel I visited wasn't a Britannia lol
You need to send someone into the basement rooms. They have only view into the air system. No light felt sick as other guest did. Got chest infection both times I was forced to stay there.
Mold on all floors gets paint job but no real fix.
Considering what happened to the hotel the other day, I had to laugh out loud when you said "I can really smell smoke" !!! What a shame these lovely old buildings become too expensive to maintain and slowly rot away 😒😒
Tim. I hope the BBC come calling soon, I find your presenting style very engaging and your confidence puts me, the viewer, at ease, I never tire at the length which is also a credit to your ability to keep people switched on! Absolutely love this series, just a shame there are so many to pick from in the UK!
Lol I doubt that .. but I'm glad you enjoy my videos
I don't have a TV licence, so I'd like Tim to stay on RUclips please 😁
Ive always said Tim COULD and SHOULD make TV, but hopefully not the BBC, any station but them please😂👍👍👍
He has been on the BBC! That's where I first recognised him!
@@Hammertime054 He already has! :D
Second fire since being taken over by Britannia. I witnessed the 1998 fire as I was on my way to a dental appointment at a surgery just around the corner from the Albion. It look bad that day as well and it was 2 years before it was reopened. The fire this time was in the same part of the hotel as the last one, which is strange. Walked passed this morning and the fire brigade were still pouring water on the remains.
I think the recent fire (fires!) must be some sort of insurance claim.... how this could even be a hotel looking so run down is beyond me, and the cost to update it must be thousands.
Thousands? More like millions...
The fact that it is like a maze and is corridors on corridors goes a way to explain why the fire service didn’t send people in to fight the fire - could you imagine being a firefighter in smoke and flames trying to navigate! The random rubbish and numerous issues just go to show this place was an accident waiting to happen.
Having worked for Britannia hotels I've seen first hand how much the company really doesn't care about the upkeep of the hotels, they come in and buy up these really nice grand looking places, give it an initial refurbishment and refresh and then forget about them, it's such a shame 😥😥
:-( I keep hearing the stories from staff
I just don’t get it. What’s the point? If they’re not looking to tear them down, then surely they can’t be making much money from these places, and all they’ve done is tank their reputation. I don’t know enough about UK tax laws to understand what sort of dodge they are doing to make this worth their time and money.
I worked at this hotel in the offices until 20+ years ago when it was taken over by Britannia Hotels and left because I did not like the way they treated staff and customers. The hotel then was in need of some repair (it was an old building) but it was always clean and we respected our customers and gave value for money, especially at private events like weddings, parties etc. The windows were always difficult to keep clean in view of the salt from the sea spray and seagulls.After the fire in 1998 the hotel was completely refurbished, unfortunately cheaply and has not been cared for since. Such a shame as a beautiful building in a good location. A real trip down memory lane.
@@marilynhillman4887 was it the staff or the management? 🤔
I'm confused as the staff should be taking pride and looking after such a beautiful building and doing their job 🤷♂️
@@azisalive4972 Did the comment no compute? 🙄
This is the one I've been waiting for. We stayed here in a basement room about 12 years ago. The room looked like a scene out of Dexter, there was what looked like blood splatter on the walls, skid marks in the toilets. Was just unbelievable.
Like you I'm disappointed you got an upgrade lol
Omg
Blood 😲
Skid marks 😂
Dexters "instant workshop" looks cleaner cause of the plastic
I feel like some presevation society really needs to step in and stop Britannia from ruining these treasures of buildings... their heritage its at risk with the way Britannia "care" for them!
Another Great video though, love this series!
thanks Ellie
@@WalkWithMeTim
Showed this series and your channel to my other half, and he loves it 🤣 he asked to watchel them all!
Exactly! I 100% agree!
Yes Britannia does not care at all. I was at Brighton yesterday and a fire started in the hotel. The hotel might collapse now.
Too late for this one, massive fire overnight, still burning now.
So sad to see this historic building of nearly 200 years burn like this but at least no one got hurt. I know it wasn't the best hotel but I was there last year and it had some beautiful interiors to explore. Hopefully it can recover and realise its full potential in the future in the right hands. Watching the video again!
Unfortunately not as it's now just a burnt out shell. Very sad. 😪
@screenfly7181 I've read they've brought in demolition crew to take down the old part to access the other areas. I'm not from Brighton but it's incredibly sad 😢
@@shaunna16x Yes they are demolishing the facade of the old part of the hotel today . Makes you wonder what caused the fire on Saturday😔 Looks like they can save the newer end of the building.
I was in Brighton holidaying elsewhere when this burned, but I do know somebody who was staying there, thankfully no injuries to anybody which was a miracle! So incredibly sad and scary to see it on fire. The whole of Brighton smelled like a bonfire, maybe it was those people smoking who shouldn't have been but investigations still need to happen 😢
@@tjc8758 Will be interesting to see what the outcome of an investigation would be. I think the fire started in the afternoon. It could have been so much worse if it happened in the middle of the night.
This isn't the first random upgrade you have received. I'm starting to genuinely think these poorly rated places know who you are and give you their best room.
Lol even those are still bad
@@WalkWithMeTim Exactly. Imagine their worst rooms..
@@WalkWithMeTim I was in a Britannia last week - taking some 360 degree photos as I do and staying there for the night. Got one of the staff to allow me access to the swimming pool are after hours - she asked if I was going around doing videos giving them a bad name....I just smiled and said, that's not me...
No my mate stays at the kings or Mercia hotel and if rooms aren't booked she gets upgrades. It happens a lot
Once I got a random upgrade in Hotel Adlon, from a standard room to a junior suite facing the Unter den Linden. Just a floor above was the room Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip once stayed in. Wow, I really wondered why...
Hotel catches fire the year after you stayed in it. No surprise there looking at the quality of maintenance Britannia usually imbue their hotels and the 9:55 smokers everywhere as you noted.
I booked just down the road from here in a B & B a few years back after spending a day in Brighton. Top floor, had to turn sideways to get round the bed, shared toilet with loads of other people, furniture falling apart! First thing the owner did was give us a hot corn on the cob as we walked in the front door! Random!! We took one look at the room, turned on our heels (corn on the cob in hand) and crept out of the front door again and went back home! Love your worst hotels vids!! x J x
that is random! maybe its customary in Brighton LOL
It's such a shame for these older buildings to be in such a bad state of repair sometimes and it's all very well expecting the company to restore them, but they probably don't have the occupancy levels they need, because most people go abroad these days. Love the videos though!
I think its a catch 22 situation- if you restored the buildings you have to charge more for the rooms - charge more for the rooms you wont get the customers, cant get the customers, cant upgrade the building. I still think if Britannia didnt run some of these hotels, they would be empty and in a worse state.
@@1davidsmall I worked for a hotel company based in Newcastle who like Britannia have taken hotels out of receivership and bought when hotels are broken down like this, they however learned very quickly to invest in structure and refurbishment along with staffing to rejuvenate these properties and develop business, they then started to move their hotels into brands like Holiday Inn, Hilton, Mercure and so on, they have expanded further doing this whilst maintaining standards and quality of operation, it can be done but the owner of Britannia chooses not to.
Nah Britannia have always done this, their only intention and business model is to squeeze as much money out of the building before it gets condemned. The built in level of investment was always minimal. Companies like them are large part of the reason why people go abroad.
My mum was head housekeeper there (and my eldest sister deputy H/housekeeper) back in the v early 70's and another sister was a live in chambermaid. I used to do babysitting for any clients that wanted a night off. I was only about 14 at the time but remember my mother (despite all her faults) was a great stickler for cleanliness.
Unfortunately it’s had fire over the weekend
You’re braver than me. I couldn’t stay in such a dirty room!
I like these worst of hotel series but could you review the breakfasts( or evening meals) as well? It be interesting to see what the food/ cleanliness of the hotel restaurants are like.
You’re doing a grand job Tim. Love the videos.👍🏻
I do sometimes but don't want to every time as it gets samey
Are you trying to kill him? 🤮
If the cleanliness of the hotel in general is bad, what does on expect the kitchen to be like??!!, and would you take the chances, there's several videos of the Norbeck castle for example, just dial the hospital in advance!
@@ryanessex7978 Are you suggesting he nips off that night to another hotel nearby or home lol?
I was the General Manager at this hotel in the 70s when it was privately owned. Frankly it looks like very little has changed apart from then it was clean.
There are some stunning looking hotels around Britain, it's such a shame some have been forgotten, and left to fall in despair, make old hotels beautiful again 👍
I stayed with family and friends in a hotel in Brighton that was so disgraceful my mum reported them, but it was also so disgraceful that its one of my best memories because of how comical it was, not at the time but looking back and actually thinking about the fact that we stayed there. There was carpet squelching all the way up to the room, the door lock was stuck and the carpet was lifting at the door. We opened it eventually after asking manager for help, and once in, the room stunk. The window was literally nailed open with holes in the curtains and barbed wire with pigeon feathers at the sill, there was 3 bunk beds that were rusty and literally had no ladders, and the carpets were sticky. The ensuite was disgusting and when we sat on the toilet it did sink on one side into the cracked tiles and when you'd stand up it would lift again, and there was no plug in the bath or sink. When we asked about the plug they told us to use a plastic bag. When we were trying to sleep my sister shouted and I shot up off my bed, only to move my pillow and see a centipede or millipede of some sort, running on the sheet, and when I tried to run to go out the room to complain, we couldn't get the door open. We eventually did with 3 of us pulling it and we literally sat on the carpet on the stairs until my dad came back and we told him we refused to sleep there. He said there was no other option, which we knew, and we begged him to stay in the car but he said it was dangerous, so we went back to our room and sat awake talking all night instead of lying down to sleep until we could check out.
It was so awful I can't even tell you. It was disgustingly filthy and absolutely completely awful. If I found out now it was actually a fake registered hotel and someone had just reopened a building that had closed down decades before, I promise I wouldn't be surprised. It had absolutely certainly never ever been cleaned or maintained. I have never ever stayed in Brighton since, even when I've travelled hours to visit, I refuse to stay there. Its rancid.
I'm so glad you did this review. I worked in the Bat & Ball pub in Brighton many many many years ago and i stayed in the Royal Albion, even then it was extremely filthy. when i arrived the bath was full of hair where someone had obviously shaved something covered in hair (beard or something else) 🙂 They had to send a cleaner in to clean it. Sadly the entire hotel was as filthy. Seems they have made some kind of effort but i think the cleaners are just damn lazy.
God I hadn’t thought of the bat and ball pub in years, talk about characters. Hope you are well, you escaped!
wow I know they are short staffed
Probably only have one cleaner of the staff. The people who clean up and change the linen probably don't have much time to do any real cleaning, or they give up and move on.
@@Bourne1984 Yep i left when the rough started getting rougher lol.. Not a nice place to be. Not sure if it's still there or still as bad. 🙂
I don’t know what is worse! The bat and ball pub or the Albion hotel. To me they both say a lot about Brighton in general. It’s been ridden hard like an old pony, overpriced, bonkers and rundown 😂
It’s not usually the staffs fault for things being dirty or broken. Honestly, most staff try their best but they’re given an allotted amount of time to turn around a whole room before they move onto the next. If they can’t do it fast enough, they get reprimanded and eventually fired. And the time allotted doesn’t allow for more than a change of sheets, the bathroom, and some surfaces if they look particularly grubby, plus a quick vacuum. Unfortunately like everywhere with minimum wage workers they’re expected to do the jobs of three people each, in half the time, while getting pennies for their hard, manual labour. After a while anyone would get a bit complacent and annoyed. Cleaning is a bitch of a job.
I felt it when the receptionist took the dodgy key card back and just slammed it into, what I assume was, the bin 😅 bless him
I worked on this hotel around 8 years ago with a huge building firm. We had months and months of work, painting, gutting most rooms, restoring the old wooden windows the list goes on. Its a shame it seems it hasn't been kept on top of but I bet if you visited then you would have enjoyed your stay alot more. Shame really could be such a nicer hotel seeing as it's in such a amazing location it's placed!
It’s had a fire over the weekend.
The last time I was booking a hotel for a trip to Brighton I was considering staying at the Royal Albion, watching this I’m glad I booked the Travelodge as I usually do.
Having said that I bet that hotel was amazing back in its heyday.
Just searched as its currently on fire on the news , and i had forgotten about this hotel.
I stayed here about 10 yrs ago for 2 months whilst working away and it wasn’t that bad, the furniture was a little dated but the most important things was my room was clean and quiet.
I was massively impressed with the size of the rooms and heights of the ceilings and in most of the rooms you got a sofa.
I think this is one of the best britannia hotels ive stayed in, please never go to folkstone one !!
You mentioned the hotel being 200 years old, that explains why most of the hotel was the way it was. They may not have the staff or can afford to pay the staff to look after the rooms. Alot of the hotels here in Canada maybe the same way. Alot of the hotels are looked after because they want the business.
Agree
Tim you should have your own tv series doing exactly this. You present very well.
lol thanks matt
At 12:50 if it was tv you would need release forms for both every person and the song in the background.🤦♂️
Ain’t this the hotel that literally just burned down in Brighton? I mean this may be the last documented video of the Hotel as it was.
yes sadly
The Royal Albion was probably the third best hotel in Brighton after the Grand and metropole. There was a massive fire there in 1998 which started in the kitchens but spread onto the roof. I think it was shortly after it was repaired that Britannia took over - I suspect it hasn’t been painted since then!
I found this interesting snippet online about the fire:
“After the fire, the Royal Albion had to contend with looting. A waiter (not from the Royal Albion) was caught stealing a TV and video recorder from the charred remains of the building and has been ordered to do 60 hours community service after admitting burglary. Anthony O'Kane, 22, was arrested by police after he was spotted walking out of the Royal Albion with the equipment in his arms two days after the fire.”
Burnt down again now
@@owenglenn4298 - I’ve just seen the news! 😩
@@owenglenn4298 To use Private Eye's phrase, it 'mysteriously went on fire'.
receptionist offered that faulty key card no mercy 🤣 straight in the bin 2:20
on the floor lol
Being a brightonian I remember the steps downstairs to a lovely piano room and bar. I never thought about the hotel until it caught fire years ago caused by an extractor fan. Sadly it went down hill no doubt because of the owners neglect. It is now on fire once again where the fire engines cannot cope as we have 40 hr or more gales. I always think the worse when businesses go down hill. I hope that this is not the case. Too many fires in Brighton. BEDFORD HOTEL. HOVE TOWN HALL. WEST PIER. and others. Including my mother's house , lucky enough it was only the kitchen that was gutted.
So glad you've done the Albion but my lord, you took your life into your hands staying here. A friend of mine once stayed here about 5/6 years ago, I didn't stay but I did see her room. She had the most bizarre room - when you walked in, there was a double bed as you entered, and then in the room itself was a staircase that took you up to a kind of mainsionette affair with another double bed IN THE SAME ROOM. It was potty. We couldn't understand it, this extra level within the room itself, like balcony overlooking the bed below. So weird. The wardrobe also smelled of kebabs as I recall. Only good thing about the Albion is the location because at least you can spend time in the great pubs of Brighton around it and not the fleapit itself. If the fire last month wasn't an insurance job, someone's missed a trick. Great, great video!
From Wikipedia.
On the morning of 24 November 1998, the hotel was devastated by a fire which started in the kitchen. A chef was frying eggs and sausages in a pan; hot fat spilt and caught light,[15] and flames were immediately sucked up a vent to the top floor. The fire spread quickly, assisted by strong winds, and all 160 people in the building were evacuated.[15][16] The Public and Commercial Services Union had to cancel their annual conference, due to be held that day, because of the disruption caused to its delegates, most of whom were staying at the hotel.[16] About 160 firefighters from all parts of East and West Sussex attended the fire from about 8.20am until late in the evening, in what was later described as Brighton's "biggest firefighting operation for nearly 30 years".[15] All parts of the hotel were affected by smoke, water and structural damage, but the original corner building was particularly badly affected.
Still no excuse.
We could see the fire from top storey of Amex House.....quite horrifying!
Sounds like they didn't clean the kitchen extract. Thats what causes the fires.
Just re-watched this vlog on your stay here in the RA Hotel after the aftermath of the fire. Bet you didn't realise just how brave you were. Lots of National Holidays with older citizens stayed here and did so up to last Saturday. Absolutely frightening on all levels!
The padlocked door is probably where they store the loo rolls & cleaning supplies, which is not terribly spooky. Or if you prefer you can think that it is where the hotels resident vampire is chained in his coffin.
omg lol
Parts of the building is supposed to be haunted.
@@DaveBeaven-tx2tp I wouldn't be surprised if it is haunted.. A lot of buildings, including surprisingly new ones are haunted. We need to get used to it.
Great video Tim. If you had known beforehand of the upgrade , the family could have stayed with you. 🙂. They're probably doing the best they can on a very tight budget.
Tim Liked your video, very objective and have to agree with you on a few pieces. The SunTerrace and walls were decorated last year, fantastic place to enjoy the sun as We have done once or twice. The hotel staff always very helpful. Tim I think still alot of improvement, but over the years they have improved it.
Well said!
My uncle has worked as a hotel manager for many years in different hotels around the world.
First of all; giving a dirty room to a guest is completely unacceptable by any hotel standards. There’s literally no acceptable excuse for giving a dirty room to a guest!
Secondly; there should never be any trash or broken items just sitting where everyone can see it like that. Not only does it give a bad impression but again there’s really no acceptable excuse for it either.
So in other words; just a Britannia hotel being a Britannia hotel 👍
Anyway, thank you for the video….gave you a like 🍻
Good point .. thanks for watching
Dirty hotels to my mind are a reflection on how cleaning staff are treated , lack of supervision too many rooms to clean and no doubt paid a pittance ! This doesn’t generate a sense of pride in the working day or attention to detail .
@@thornbird6768 I'd bet you have hit the nail on the head, so to speak.
@@thornbird6768 well it is! …..what it actually is, is a tell tale of incompetent and awful hotel management
@@thornbird6768 but regardless Båd management and unmotivated staff is not an acceptable excuse for giving a dirty room to a guest
Many of us rewatching this after the fire... Haunting. 10:03 "I can really smell smoke." 😮
I stayed at this hotel ONCE .The room reeked of cigarette smoke ..I guess its worse now!!!
Those who might know the history of Brighton and this particular hotel will recognise that in 1998 it saw the worst fire in Brighton ever. The place was pretty much gutted with the internals having to be completely restored. So all this deterioration has taken a mere 24 yrs of 'neglect' by the management and 'abuse' by the clientele - perhaps the lower floors where public areas are not so bad - but I would avoid staying there like the plague anyway!
wow I didn't know that
@@WalkWithMeTim That would explain why some of the decor "style" choices look like it's where the 90's went to die.
Why would you put muted pink/blue fake rag-rolled-esque stripes with a royal blue carpet.
Grim is spot on.
There is a real liminal feel to all these spaces. You ache for what they once were, yet would hate to see it go but the money needed to restore it (and pay enough staff to run it decent wages, treat them well enough to want to work there) is exorbitant. This is why so many places of this scale end up being bought up and split into apartments.
I don't know what the answer is, but I know it's not Brittania.
Thanks for your work documenting these places Tim, it's important to have records like this. It will be interesting in years to come to look back and compare. I hope this encourages locals on all your vids to let you know if things change at places you've visited. I enjoy reading their insights or reminiscences.
It's on fire again now I live in Brighton and its currently been burning for thr last 7 hours due to high winds not looking good for the hotel
@@tiapollard9613 Yes I know - and it is rather sad for a repeat 25 yrs on - still smouldering and has evidently left it as a shell once again - couldn'y have happened on worse day for winds fanning the flames.
Hi Tim. I agree reception bar and restraint lovely. Pity the rest let's it down good clean,paint job and new furniture in the rooms.
I stayed here a couple of months ago and I couldn't fault it . Staff very helpful, karaoke in the evenings. Meals were great . Yes the rooms were a bit dated but they were comfortable and at end of day it's not like your in the rooms 24/7. We were out and about. So despite this I give my thumbs up to the royal albion and yes I'd stay there again. Its not all doom and gloom
It was affordable and central , it was accommodating, I didn't expect 5 star for the price and
that was good enough for me.
I'd remove a star because it did have karaoke.🤣
It does depend with this hotel. If you get the right room at the right time, you can have a nice enough room for £40 and have a really nice stay in Brighton. Other times you can be paying like £200 a night to stay there, and get a room that is like a basement storage cupboard. It's more often bad than good at this place, but you can get lucky
Another great vid. Love your visits to these terrible places, amazes mart that there are actually people staying there, mostly elderly. Thank you for taking your life in your hands all for entertainment
lol Very true!
Loved this vid! I lived in Brighton for years and must've walked past this place countless times, was genuinely fascinating getting to see that the interior is as rundown as the exterior 😆
Also a couple of the houses i rented seemed to be built in a similar era to this hotel & were just as shabby lol
My old house had similar ornate details along the ceilings & these 2 old fashioned head sculptures in the hallway plasterwork that were so gnarled it looked a bit like a horror movie set..
I like how you get a free upgrade but go straight to slating it 😂 Love honesty!
Probably got a picture of Tim in every hotel, give him an upgrade but not too good! Touch of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when you were trying the beds.
Sadly this hotel ha been ravaged by a major fire over the weekend. 😢 its mostky a shell now. Fire crews are still on the scene at day 3, so this video serves as a historic record of what it was like inside, particularly as part of it was a grade 2 listed historic building
Another great watch, as usual.
I'm trying not to binge the entire channel having only found it this month, I'm going to be disappointed when I catch up and have no new blogs to watch!
hey Sarah there are loads :-) glad you found me!
Tim, I am always telling people to watch Walk With Me Tim on RUclips, your videos are the best. I adored the one in Lowestoft, takes me back to my childhood and the worst rated hotels fill me with sadness looking at just how beautiful these hotels were and could be.
wow thanks megi
I'm new to the channel and I've binge-watched the 'worst hotel' series. Great content and I hope you do more in the coming year!
Welcome aboard!
Another great blog Tim, as ever. Very fair review overall. Fantastic location, I need to visit Brighton. 😊
No Deborah
If there was a prize for offering consistently bad hotels across the UK Britannia would win every year and they would take some beating… I don’t understand how they are still going. Great video again Tim…
They get last place in Which?’s hotel chain survey every year - I’ve been in Britannia Hotels before and the quality is never good as you would expect from these videos
thanks dean
I used to work there 30 or more years ago as a hall porter , it was struggling then , it had a silver service restaurant and function rooms.
Great video! Britannia has once again done it again with another hotel that’s needs a lot of TLC. Was horrified with the bed making and the bad cleaning in the room. Housekeeping staff definitely need training.
Training yes, but maybe the condition of the hotel makes them give up and do as little as possible. The room that Tim stayed in would take a major cleaning, probably don't have the staff to do that.
or maybe they are in a rush and short staffed .. thats what I hear
Hospitality do struggle to get the staff and stay. Poor wages and can offer zero hours contract which isn’t very appealing for most.
It makes me sad that these worst rated hotels could be really beautiful :( even the location is amazing, the beach view and terrace are also stunning and I also feel bad for the people staying there without actually knowing they'll get these nasty and gross rooms
There is still something special about them
I do wonder if Britannia actually want to own a hotel chain or are just a property holding company.
They seem to buy up all these old magnificent hotels on the cheap and then just let them rot a bit more.
I fondly imagine one day that Britannia could get bought by somebody with some deep pockets, who'll restore these iconic hotels.
Great video Tim , Me & and my friend stayed here last year and it was awful like you said the beds was hard it was hot and the place wasn’t clean and someone tried to get into the room at night thankfully I locked the door and he tried other people rooms aswell I heard them say and didn’t sleep a wink so we checked out early that morning .
thanks Tom
Who is watching this after the Hotel fire, which burnt that area down that he slept in the other day. Judging by his video it looks like it was an accident waiting to happen. Especially if people were smoking when they shouldn't. 200 years up in smoke 😢.
I felt itchy watching that😂, amazing building, its a shame a building that old is slowly rotting" a little TLC and a good scrub wouldn't hurt ....thank you again for sharing and much love 🤗 💛
I once stayed there. It was okay - walls had just been painted as could smell the gloss. However due to a heavy rainfall a flood occurred in the bottom of the hotel and we had to leave
I'm so glad I saw this video back in January when I was deciding on which hotel to book in Brighton this Summer. Ended up staying at The Grand. The Albion burnt down just a week or so before I arrived!
This part of the hotel including the room you’re in has recently burned down in a massive fire a few weeks back. Shame as the old architecture is gone forever.
Really sad that it was not renovated and burned down instead. I looked up some drone footage of the burned ruin and I could make out the blue railing of the old staircase... And it's this side of the hotel that burned down where your room is. So interesting to be able to see it now.
Finally the one Britannia hotel I’ve actually stayed in! My mother and I booked a premier room with a sea view. The view was incredible but you could hardly see it through the filthy window. There was a night club in the hotel too that made it impossible to sleep.
Same! And yes there’s a nightclub over the road and it’s music was booming every night under my window! Was annoying but kinda got used to it. I didn’t find the hotel too bad, wasn’t the most plush hotel ever but it was perfectly adequate.
Good evening Tim and all. I'm ready and waiting 👍🏼👍🏼
Hi Tim. You should check out Bunn leisure in Selsey West Sussex
@@princebuster93 lots to do. Nice location. Bit too busy sometimes
Tim, first off I really enjoy your videos. They are all very informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work. I kept thinking of the Royal Albion watching your videos and was excited to see you made one on the hotel. My wife and I (from the US) stayed there in the spring of 2008 with some friends. We arrived at the hotel around midnight, so it was dark and quiet, but the outside of the hotel looked cool and grand. However, the interior told a different story. I see in the video nothing improved. The room was dirty, windows were too scary to touch or get close to look outside, it was freezing cold, and the floor was warped. Fortunately we just stayed the one night. Breakfast was included, which was a mistake. The food was not very good. The scrambled eggs were as runny as a kids nose. Fortunately, this was the only bad hotel on the trip. The remaining B&B’s and hotels were top notch throughout England and Scotland. I look forward coming back someday and will be sure to refer to your videos for suggestions. I read in the news the hotel is closed due to a fire from a cigarette (which is ironic you were smelling cigarette smoke). I sure hope they take this opportunity to bring the 200 year old hotel back to its original glory.
It's such a shame that Britannia takes on these fantastic buildings but almost leaves them to rot.
Not excusing the state, but a problem all the seafront properties do have to contend with is the onslaught of salt water propelled by heavy wind - it drives through the walls of these older properties, causing lots of problems. Oh and don't say "Brighton Pier" to any long standing Brightonians - it is the Palace Pier :)
Been waiting for this one, stayed here once, it was horrible. I was in the basement, the room was in a poor state. Holes in the wall scuffs everywhere, damaged and missmatching furniture. There was mouse droppings and the TV remote as was so disgusting. I skipped breakfast. I've had two trips to birghton and both times it has been dreadful.
oh yikes! the basement rooms are not nice
Really really have been enjoying your videos in these old seaside hotels, your relaxed chatty demeanour is very engaging and all the content is interesting for curious people like me!!
One comment I would make is it would me great if you could describe the overnight experience, how noisey it is, is the bed comfy to sleep on all night, also what it is like to dine there, what are the bars like , bar prices and choice, is their entertainment and is it good, what is the breakfast like, this is a massive one, we all would love to see the breakfast they offer, I'm not so sure you actually stay the night so the review seems half baked, In fairness to the establishment it may be worth you stopping and doing a full review especially as your videos have become really popular. The cost of the stay/food/drink would also put some context to the review. Good luck with your channel.
Thanks Ed will do
How prophetic about the smell of smoke! This hotel burned down a couple of days ago. They also had a big fire back in 1998.
I know spooky
Hi Tim ! Another great vlog typical Brittania hotel all run down as normal. As I said before they could be beautiful if in the right hands . Very creepy in places it was like a tardis inside . I definitely wouldn't stay there. Thankyou for sharing with us. Love to you as always Tracey 💕 xxxx
Why is it that the Britannia Hotels group have the worst hotels in the UK? You’d think they’d do something about it to improve their shocking reputation. I’d never stay in a Britannia hotel.
I’m one of your fans I’m an old man who lurks in the background here and travels through you vicariously man you got good energy and I used to have that also I enjoy your Las Vegas as well as other European as well as Las Vegas videos. I truly enjoyed this one on Brighton because I’m a big fan of dad‘s army yes I’m an American and I’ve lived here all my life and I’m 77 but I gotta tell you, I can see where the seaside is beautiful and why it would draw people but you’re right that hotel it’s a little bit wonky you do a great job and I appreciate it and I enjoy it and thank you for the entertainment you do it well!.. by the way, being an avid British comedy fan as it’s called here keeping up appearances was one of the favorites of all our family as well as of course are you being served and the aforementioned dad’s army but there were a few others one that comes to mind immediately, which probably the best of all open all hours. Ronnie Barker was probably one of the funniest man. Thanks buddy I appreciate it. I don’t comment on anything with anybody not even in my own family.😂😂😂
I appreciate that .. thank you means alot .
Glad you enjoy the vids
I love how they've put the remote control in a bag that says it's been sanitised, when the rest of the hotel is stinking dirty 😅
Good video 😁!! I’ve been to Brighton a few times before but I’ve never came across this hotel and I’m glad I haven’t 😂!! Great series though 👍!!
I remember going to Brighton with my parents for a union conference when I was a kid in probably the mid to late 90s and there was a fire at the Royal Albion and a number of people from the conference were staying there.
From what I remember nobody was seriously hurt but I thought it had been pretty much entirely rebuild after that. This video makes it look like it's not been touched since long before then.
Hi Tim we were unfortunate enough to stay in the Britannia airport hotel in Manchester and it was just so disgusting. The meals were awful the room was awful. I don’t know if you have been there but I think you should and see what you think. I am a new viewer and think you give such honest reviews keep up the great work look forward to seeing more of your videos.
It's so sad that all of our grand seaside hotels are falling apart. If I win the lottery maybe I'll buy one and renovate it, but I'm guessing most business people think it's a bad investment. 🤔
Been following this series and only just on this one when I noticed I’ve heard this on the news. So glad no one was injured
Before even watching I guessed it would be a Britannia hotel! They should be banned from running hotels!
I'd say 90% of Britannia hotels could be vastly improved and become great hotels but theyll just rot away until theyre demolished. Such a shame
That property in canary wharf could be amazing. The one in Coventry could be a mid century design classic. The one in Liverpool could be amazing. Such a shame
I love the Albion, it's got everything......comfy beds, great views, cheap rooms, famous guests, lovely big bath tubs
Hello Tim some of that old furniture in those hotels could be revamped with chalk paint and it works wonders I have revamped many of furniture and it lifts the whole piece of furniture to blend in with a theme. You could make those rooms look lovely on a budget. Chalk paint sewing machine fabric and a good clean and a few finishing touches
It breaks my heart to see these magnificent hotels being left to rot. Bloody Britannia!😡
Oh goodness!!! We stayed there in the weekend and our room was super clean apart from some scuffs on the walls - we got it for next to nothing so I wasn't expecting anything and we were really pleasantly surprised. I'm quite a neat freak so I checked everything and it was very good in our room and we had the seaview. Perhaps we were just in luck?
Well, this room and this section of this building no longer exists. Such a shame as this part was the 200 year old part of the hotel I believe. If only those strong winds weren’t present that day, then the fire brigade may have stood more of a chance of saving it.
I went for an interview at he Albion hotel in 1985, for a live in receptionist job. I was desperate for a new job, but when i was shown around decided I wasn't that desperate, a d the tiny v
Grubby staff accommodation in the attic was the last straw . The wages were rubbish too. Looks as if nothing has changed in the last 38 years!!
It's a 'chicken and egg' situation - they need to charge more to enable them to do them up, but no one would pay the extra. Having said that, there really is no excuse for filth. Charge everyone an extra fiver and spend it on cleaning. People want to pay pennies for The Ritz!
Hey man, just bumped into your channel! A few years ago I was working there for a few months as a bar staff but ended up doing food service bar helped with luggage because I wanted to help as much as possible as an 18 year old.
Funny bit is at the time I was working in the hotel there's a few reviews that mentioned me as the only redeeming thing about that place. Obvs I left quickly I gave up trying haha
Nice video !
Cheers
thanks Nicolas
Thanks Tim, as I said look up reviews for the branch in Birmingham, I paid £120 over 10 years ago for 5 nights up front without every checking reviews, within hours I had arranged something else lol. Lesson learned. Also there is a classic arcades event that runs every year in Norbeck Blackpool if you were not aware.
Right, I want to say something about Brighton hotels in general, if you look at the reviews of most of the chains in Brighton, you may be surprised to see a lot of bad reviews, Hilton (Metropole), Holiday Inn, Mercure,......even the usually extremely reliable Premier Inn also had a lot of bad reviews, lots are down to age, worn and not had an upgrade or maintenance. From what I could find 2 of the hotels with better reviews were the Ibis and Jury's Inn. Must be something in Brighton .....
@@princebuster93 My point was really aimed at Brighton, using Premier Inn for example, if you go to most others the bad reviews are few and far between...and even some of those are baffling when nothing to do with the hotel, ie a bus was late, a duck quacked at night, if you look at the bad reviews for Brighton's one, it's out of proportion and probably odd for a place like Brighton. I'm sure there are a few bad reviews elsewhere for that particular chain, but when it's multiple for the one area, something is off....and more so when it's the same for other chains.
I stayed in a few hotels in Brighton up the other end b & b's found them ok ..Travelodge forget it !
@@WalkWithMeTim yeah read that too!
@@excession3076 Brighton seemed to always be perceived as one of the better seaside type areas, say in comparison to Blackpool, but it seems this is not the case. Blackpool has had investment in a few new hotels recently, new Premier Inn, and 2 at south shore, Pleasure Beach and a Hampton. But yes Brighton at the trendy(ish) factor. Back to the Brighton ones...one night may be just about survivable for one night...which Tim generally does, but try doing that for more than 3 nights, and ones opinion will change! Britannia hotels are also kinda known for "casual hookups", less security at these hotels.
Stayed in the hotel in June of this year, the staff were fabulous always willing to help. When we had problems they solved them. But your right it needs a little TLC! , they had started decorating outside.. Don't even talk to me about check in....
You're going to have some amount of Britannia loyalty points at the end of this series. It's so embarrassing for them that they feature SO heavily in your 'worst rated hotel' series - what a shame!
I really wish that they'd start investing in their buildings, or attract a cash-rich buyer to transform some of their hotels - they've got such huge potential, but many are just rotting away...
if only
Astounding Video Tim, your just brilliant to watch & be with in all these scarily shabby Hotels your so uplifting!
I liked the history in this Hotel. But the problem is with The Albion being 200 years old a paint job wouldn't suffice, it needs gutting inside, complete restoration of the externals of the building, then restoration of the beautiful ornate cornice"s, etc..damp proofing work, re-plastering & only after all that it then needs complete redecoration & new carpets throughout!
It needs the same TLC as a Stately Home it would cost over a million I reckon I'm no expert.
Then if that was feasible there would need to be lots of staff cleaners maintenance workers etc to be on a payroll, it would all come to an astronomical amount of outgoings.
Britannia will just keep The Albion going until the ceiling falls down, they'll just do cheap patch up work.
And it doesn't do a fascinating 200 year old building like this justice.
But I I'm not sure if anyone could afford to spend the amount of money it may need to restore this Hotel back to its former glory in this day & age.
I have spoken with some of the staff at this hotel they told me some stories!!
@@WalkWithMeTim I can imagine they must of told you some shocking stories about things that go on there nowadays.
I feel abit sorry for the staff that work there too.
Well it's all been sorted now. It burned to the ground. Thankfully no one was hurt.
I stayed in this hotel back in December 2021. The room they gave me was one in the basement. As soon as I opened the door to the room, all I could smell was dried up vomit. The room was far grubbier than the one you stayed in above. As I was only staying for a works do and only needed a place to crash for the evening, I braved it and ended up catching some form of stomach bug. But I suppose that’s what you get for spending £46 for a Saturday night, 2 weeks before Christmas..
I'm from Stockport which had the honour of having the worst Britannia hotel in Britain.
Imagine that. The worst BRITANNIA Hotel!!! That basically means it's the worst hotel on the planet.
I never stayed there but I've stayed at the Brighton Royal Albion . It was a Tesco club card Deal, so it was free but I still feel overcharged.
Genuinely the room was freezing, no heating. We were facing a bus waiting area so the windows rattled as the buses idled and filled the room with diesel fumes.
I assume they tell their cleaning staff to take no more than 5 minutes per room.
Their common theme is filth. They own Pontins.