WORST RATED Hotel - The Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton
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- Опубліковано 22 вер 2022
- I stay in The Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton owned by Britannia Hotels and it's the ninth consecutive year that Britannia has come bottom of the pile in the annual survey by consumer group Which? It's received some very bad reviews on Tripadvisor and some bad press over the last 12 months, BUT is it as bad as some people say? Let's find out!
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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. 🤣
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 😒😒
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...
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
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.
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.
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? 🙄
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
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 UA-cam 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
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 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.
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...
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
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
I stayed at this hotel ONCE .The room reeked of cigarette smoke ..I guess its worse now!!!
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 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 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.
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.
Many of us rewatching this after the fire... Haunting. 10:03 "I can really smell smoke." 😮
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.
What amazes me in these Britannia hotels is you see the state of the rooms in the hotel and yet people are eating and drinking in there with a straight face! God knows what the kitchens are like and bar areas!
Kitchens are probably the best kept part, as they would be regularly visited by health and safety etc. It would also be in the local papers if lots of people who stayed there had food poisoning etc.
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 !!
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 👍
Hi Tim. You should check out Bunn leisure in Selsey West Sussex
@@princebuster93 lots to do. Nice location. Bit too busy sometimes
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?
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.
Busted. Crusted, Disgusted but at least the remote is sani-bagged
😄
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.
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.
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 😂
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.
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
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'.
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.🤦♂️
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
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.
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
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!
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 😅
It's such a shame that Britannia takes on these fantastic buildings but almost leaves them to rot.
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 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.
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.
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.
This hotel has just burnt to the ground. Yes it was in a bad state, but there was history to this hotel. A sad loss
It's all gone ?
@@WalkWithMeTim pretty much, completely gutted from basement to what used to be the roof, just an empty shell. Devastating fire 😢
@@WalkWithMeTim: One wing had been demolished. Lots of exaggeration happening. The far-right are inventing stories that migrants started the fire.
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 :)
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.
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!
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
Loving these videos! Keep it up 😊
Good evening Tim and all. I'm ready and waiting 👍🏼👍🏼
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.
Somebody burned it down ! Wonder if they were disappointed by their free room !
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!
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
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!
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'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
Well it's all been sorted now. It burned to the ground. Thankfully no one was hurt.
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.
l lOVE YOUR POSTSBut sorry this Hotel is no more as burnt down on Sunday last (see you tube ) May I suggest Hinton furze inBournemouth (Room only .) was a great once!!!!!
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
Tim, I am always telling people to watch Walk With Me Tim on UA-cam, 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 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.
What a great hotel! A bit shabby in places but a great location and several plus points! Thank you for your your honest as you find it review! Keep up the good work! Heading to Norfolk in October, will be looking up some of your recommendations! Who knows, one day may bump into you!!
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 👍!!
this is an interesting watch cause i witnessed this hotel burn down this weekend.
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
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
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.
Just had a major fire.
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. 🤔
Came on here due to the fire that is happening right now, hotel looks like a wonderful piece of history, shame it was grubby in places, sad to see it probably won't be around anymore after the dreadful fire.
Love this series, keep up the great work!
Thanks sam
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.
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.
Love these types of vids thanks for doing them 😍😍
You are welcome
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!
I think Tim is now actually scouting locations for a horror film!!....Unfortunately even the ghosts refused to stay in this place!!🤣👻🤦♂️
It breaks my heart to see these magnificent hotels being left to rot. Bloody Britannia!😡
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.
Just as well it burned down recently....I met Michael Barrymore and his wife on the stairs one afternoon. I wish you would show the evening meals and breakfasts too
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
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.
This hotel caught fire last weekend and part of it is having to be demolished.
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!!
Before even watching I guessed it would be a Britannia hotel! They should be banned from running hotels!
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.
I feel like avoiding the basement in all these videos defeats the point of seeing the worst of the locations
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.
Hi Tim the hotel was on fire a few days ago and is no longer a hotel rip
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
I grew up in Brighton and as a kid I always thought it looked so magnificent and always wanted to stay there.
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!