Balkan

The location is fantastic. Coral Island is right there when you step outside, and the gorgeous TSP chippy is just up the road for an affordable bite. The bedding was clean and unstained, and we saw no sign of bed bugs, despite what some other reviewers have said. My partner liked the bar, with its pool table and darts, and said the downstairs coffee was fine. I didn’t go down myself. There’s a drinks machine for £1 a cup, and the hotel lets you take a kettle to your room, but you seem to have to bring your own tea, coffee, milk and so on. Sleeping wasn’t good for us. The mattress was lumpy, and we both woke with back pain. The curtains wouldn’t close all the way, so light came in early. The single-glazed windows let in noise from every drunk person, seagull and screaming child on the main street. On our first night, music from a neighbouring place blared until 1am, loud enough to feel through the walls. That’s not the hotel’s fault, but it’s something to keep in mind. The room was cold throughout. At first we thought the radiator was broken, but apparently it switches off once the temperature is considered “high” enough. It’s set far too low in my view, and I had to sleep in my hoodie to keep warm. The single glazing didn’t help. The room was nothing special apart from the sleeping issues. There were holes in the walls, clear damp and mould, and the bathroom door was almost off its hinges. It was hard to open and close, and VERY loud. If all you need is a cheap bed in a good location, it’s perfectly fine. But if you struggle to sleep, I’d spend the money elsewhere. You get what you pay for at this cheap hotel.

We only used the room as a base, so it worked fine for us. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, though they need a bit of work. The owners and staff were incredibly welcoming and gave us all the hospitality we could have asked for.

We booked three nights but couldn’t manage even one because of the unbearable smell of cannabis throughout the hotel and the awful conditions. It was filthy and felt unsafe, a genuine health hazard in my view. I’ve contacted booking.com to investigate what I consider suspicious reviews, and also contacted the local council because I think the place needs to close. The hotel won’t refund my money and has ignored me, so I’ve now contacted the police and started taking the matter further, with evidence for local authorities and the press. This is by far the worst hotel in Blackpool. They’ll probably call this a fake review, as they do with other honest reviews. Check Trip Advisor for the real reviews.

The rooms were very basic and shabby, and there are no facilities to make drinks in the room. There’s a machine downstairs, with each drink costing one pound. The location is excellent, but be warned about the noise. We stayed Friday and Saturday in rooms above the pub, where they played music until 2am. If you want to sleep before then, book somewhere else.