Forshaws Hotel – Blackpool

I stayed one night in Room 229, and the bathroom hygiene was very poor. There was heavy grime around and under the toilet base, mould in the shower tray grout and sealant, especially in the corners, and visible residue on the dirty soap and shower gel dispenser. I took photos during my stay. The room also didn’t match the online photos. Afterwards, I contacted the hotel. They said the cleanliness was “not acceptable” and that they’d speak to housekeeping, but they wouldn’t offer a refund or compensation. They only offered a discount for a future visit, which I don’t intend to make. Based on what I experienced, I’d avoid booking here.

I booked through RoomEx for work and ended up going to a coffee shop to work because I couldn’t stand being in the room. The front desk staff were warm and welcoming, but the room was disgraceful. There were stains, hairs in the bathroom and dirt everywhere. The TV didn’t work, wind came through broken windows all night, and masking tape was holding the curtain stick back. Breakfast was appalling too, and they charged extra for non-instant coffee. I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels while travelling around the UK and the world for work, often in a different city every week, and this could be the worst. Money seems to have gone into the foyer, hallways and doors, but the rooms need a lot of work to reach even one-star standard. The online photos are mostly AI and extremely misleading. Avoid.

Forshaws is still the place my fiancée and I choose whenever we stay in Blackpool. It’s well placed for the attractions, though parking can be awkward, like it is everywhere. We’ve tried both sea-view and standard rooms. The bathrooms could be cleaner, and the windows could fit better, but we wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

The location is good and the staff were helpful, but the rooms are awful. The whole hotel had a horrible smell, the air conditioning didn’t work in any of the rooms, and lots of TVs were broken. I was told heaters go missing because they get stolen. We went through three rooms before we felt even remotely comfortable. The first had a used razor in the shower, a full bin and bathroom mould. The second was much the same, with no heater and a broken TV. The third was okay, but its TV was tiny, about the size you’d expect for an ant. I’d spend a bit more and stay somewhere else.