Henson Hotel

We contacted Environmental Health at Blackpool Council to report the serious hygiene and safety concerns. We left the same day we checked in because there was no way we could stay, especially with our 12-month-old son. I wouldn’t let a child, or anyone, sleep in those conditions. This is the worst accommodation I’ve encountered. Don’t stay here. I wouldn’t let my worst enemy set foot inside, let alone sleep there. The room was freezing, with a wafer-thin duvet, and the walls were so thin we could hear everything. The door was extremely stiff and felt like a serious fire safety risk, and the lift seemed unsafe and poorly maintained. Nothing about the building felt compliant, safe, or cared for. It was obvious when we walked in that the room hadn’t been cleaned. There were thick layers of dust, dirty grimy walls, hair in the bed, and a terrible smell. The carpet was lifting, the toilet was loose and badly fitted, and dirty water came from the shower. The headboard was hanging off the wall and wallpaper was peeling from the ceiling. When we raised the problems, staff were rude, dismissive, and uninterested. They didn’t apologize or try to resolve anything.

The town and its residents were great, but the hotel was the worst place I’ve ever stayed. I took my partner there for his 51st birthday week, and we came home a day early because it was so depressing. I wouldn’t recommend anyone pay to stay there, not in a million years. The manager also gets tenants and guests to work for her. I’d booked the Burlington hotel in Blackpool on booking.com, but when I arrived from Birmingham it was called the Henson hotel. The Burlington sign was still on one side, while the Henson sign was on the other, where you check in. The first guests we met were homeless people and people using drugs who were living there. Pete, who worked there, was rude and ignorant and made us uncomfortable. The wall-mounted TV didn’t work, so we had only a 12-inch TV with no Freeview. We were lucky to have brought our Roku box, otherwise we’d have had no TV for the week. The only heating was an electric heater, which wasn’t any good because it was covered by the fireplace and the broken TV. There was no hot water all week. We reported it and were told the maintenance man only comes on Saturday, but he never showed up. The room was also cold because of draughts from every window and the bathroom, so we covered them up to warm it. Staff didn’t care. There was no Wi-Fi in the rooms, only downstairs in the bar, and the bar and games room were never open. Such a disappointment.

We checked in on 6 December 2025 and left the same day. I didn’t expect a five-star hotel, just cleanliness and basic safety, and this place failed at both. The receptionist was polite but seemed like she didn’t want to be there. The men’s restroom was out of order, so my husband was directed through the empty bar to the ladies’ restroom. Our top-floor room had wall stains, a door that didn’t feel secure, black hairs on the bed and towels, something that looked like blood on the wall, and a broken bathroom blind. I felt unsafe and didn’t want to stay. The receptionist was helpful, but said there were no other rooms, thank God. We were told a refund would come through Booking.com, but it still hadn’t happened when we contacted them the next day. The owner clearly needs the money to keep it! I’ve stayed in plenty of three-star hotels that were much better maintained. Cleanliness and safety are basic, and this place didn’t meet either. I wouldn’t even let my dogs stay here. Avoid at all costs.

We left the Henson that evening, a day early. Another hotel looked at our photos and said the conditions were unacceptable, then offered us better treatment for a lower price. I wouldn’t bother staying here. Their excuse for the tackiness is that it’s a budget hotel and halfway through renovations, but it needs a bulldozer. Their responses on booking.com are unprofessional and make guests sound like the problem, even though lots of people find it terrible. Before check-in, I heard an old man tell the woman at reception he couldn’t get upstairs. She basically told him tough luck, which was an immediate red flag. The fake photos and claims about flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi had set high expectations. Walking to the room, we saw white paint all over the black door frames and carpets. Inside, it felt like a grubby house share, with dusty floors and tacky furniture. When we came back from going out, we checked the mattress instead of relaxing and found blood stains all over it. I spoke to Pete, the grey-haired man with tattoos. He suggested putting up with it for one more night. When I said I wouldn’t sleep on it, he brought a mattress from the back, huffing and puffing as if it was our fault. He said he’d have the room cleaned the next day, but that never happened. I asked for towels and was basically ignored, then handed them over with attitude. At around 2:45 am the fire alarm went off, and there was smoke throughout the hotel. We were evacuated. It turned out a woman who worked there had set fire to a microwave while making popcorn, and nobody took action, so a guest had to call the fire brigade. They offered us a drink, but I wouldn’t drink there when they can’t even clean the rooms properly. I left the bed unmade hoping they’d change the sheets for the next person. I’ll add photos in a separate review.