The Royal Hotel Scarborough

This is a late review from May 2025. We paid in advance for a break, but left early and cut it short. We were upgraded to the penthouse suite, lol, and it was awful. There was blood on the mattress, the sheets were too small and cheap, the window was cracked and broken, and the furniture was the sort you’d find in a junk shop. The bathroom was mouldy and cold, the shower was terrible, and the carpets looked straight out of the 80s. I’ve never felt so disappointed or hurt to be lying on something fit for a bonfire. Anyone going here needs a medal. If offered an upgrade, don’t smile and take it, go for a normal room. I can only hope those are better. The room was cleaned by a woman with her leg in plaster who had to climb flights of stairs. We can’t believe the place hasn’t been shut down in this day and age. That saying, “all lace an ………” describes this disgusting hotel exactly. Shame on you for letting it get into this appalling state. The planners and original builders aren’t alive to see what’s become of it. Be warned, travellers.

The food was disappointing, bland and too salty, with small portions and little variety. Some ingredients didn’t seem fresh, and the meals arrived cold. Service took too long, and it wasn’t worth the price. The dining experience needs work.

We came as a party of seven for dinner with Santa. The atmosphere was good and Santa was good, but we won’t return next year. There was no food on the hot plates, and when fresh food finally came out, there was only enough for three people. Everything described as “fresh” was cold, the meat was rubbery and there were no puddings. Shocking is the only way to begin.

The place was absolutely filthy from the moment we walked in, much worse than the pictures show. I told the man at reception, but he was rude and obnoxious and didn’t acknowledge it. A second staff member just said “thankyou”, again without acknowledging the problem. I also had to ask someone to put the curtain back up. The shower didn’t work, and the taps seemed like a health hazard, so I had to buy water to brush my teeth. There was dust left on the skirting and carpet where the TV had been put on the wall, hair on the side cabinets, dust across the units and cobwebs everywhere. Absolutely filthy!