Your worst hotel...
Discussion
Self-preservation has made me forget the name of it, but my wife and I stayed at a hotel near the Gare du Lyon in Paris which was absolutely horrible. We arrived there at about 10pm and were too skint to look for somewhere else, but we still joke about it now.
Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
Nico Adie said:
Self-preservation has made me forget the name of it, but my wife and I stayed at a hotel near the Gare du Lyon in Paris which was absolutely horrible. We arrived there at about 10pm and were too skint to look for somewhere else, but we still joke about it now. Every single stereotype about Parisian hospitality was in full effect!
Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
Nico Adie said:
Self-preservation has made me forget the name of it, but my wife and I stayed at a hotel near the Gare du Lyon in Paris which was absolutely horrible. We arrived there at about 10pm and were too skint to look for somewhere else, but we still joke about it now.
Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
A great example of "every cloud and all that".....Also stayed in the Hotel Elbe in Frankfurt in September 2006. I quickly found out upon arrival that it was in the red light district. The hotel itself wasn't as bad as the aforementioned Parisian nightmare, but overlooked several brothels & titty bars. People were smoking crack on the street outside.
I will, however, say this: the kebab that I had from the joint just down from the hotel was THE BEST kebab I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible.
I stayed at a chain hotel at Birmingham airport before an early flight for holiday once.
I knew it was cheap and it was only one night, but alarm bells were ringing when we entered.
Our room was all white, had the kind of fittings that are bolted down. Tiny, 30cm high oblong window.
Mattress as thick as a fag packet and probably less comfortable to sleep on.
No carpet. One (small) towel between us.
I've never been in one, but to me it appeared to be very similar to a prison cell.
I got a few hours kip but the OH was awake all night.
Fortunately, we were only there for a few hours before our early flight and it did make the hotel for our holiday seem like a palace
I knew it was cheap and it was only one night, but alarm bells were ringing when we entered.
Our room was all white, had the kind of fittings that are bolted down. Tiny, 30cm high oblong window.
Mattress as thick as a fag packet and probably less comfortable to sleep on.
No carpet. One (small) towel between us.
I've never been in one, but to me it appeared to be very similar to a prison cell.
I got a few hours kip but the OH was awake all night.
Fortunately, we were only there for a few hours before our early flight and it did make the hotel for our holiday seem like a palace
irocfan said:
RonaldMcDonaldAteMyCat said:
I stopped at the Caledonian in Ullapool last year. Twas a dump. Didn't really matter, as it was a place to get my head down after dinner and a couple of pints before an early start. Wouldn't want to stop there as part of a trip with the missus, though. Inside it was like it had been closed for two years and left to the elements.
We were there 2 months ago - a pretty poor experience TBH (the staff were lovely though). I still can't get over the fact they were charging £100 per night (with breakfast), I'd have felt it was poor value at less than half the price.
You're right though, the staff were good. Didn't eat there (went to the Ship, then a few pints at the Arches).
ATG said:
Landcrab_Six said:
I had the misfortunate of staying here a couple of years ago.
I knew I shouldn't. But I figured that it couldn't be that bad due to where it was. I was very much mistaken.
Yeah, in spite of low expectations, I was surprised just how bad this hotel was too.I knew I shouldn't. But I figured that it couldn't be that bad due to where it was. I was very much mistaken.
But it is still a lot better than some of the comically bad places I've stayed in over the years. Highlights are a khazi in Tower Hamlets that got irradiated by the FSB on their way to Salisbury to visit the lovely cathedral, a pub off the A5 near Llangollen that served frozen chicken and had a fox living in the bar, but none of those are close to the delights of a Slovakian hotel that gave us a key and a single lightbulb for our room as we checked in.
Edited by ATG on Monday 23 November 00:07
A B&B but we stayed here about a year before it was on Hotel Inspector. He was really bloody weird, the show didn’t exaggerate it. Never felt more uncomfortable at a hotel before or since, made us feel like a hindrance rather than a guest.
I honestly tend to just stay in Premier Inns or similar now, good value, clean and comfortable, I’ve not been in a B&B since.
https://youtu.be/Qw9uET_OVGA
I honestly tend to just stay in Premier Inns or similar now, good value, clean and comfortable, I’ve not been in a B&B since.
https://youtu.be/Qw9uET_OVGA
the tribester said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Worst I've stayed in was in San Francisco.
We were touring round the west coast on a budget. Typically staying $50 a night motels, which on the whole were ok.
We didn't realise you don't get much for your $50 in SF. Turns out it was some sort of hostel for drug addicts and I'm not talking your occasional dope smoker, these were full on homeless heroin addicts.
We arrived too late to do anything about it, think we stayed 6 or 7 hours but would have been better sleeping in the hire car.
Clouded my opinion of SF as I still think the place is a s
thole.
It cost us that much in SF to park our car for the night!We were touring round the west coast on a budget. Typically staying $50 a night motels, which on the whole were ok.
We didn't realise you don't get much for your $50 in SF. Turns out it was some sort of hostel for drug addicts and I'm not talking your occasional dope smoker, these were full on homeless heroin addicts.
We arrived too late to do anything about it, think we stayed 6 or 7 hours but would have been better sleeping in the hire car.
Clouded my opinion of SF as I still think the place is a s
thole. Don't think I've booked a hotel without atleast a quick glance at the reviews since.
I've slept outside in Galloway forest for 2 weeks in November with nothing more than a bivvy bag and it was preferable.
Dan_1981 said:
I had no idea Britannia hotels were so widely awful. My worst hotel was one work put me in, granted at short notice.
And not surprisingly it's the same brand...
I see in the intervening 15 years it hasn't improved...
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g528793...
I was binged in a single somewhere up in the rafters. All the restaurants were closed, the room was tiny. The amount of dust was horrendous.
Other highlights included everything being hardwired. I mean everything - kettle, TV, hairdryer and not a spare socket in the room to be found - you couldn't charge phone / laptop.
Luckily it was only a single night.
I was in there twice in 2003. The pool was closed. Probably because of the green water and broken glass. While we were there, The actor who played Spider (Emily Bishop’s nephew, (roughly based on ‘swampy’ )in Coronation Street was in the bar most nights. And he went off to live in a tree! And not surprisingly it's the same brand...
I see in the intervening 15 years it hasn't improved...
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g528793...
I was binged in a single somewhere up in the rafters. All the restaurants were closed, the room was tiny. The amount of dust was horrendous.
Other highlights included everything being hardwired. I mean everything - kettle, TV, hairdryer and not a spare socket in the room to be found - you couldn't charge phone / laptop.
Luckily it was only a single night.
Bloody horrible.
But the worst place was in Norway, where the company €130 a night budget doesn’t go far. This was what the bed looked like when I walked in the room. Also the ashtray on the balcony gained 2 fag butts every day. I don’t smoke.
As a friend commented when I showed her the picture:
That chair has seen things.
[quote=neilski]Some of those posted already look quite luxurious compared to some of the places I've stayed in. Admittedly they're what you might call off the beaten track a bit.
Uzbekistan. Although calling it a hotel is probably stretching it a bit. More like a roadside restaurant that had beds for the night.
One of my worse was a night in Fergana in Uzbekistan in 2002 (the year after 9/11). The Fergana Valley was a hotbed of muslim fundamentalism according to The Foreign Office advice, so decided to stay somewhere government ran. It was a huge old ex-soviet hotel. Strangely enough I think it was called the "Uzbekhotel Fergana" or something like that. Room was a bit basic and very dilapidated. We decided to have a walk round town. Not 500 yards from the hotel we got the "Hello Comrade" in Russian from some "police" wanting our passports - apparently a good way to lose money, bribing them to give your passports back - we declined. Deciding it would probably be safer in the hotel, we returned to realise our floor had it's own "TV lounge/chill out area". Although the only people chilling out were dodgy types and prostitutes! So we passed on the chilling out and went straight our room and barricaded the flimsy door for a fitful nights sleep.
(no digital camera then!)
Was a very interesting holiday and met some wonderful kind friendly people in Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan
Uzbekistan. Although calling it a hotel is probably stretching it a bit. More like a roadside restaurant that had beds for the night.
One of my worse was a night in Fergana in Uzbekistan in 2002 (the year after 9/11). The Fergana Valley was a hotbed of muslim fundamentalism according to The Foreign Office advice, so decided to stay somewhere government ran. It was a huge old ex-soviet hotel. Strangely enough I think it was called the "Uzbekhotel Fergana" or something like that. Room was a bit basic and very dilapidated. We decided to have a walk round town. Not 500 yards from the hotel we got the "Hello Comrade" in Russian from some "police" wanting our passports - apparently a good way to lose money, bribing them to give your passports back - we declined. Deciding it would probably be safer in the hotel, we returned to realise our floor had it's own "TV lounge/chill out area". Although the only people chilling out were dodgy types and prostitutes! So we passed on the chilling out and went straight our room and barricaded the flimsy door for a fitful nights sleep.
(no digital camera then!)
Was a very interesting holiday and met some wonderful kind friendly people in Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan
I see all your dirty sthole Britannia hotels, and raise you the grand hotel in scarborough (also a Britannia)
I was given a room in the basement, that had no window at all. Smelt like puke. An amzing building architecturally but has had zero investment in the past 100 years. I feared for my safety actually if there was a fire.
There was black mould all over the walls, and the sheets felt notkceably damp.
There was an oddly placed picture of a creepy piper boy, underneath which was a stain which looked like blood splatter.
I was forewarned not to drink the water due to a number of legionaires outbreaks in the past.
Luckily i was on a stag do so pissed for the vast majority of my time there.
Utterly horrific dump.
thole Britannia hotels, and raise you the grand hotel in scarborough (also a Britannia) I was given a room in the basement, that had no window at all. Smelt like puke. An amzing building architecturally but has had zero investment in the past 100 years. I feared for my safety actually if there was a fire.
There was black mould all over the walls, and the sheets felt notkceably damp.
There was an oddly placed picture of a creepy piper boy, underneath which was a stain which looked like blood splatter.
I was forewarned not to drink the water due to a number of legionaires outbreaks in the past.
Luckily i was on a stag do so pissed for the vast majority of my time there.
Utterly horrific dump.
Edited by dazwalsh on Tuesday 24th November 21:51
Landcrab_Six said:
Rollin said:
That has to be the worst hotel in the UK. Truly awful. I swear they rent rooms by the hour.cleddau bridge hotel In Pembroke
Only ever stayed once, as I was new to a company and stayed in the same place as my work college, looked nice from the outside with a view over looking the lovely Harbor in Pembroke, a real good view.
the food was alright worse than a premier inn but better than a marstons pub
The bed was so old that it had 2 massive dips in it where fat people had slept, certainly a rent by the hour hotel
Shortly after I stayed, it closed down, then it burnt down, and now it’s been demolished, so that says a lot.
Only ever stayed once, as I was new to a company and stayed in the same place as my work college, looked nice from the outside with a view over looking the lovely Harbor in Pembroke, a real good view.
the food was alright worse than a premier inn but better than a marstons pub
The bed was so old that it had 2 massive dips in it where fat people had slept, certainly a rent by the hour hotel
Shortly after I stayed, it closed down, then it burnt down, and now it’s been demolished, so that says a lot.
Landcrab_Six said:
I had the misfortunate of staying here a couple of years ago.
I knew I shouldn't. But I figured that it couldn't be that bad due to where it was. I was very much mistaken.
Haha! I knew I shouldn't. But I figured that it couldn't be that bad due to where it was. I was very much mistaken.
This s
thole! Going back 15 years ago now, when I was much younger and a little more stupid and naive, I decided to whisk my then girlfriend away to London for the weekend. I also didn't really know London very well. Turned up at this place after going on a tube that was longer than I thought then something called the DLR, I arrived at this place. Turns out Canary Wharf is a reasonably long way from the touristy sights of London!The chintz decor was worn out then, f
k know what it's like now. Very surprised it still exists, given that it's in a very affluent area. 
Mid eighties, Ioannina. Beautiful town, spent a couple of days by the lake whilst on our way to Albania.
Shame our hotel wasn't. Looked OK, a few rooms set around a cobbled courtyard, simple cot beds.
But smelt of drains, lumpy flea infested horsehair mattresses that stank of piss. Slept in my clothes and checked out 1st thing in the morning. I've stayed in some pretty rank places, but this one took the biscuit.
Shame our hotel wasn't. Looked OK, a few rooms set around a cobbled courtyard, simple cot beds.
But smelt of drains, lumpy flea infested horsehair mattresses that stank of piss. Slept in my clothes and checked out 1st thing in the morning. I've stayed in some pretty rank places, but this one took the biscuit.
ChocolateFrog said:
Worst I've stayed in was in San Francisco.
We were touring round the west coast on a budget. Typically staying $50 a night motels, which on the whole were ok.
We didn't realise you don't get much for your $50 in SF. Turns out it was some sort of hostel for drug addicts and I'm not talking your occasional dope smoker, these were full on homeless heroin addicts.
We arrived too late to do anything about it, think we stayed 6 or 7 hours but would have been better sleeping in the hire car.
Clouded my opinion of SF as I still think the place is a sthole.
Oh yes, definitely San Fran for our worst hotel. End of 2009 a few of us went across to see a mate who'd moved there a couple of years before and had settled with a girl who later became his wife. She sent a list of budget hotels and we (I say we, I really mean me) just picked something which looked ok. It was only for 3 or 4 nights before we headed up to Lake Tahoe snowboarding. We were touring round the west coast on a budget. Typically staying $50 a night motels, which on the whole were ok.
We didn't realise you don't get much for your $50 in SF. Turns out it was some sort of hostel for drug addicts and I'm not talking your occasional dope smoker, these were full on homeless heroin addicts.
We arrived too late to do anything about it, think we stayed 6 or 7 hours but would have been better sleeping in the hire car.
Clouded my opinion of SF as I still think the place is a s
thole. On arrival, reception was lax to say the least. Two lads had to request another room as their door was stoved in when they came to drop their stuff off. The beds 'seemed' clean but the place was scruffy AF and the place smelled of Mary Jane. It became clear it was a hotel for stoners ... people walking down the corridors like zombees. Breakfast as a joke ... mini boxes of cereal and warm milk. We saw people coming from their rooms basically filling black bin bags up with the cereal boxes and leaving ... so breakfast out was an option. The pool looked like it had gators living in it ... the pool was painted blue but the water was a dark green ... I saw someone
New years eve saw us motivated to find a girl and sleep at their place for the night, which most of us did. But thats when the itching started ...
Fortunately for me I was the only one not affected ... everyone else had either bites or lesions and were itching like dogs on the drive to Tahoe on new years day ... must have been from the beds. Some sort of reaction or bite.
Thankfully Tahoe was amazing and we still remember the whole trip with fondness. I'll try and dig out the name of the hotel but my mate and his Mrs did see a TV show over there and it was voted the worst hotel in the USA!!A couple - stayed in a cheapo sthole in London near St Pancras for an early train. The room was in a basement, and had a shower in one cupboard at the head of the single bed, and a toilet in a cupboard at the foot of the bed. I was financially sodomised for a room so small that I could touch the walls of by stretching my arms out, and had to squeeze between the bed and a wardrobe to get to the toilet. I also had to leave the door open while I was having a dump as the door hit my knees.
The other one was a nice enough room, but I was in transit overnight in Melbourne and got a room near the airport. About 2am there was a commotion in the corridor and shouting. I think someone must have had some bad pills or something and kept shouting for 'Shannon!' The hotel staff told them to be quiet a few times, and eventually kicked him and his mate out. They ended up out in the car park, shouting and screaming. The cops called and I saw them taser the guy and watched as he was strapped to a stretcher and driven off in an ambulance.
Edit: I found some video I shot at the time - you can hear the guy screaming. Here's a still:
thole in London near St Pancras for an early train. The room was in a basement, and had a shower in one cupboard at the head of the single bed, and a toilet in a cupboard at the foot of the bed. I was financially sodomised for a room so small that I could touch the walls of by stretching my arms out, and had to squeeze between the bed and a wardrobe to get to the toilet. I also had to leave the door open while I was having a dump as the door hit my knees.The other one was a nice enough room, but I was in transit overnight in Melbourne and got a room near the airport. About 2am there was a commotion in the corridor and shouting. I think someone must have had some bad pills or something and kept shouting for 'Shannon!' The hotel staff told them to be quiet a few times, and eventually kicked him and his mate out. They ended up out in the car park, shouting and screaming. The cops called and I saw them taser the guy and watched as he was strapped to a stretcher and driven off in an ambulance.
Edit: I found some video I shot at the time - you can hear the guy screaming. Here's a still:
Edited by some bloke on Wednesday 25th November 18:42
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff