Is this the UK’s cheapest hotel? Rooms start from £18 a night, offer sea views and are ‘always fully booked’
A HOTEL in Blackpool – just off the famous promenade – offers possibly one of the cheapest rooms in Britain.
MyRoomz Seaview Hotel is right on the beachfront, offering sea views, but charges as little as £18 a night for two adults sharing a room.
A six-minute walk to the town’s legendary Pleasure Beach Resort, the rooms come with wifi and most offer en-suite bathrooms, as well as flat-screen TVs with satellite channels.
The 2-star hotel offers necessities and it has been the subject of a few unsavoury reviews online, but its manager argues that for that price they are offering great value for money.
And unlike many other hotels in the seaside town – they are fully booked all year round.
Mark Tenfold, general manager at MyRoomz Seaview Hotel, says they keep their prices low because they don’t offer breakfast.
He told Sun Travel: “Most of the rooms are en-suite apart from a few on the ground floor. We also have access for disabled guests, so we cater for lots of different people. And there are plenty of food options nearby.
“Guests come here for the location – we’re just off the promenade.
“There are 10 rooms in total, and we’re booked up all the time all year round.
“We get all sorts of people staying here. We have long-term guests that are struggling to pay for flats, people looking for a budget break, and people coming for business.”
According to Mark, one of the best things the hotel offers is its sea views.
While they’re not available from every room, he said: “There are hotels nearby that are £100 a night that don’t have the views we have.”
Mark added as general manager of the hotel he’s always around and ready to socialise with guests, unlike other hotels.
He said: “Just check out our reviews on Booking.com – they’re all good, just a couple of bad ones on there from people trying to get their money back.”
Guests come here for the location – we’re just off the promenade
Mark Tenfold
The reviews are a mixed bag online, but the hotel does come in for high praise from a number of happy guests.
One said: “It was a really nice stay here at the Sea View Hotel, I can’t thank Mark enough – very friendly and helpful with excellent knowledge of the area.”
Free attractions in Blackpool
The resort town is filled with fun (and free!) activities year-round, here are three of The Sun's top picks.
Stroll along the Prom
There’s plenty to see and do, from taking a selfie outside the Blackpool Tower to checking out the three piers where entry is free.
Visit Stanley Park
The 390-acre park is open from 9 am daily with free admission and the park’s many activities start at only £1.
Marvel at the Blackpool Illuminations
The famous lights show costs £2.4 million to stage, the equipment is worth £10 million, and they attract more than 3.5 million visitors to the town every year. Check online to find out display times each year.
Another added: “Stayed from Friday to Monday – staff very helpful and sociable. Room was just right, clean and tidy. Will definitely be going back.”
A third said: “What a bargain, you won’t get anywhere cheaper than £20 a night! Some of the reviews would make you think they paid a lot more, don’t know why people have such high expectations – it was a great stay with lovely staff.”
But some of the other reviews were less than complimentary about their accommodation, with one person saying: “In the top floor room, you had to duck to enter the room, it was okay just to get your head down for 1 night.”
Another said: “Comfy bed, sink in the bedroom, recently decorated (although poorly) but had a great sleep. I could pick it apart on cleanliness but that wasn’t my aim. I always check under bed to make sure I haven’t left anything and found other people’s pants.”
Blackpool highlights
There is no denying how close the hotel is to several hugely popular attractions though, in addition to Blackpool Pleasure Resort.
Sandcastle Waterpark is the UK’s largest indoor water park, with more than 18 slides, and it’s just a four-minute walk away.
And Coral Island, a family-friendly indoor fun park with pirate-themed games and rides, plus a casino with slots and tables, is less than half an hour away.
When it comes to places to eat, Catch Fish and Chips is just next door.
We get all sorts of people staying here. We have long-term guests that are struggling to pay for flats, people looking for a budget break, and people coming for business
Mark Tenfold
Just a five-minute walk away is Jade Delight, which offers a variety of Chinese delicacies.
Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse travelled to Blackpool with her family recently and said that the town is still a great spot for a weekend break with kids.
She said: “Whether you love a back-to-basics bucket-and-spade beach break, want a thrill a minute at one of the UK’s oldest theme parks or fancy a night on the tiles, there’s everything you need at Blackpool.”