A mother and daughter were left fuming after a birthday weekend away was ruined by the "worst hotel they have ever stayed in".
Sandra Henderson and her daughter travelled from Stockport to Blackpool for the celebration, which they fear could be their last together after Sandra's daughter's terminal cancer diagnosis, but were left incredibly disappointed.
The pair headed down for a weekend away in the fresh seaside air but were forced to change hotels due to the condition of the room at their original place.
They had booked to stay at the Blackpool Promenade Hotel and received a full refund after complaining, Lancs Live reports.
Sandra said: "When we arrived, we spotted that the hall carpets and the carpets outside could do with a hoover. The bar was closed, but it was piled with dirty bottles and cups.
"We checked in and were given a room on the fourth floor. We had paid extra for a room with a sea view. However, because of my daughter's cancer, she's walking with a stick at the moment, and the lift was broken.
"We made it upstairs to our room, but I took one look at my daughter and knew she wouldn't be able to manage the stairs for the remainder of our trip. She was exhausted."
After heading to the reception to explain her daughter's condition they were offered a room on the first floor.
Having been given a new room and moved their bags in quickly without looking, it was only when they returned they discovered a dirty carpet, no toilet in the bathroom and a "discoloured" shower tiles.
Sandra explained she again complained to management who said they would arrange a new room for her the following day.
"We didn't go out for long, as my daughter gets tired easily because of the cancer," she explained.
"After we got back I went to see if I could see [the manager], and he was at reception, so I asked about our room. He turned and said we should have come down 10 minutes earlier because the room had gone.
"I've been coming to Blackpool for years, I have stayed in all sorts of hotels, but I have never stayed anywhere like this. It was filthy, absolutely disgusting. It was by far the worst hotel I've ever stayed in."
A spokesperson for the Blackpool Promenade Hotel said: "We are sorry the customer expressed their disappointments for their stay. We completed our investigation regarding the guest's allegations. Before the guests arrived, we double-checked our rooms. The guest has booked a Twin Sea View room and upon arrival we have provided their room and the room was absolutely fine with no complaint from the guest.
"But after a while the guest came to reception and told them they needed a lower floor room. Luckily there was only one twin standard room but no sea view room was left on the first floor because most of the rooms are booked due to the busy school holiday in October. The guest stayed for the first night without any complaint.
"But on the second day they expressed their unhappiness and as soon as they complained we sorted out their cleanliness and then again we offered them the same room they originally booked but they refused to go back to their original room they booked.
"Our question is why they did not stay in the room that they booked originally and asked us to provide a lower floor on short notice when there is a full occupancy of the hotel. Still, though, we have accommodated on the first floor as a gesture of goodwill but they complain. Also in a short notice we could not resell both the rooms they have used.
"It's always easy to target and blame the hotels and a good excuse to get the money [refunded]."
A spokesperson for Booking.com said: "If a customer ever shows up to a property and it does not meet their expectations, our customer service team are on hand 24/7 to advocate on their behalf.
"In this instance, to apologise for this experience, we have offered the guest a full refund as a gesture of goodwill and are working with the property to address any issues raised to ensure all future guests have a good stay."
Ian White, director of StayBlackpool said: "As a director of the Hotel & Guest House Association StayBlackpool, I am saddened to read horror stories about Blackpool Hotels. Fortunately, the bad places are few and far between
"After seeing some of the pictures, I am mortified that accommodation providers can offer such standards and expect to be paid.
"Sadly, as things stand the local council's hands are tied into what action they can take. It should be noted that where someone experiences such poor conditions, they need to report the issues to the Trading Standards Department at the council where they pay their council tax. Though the booking site should always be the first port of call
"Understanding the property was booked through a third party company, it is not surprising these people had been so seriously misled in to booking there.
"After reporting issues to the Competition & Market Authority on many occasions it is devastating that nothing has been done.
"For bookers peace of mind and the knowledge their accommodation providers will do the very best for them, they need to look at the local Tourist board, VisitBlackpool or groups like StayBlackpool where all properties are annually inspected to ensure they make the grade.
"Also with no commission, using such recognised/trusted organisations the price will almost certainly be less than the big names that charge significant amounts of commission to the accommodation providers."
