Scarborough's The Grand Hotel review vs Toulson Court Bed and Breakfast Scarborough

Yorkshire Post

'I stayed in Britain’s worst hotel chain and the world's best B&B in the same Yorkshire town' - Our reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin went to find out how they compare.

Transcript

00:00 So a midweek treat or it may be a trick as we're off to the Grand Hotel in Scarborough

00:07 for the first night which has been rated quite badly online and also the company behind it

00:14 Britannia Hotels is the worst rated hotel chain in the UK.

00:18 So we're going to see what that's really like because I know a lot of you may have stayed

00:22 there or thinking about a cheap break there.

00:26 I have to confess I've upgraded to have a window in the room so it's a bit more luxury

00:32 but then tomorrow we're going to be trying out the world's best bed and breakfast which

00:38 is also in Scarborough just down the road.

00:41 So according to TripAdvisor reviews for three years running this is the best place to stay

00:47 in the world when it comes to a good old fashioned B&B.

00:50 I'm just about to head past one of Scarborough's hidden gems or not so hidden but unknown is

00:58 Stephen Joseph Theatre.

00:59 So it's one of the only cinemas in the town and theatres but it's also got a very nice

01:05 cafe apparently according to TripAdvisor.

01:06 So I'm going to take a look in there but funnily in Scarborough there's only one full time

01:14 cinema and that's Hollywood Plaza which again is a hidden gem in its own right.

01:20 It's right by the coast and it's proper old school and a lovely lovely place to go to

01:24 watch a good old film.

01:25 Here's the Grand Hotel so it's very well placed.

01:28 It's in Nicholas Cliff.

01:30 It is supposed to be haunted though as well.

01:36 But it looks alright from the outside.

01:39 Anne Bronte the writer.

01:42 Blue plaque on the wall.

01:43 It's the day where they've just put up the thousandth blue plaque has English heritage.

01:48 It's parking up so you have to pay a home permit about £7 on the grand.

01:54 And there is some very pretty views.

01:57 Let's take a look inside.

02:00 [Music]

02:02 So you just can't go wrong with a view of the Grand Hotel.

02:29 So just came up to the room now.

02:33 We've got to change lifts to get to the sixth floor.

02:37 It does feel very traditional.

02:38 Are we in the top?

02:39 We're at sixth.

02:40 No we're in the top.

02:41 Have you got me in the top?

02:42 Who is sixth?

02:43 The top?

02:44 I don't know.

02:45 We're here.

02:46 I told my husband Dan to stop being so pessimistic because he said, "Hey, if you paid £40 for

03:01 a window it would be opposite a wall."

03:04 And we've just walked in.

03:05 Come on, open up window love.

03:08 There's a kind of, looks more like a queen size bed than double bed but never mind.

03:13 So that's what I'm here for.

03:14 Oh, a room with a view.

03:16 You've got old coke bottles.

03:18 F***ing castle turret love.

03:21 You can't see out of it love.

03:24 Listen.

03:25 I dare you to push that back some more because you know you're pound.

03:43 Did you close your bath?

03:44 Only at best.

03:45 F***ing hell, what the hell is that?

03:46 What is that?

03:47 Thought we'd remind you of your youth.

03:48 Remind me of my youth?

03:49 I looked like someone out of Space Jam.

03:50 Oh my days, I'm going to stay in that.

03:51 What is that?

03:52 Thought we'd remind you of your youth.

03:54 Remind me of my youth?

03:55 I looked like someone out of Space Jam.

03:56 Oh my days, I'm going to stay in that.

03:57 Oh my days, I'm going to stay in that.

04:24 So we've realised we're staying in a turret, which is like a circular room, which is why

04:30 we've got that view of seagull mess out there.

04:33 We're not staying in a turret, we're not staying in this turret.

04:35 Well no, we're going to go see if we can get another room because there's also urine, stains

04:41 and smell and wetness on the bed.

04:44 I'd gone for an afternoon nap and I thought this is wet and it's warm as f*** and there's

04:49 a duvet under here.

04:51 When you put the duvet back, it's wet through, pee stained.

04:55 And this has been weighed on and just covered up and I've laid on this and I felt it and

05:02 it didn't feel good.

05:04 What another room here?

05:06 Let's get us out of here.

05:09 So the woman, to be fair, is very nice on reception and this is the only other room

05:14 they've got so they've had to upgrade this.

05:16 We've got a sea view room.

05:18 It's a twin bed so we just come in and it is nice and bright.

05:26 There's the lovely seagulls pooping out the window but you can't see the sea.

05:34 It's nice for another room.

05:36 Which bed do you want?

05:38 Whichever.

05:39 Does the lock work?

05:41 Yeah.

05:42 Oh and it's a bit bigger TV.

05:44 Yeah, there's no remote.

05:46 So that one's a lot better.

05:49 We just realised there's no wifi there so we won't be reporting live that for sure

05:54 unless you pay £7 a day.

05:57 I'm not paying £7.

05:59 So you can also pay a surcharge to get half board so you get tea or you don't have to

06:07 be a resident.

06:08 You can wait in queue for tea.

06:12 Come here.

06:14 The lamp was flickering.

06:18 It is haunted.

06:20 So we've stayed the night in the presidential suite as you can see behind me.

06:25 This is ultimate luxury here at the Grand Scarborough.

06:28 It does have good views minus a lot of seagull poo on all the windows which it does warn you

06:35 about before you come.

06:36 Don't feed the seagulls.

06:37 We haven't fed them.

06:38 They've just already been well fed for probably a few hundred years.

06:42 But as you can see it is a nice view if you can look past the seagull poo from here.

06:48 It does feel a lot nicer down here.

06:50 The beds aren't as prison like and it's a bit cleaner.

06:56 You can smell bleach in the bathroom.

06:58 There's no dripping tap, no urine on the bed or brown marks on the linen.

07:04 So you know so far so goodish.

07:08 But we're going to try the breakfast now.

07:10 I've seen big queues for the food so I'm expecting great things.

07:14 Although when I did go in last night it didn't give me the best of aromas.

07:18 So let's try it again.

07:20 It's breakfast time.

07:22 So it's nice views from this window.

07:33 Of course there's seagulls making its mark as well.

07:36 The breakfast is basic but there are some hot stuff.

07:40 I rarely turn my nose up at a fry up.

07:43 Especially if there's veggie stuff which there isn't.

07:46 So instead, oat burst and some tinned fruit.

07:51 Old school mandarins.

07:53 So we've just finished breakfast.

07:54 I decided to go for a pot of porridge because it was sealed.

07:59 And Dan did try the full English breakfast.

08:03 I felt my stomach turn seeing the other stuff.

08:07 Dan tried the full English but didn't succeed in eating it.

08:11 But it did have the beans and some toast in your lunch.

08:15 So you know, for a hostel it's pretty good breakfast.

08:20 I've stayed in a few hostels.

08:23 Look at that. Just in case I lose it.

08:27 And now we're off to Toulson Court Hotel.

08:30 Which is the bed and breakfast that's been voted the world's best 3 years running on TripAdvisor.

08:37 So let's go take a look from South Bay to North Bay.

08:40 So the flags are out and we have arrived at Toulson Court.

08:44 Just near Peaseholme Park.

08:47 Awarded Best B&B in the world 3 years running.

08:50 Let's go check it out.

08:53 [Music]

09:03 Well this is a million miles away from where we stayed last night.

09:07 You get your face wipes, sanitised toilet and toilet paper.

09:14 Little torches in the room.

09:17 I'd say it's a home from home. This is much nicer than my home.

09:20 [Music]

09:26 It's been an amazing experience for us and it's an amazing thing that's happened to win Best B&B in the world.

09:32 But it's down to the guests that come and visit us.

09:35 They love what we do, they love what we have to offer.

09:38 It's just fabulous.

09:40 It's great fun but it's hard work.

09:42 To be fair when we first got the phone call we were driving back from York.

09:45 And we didn't believe it, we thought somebody was playing a prank.

09:48 We stood for about 10 minutes and thought they were playing a prank.

09:50 Until they sent us an email which pinged on my watch while I was driving.

09:53 And I was like oh my goodness it's true.

09:55 Because you just, putting it in perspective, we're just an ordinary B&B in Scarborough.

10:00 And it's just an amazing thing that we can win Best B&B in the world.

10:04 We're competing with all the B&B's that are fabulous places.

10:08 But it's down to value for money as well.

10:10 And that's what our point is really isn't it.

10:14 We're just packing up today not because we want to leave this place but because we're on TV.

10:19 But I'm a little bit more excited after a good night's sleep for this breakfast.

10:23 It is nice and snug.

10:25 When I first come in I thought it was a little bit small.

10:28 But it's nice and snug, I've enjoyed it.

10:30 Because basically bed, TV, everything you want.

10:33 There's even a sewing kit in there.

10:35 Yeah I know.

10:36 I sew my socks up.

10:37 They had my face wipes as well in there.

10:40 It's perfect, it's got everything and the hospitality is second to none.

10:44 This is the smallest room.

10:45 I could stay in here for a week, you've got plenty of wardrobe space.

10:48 Lovely shower.

10:50 You're not joking with toast are you?

10:57 That's proper toast.

10:59 Oh what a beautiful morning.

11:03 Oh what a beautiful day.

11:07 You want a small breakfast?

11:10 Oh wow.

11:12 Wow, that looks amazing.

11:15 Enjoy.

11:16 Thank you.

11:17 Thank you very much guys.

11:19 So we're full up after a mega breakfast.

11:21 We even got a little treat, a rock and a mug to take home.

11:25 And all my days we will definitely be returning.

11:28 I think this is the only place we're going to be staying when we come to Scarborough.

11:32 And you can see why it's the very true Yorkshire Standard quality is the best in the world.

11:39 Because it's welcoming, it's friendly, it's cosy, it's really clean.

11:46 Little touches, little details to make hospitality just amazing.

11:51 And you cannot fault this place.

11:54 And honestly, why would you stay anywhere else?

11:57 There's nothing pretentious about it.

11:59 It's just good old fashioned, incredible Yorkshire folk doing what they do best.

12:05 Cheers.

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