'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.
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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.
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.