A HOTEL chain, which has a venue in Lancashire, has been voted the UK's worst for the eighth year running.

Britannia Hotels has been ranked the worst hotel chain in the country after guests described their venues as "filthy."

Along with Blackpool, the chain also has North West branches including Bolton, Wigan and Manchester city centre.

It has its headquarters in Hale, Altrincham. 

A survey carried out by consumer group Which? has said it was the only chain to receive just one star out of five for cleanliness, based on more than 4,000 people.

Despite being one of the UK’s cheapest chains, with rooms costing an average of £58 per night, guests still only gave Britannia one star for value for money.

One customer said a hotel was a “filthy hovel”, while another claimed it was “by far the dirtiest hotel room I have ever stayed in”.

When Which? visited the Folkestone Britannia, also known as the Grand Burstin, as part of a separate investigation into hotel hygiene, it found stray hairs and stained towels.

Further tests indicated that surfaces had not been thoroughly cleaned between stays.

Britannia, whose collection also includes Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel, received an overall customer score of 37 per cent, putting it in last place.

In response to the shocking findings, the chain said in a statement: “We are totally committed to providing a safe environment for visitors.

"We have so far spent around £2m on Covid-19 precautions, but we accept there is more to do.”

At the other end of the table in terms of performance and price was Sofitel.

The luxury chain with three London properties at Heathrow, Gatwick and St James scored 86 per cent.

But this was only narrowly ahead of Premier Inn at 82 per cent, which guests praised for offering reliable quality at a reasonable price.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “It appears that not even a global pandemic could force Britannia to clean up its act.

“At best, it’s drab and dated, and at worst it’s downright filthy – and after eight years at the bottom of our survey, our message is loud and clear: avoid these hotels.

“While Premier Inn remains a firm favourite, it’s clear that this year, UK hotels have become more than just a place to lay your head, but a destination in themselves.

“With fewer of us travelling abroad this year, our survey shows that when it comes to holidaying at home, we’re quite happy to pay more for a little luxury."