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2.5
#25 of 26 hotels in Scarborough
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Located in the Town Centre, the Grand Scarborough Hotel takes pride of place overlooking the town's harbour and South Bay. One of the town's landmark features and instantly recognisable on the skyline. Our location is ideal in Scarborough from which to enjoy beautiful sandy beaches, promenade walks and all that Scarborough has to offer, all within a short stroll away. LIVE entertainment is available on selected evenings with our dazzling cabaret shows featuring professional dancers and entertainers dressed in stunning costumes. We offer free WIFI Free in public areas; available in every room, 2 x 20 minute complimentary sessions per day, unlimited access £7 per 24 hours per device along with dedicated PC terminals (free of charge) for customers who do not bring their own computer. We have a range of meeting rooms, conference space with break out area and our stunning Palm Court Ballroom with majestic views of the south bay for hire, including weddings (ceremony & function).
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Historic Hotel
Harbour View
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese, Bulgarian, Czech and 2 more
Location
St. Nicholas Cliff, Scarborough YO11 2ET England
Grand Hotel Scarborough
10,308 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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The Grand Hotel Scarborough offers a prime location appreciated by travelers for its proximity to the seafront and local shops, complemented by impressive sea views from certain rooms. However, the overall impression is marred by mixed feedback on service quality, ranging from commendable staff friendliness to complaints of inefficiency.
Guests have called out noise disturbances and suboptimal value, pointing to dated accommodations and unexpected charges. While some enjoy the historical ambiance and lively entertainment, the need for room refurbishment and better maintenance is a recurring theme in reviews.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Outdated
Rooms
Neglected
Value
Disappointing
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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The Grand Hotel is in a great location right by the south beach in Scarborough and from the outside it’s a fantastic sight. Unfortunately, the satisfaction gained from those first impressions was left at the front door.
On arrival we had to queue for over an hour to be checked in. At first we assumed this to be due to extra measures being taken for Covid-19 but this didn’t seem to be the case as we were not asked to fill in any extra forms or do anything out of the ordinary when our time came to check in. Instead the issue seemed to be simply that the reception desk is too small to process the amount of people coming and going from such a large hotel. Having read other reviews it seems our queue was nothing out of the ordinary here and that, at around an hour, we might even have got away lightly!
Another issue they were having with checking people in was that the card machine kept losing connection when taking payment. These things happen but connectivity throughout the building was a further frustration of ours, with both our phones losing signal throughout the premises. Again, there are worse problems to have, but in an age when free wifi almost comes as standard, it was frustrating to be offered just 20 minutes free before then being charged, especially in a building that seems to struggle with external signals.
As for our room itself, all criticism must come with the admission that we got it fairly cheap, so we accept that you get what you pay for to a certain extent. However, we found the place to be rather unclean with grime and mould in the bathroom and damp around the walls. Our room did not have a window (we knew this when booking) and the lack of ventilation obviously contributed to the issues. Further to this, we found a ball of a previous guest’s hair on the carpet on arrival. We weren’t expecting a palace, but given the situation in the world at the moment we did expect a little extra care and attention on the cleaning front.
Finally, it must be said that despite the number of complaints they are receiving both the cleaning staff and those on reception were very helpful and responded to issues we raised (no fresh towels and toilet paper) promptly and politely.
To summarise: if you want a cheap room right next to the sea front that you won’t spend much time in, and you have a certain level of patience, this hotel provides what you need. However, if you want a quality experience look elsewhere. Though the hotel may be called “Grand” and certainly looks it from outside, inside it is anything but.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mark J, General Manager at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 23 Sept 2020
Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that we did not meet with your expectations. During peak times we have seen an increase in congestion due to new COVID-19 measures introduced and the need to collect data for track and trace. We have explored various ways to reduce the queuing and will continue to do so during the restrictions. We take all feedback seriously and review this during our regular management meetings. The concerns raised will be discussed and addressed with our department heads. Kind Regards Customer Service
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The other reviews are correct about all the bad things - the long queue for check in, the very poor level of cleanliness & hygiene, no face masks or social distancing, the seagull mess everywhere, lots of things are broken, the place is totally run down and some of the other guests look & behave like they have escaped from the Jeremy Kyle show. The owners are clearly sweating the asset like mad before it finally disintegrates into dereliction. All that is absolutely true and we saw it all first hand.
BUT, on the positive side, the location is great, the view from the (very dirty) window is fantastic and if you look very carefully you can still see the vestiges of grandness popping up from time to time. Use the main staircase to the sixth floor and look at the collection of Scarborough Cricket Festival photographs, spend hours wandering the corridors and try to find room 001 down in the lowest basement. Blag a quick look inside room 701 in the turret at the top of the hotel and the whole place is perfect for urban exploring - a truly fascinating building.
Having read the other reviews we were prepared for the very worst and therefore were not disappointed. There are many hotels in Scarborough to choose if all you want are minor things like a clean room, a COVID risk-free environment, a hassle free check in experience and a working light in your room but there is only one hotel in Scarborough which offers a glimpse of past glories in the way the Grand does. It can't carry on like this for ever so visit now before it is turned into fancy apartments.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from G M, General Manager at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 20 Oct 2020
Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that we did not meet with your expectations for your stay with us. We take all feedback seriously and discuss this with the department heads to see where any changes can be made to improve our operation. Kind Regards Customer Service
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I read the reviews before we went so was actually pleasantly suprised, Just.. A fantastic Building with a dominant position and fascinating History. Has been run down by an obvious lack of investment, The staff were very helpfull and hard working, However i have to say the management really needs to step up, there is so much low hanging fruit that with almost no cost could make a difference, examples being to the right of reception is the small lobby and lift to upper floors, this room and especially the lift itself needs cleaning, its the first thing you see, why cant the manager see this? Walking out onto the fantastic sun deck look to the left through the window, there are piles of rubbish that looks like its been there years, clean it! it costs nothing.. the restraunt is basic, a bit school dinners but the view through the panoramic windows must be the best in Scarborough, if you can see through the adhesive pads left on the glass, Clean them! everybody can see them. Sack the designer who thought it was a good idea to paint the fantastic lobby in Pink and Baby blue.. You will not compete with the Travel lodge and Premier inn on your doorstep until the place is cleaned up..
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:ask for a window, not all rooms have them
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Grand724, Manager at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 29 Jan 2020
Dear steveaK464YR, I’d like to send my sincere apologies following your review you completed about your recent visit. We’re really sorry it wasn’t up to scratch but it’s great that you told us, as your feedback will help us get things spot on next time. We really hope we can show your how we usually do things on your next stay with us.
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DO NOT even consider this hotel. We had to queue down the road to check in and took us 2 hours to get to the front desk. We arrived at 2pm but wouldn’t allow us to check in until 3pm. We came back and found a huge queue down the road and up into the hotel. Once people got onto the steps I would have assumed staff would ensure the safety of customers by reminding them of the social distancing. There were arrows on the floor to allow guests to come in on the left and out on the right. This would have been a good idea if everyone wasn’t herded like cattle into the foyer and round all the ropes. I mentioned this to staff who were really not that interested but she did ask people to distance themselves. After 10 minutes everyone was back to standing within inches of each other. Once at reception (after 2 hours) only two ladies were checking people in I asked to speak with a manager but was politely told there wasn’t one. They did give me a bottle of wine as they did some of the others for having to wait although I do not drink I suppose it was something. My sister got upgraded to a room with a window ( normally costs £10 extra for a room with a window) and had a lovely view of a brick wall. Everything was dirty and a lampshade was broken so just had a bulb in the light. Bathroom mirror had a light missing so could put finger in and get electrocuted if there was a child who didn’t understand. Carpets had holes in them and our window had to have a cup placed underneath to hold it open. We were on 5th floor and only one lift worked so had to climb 10 flights of stairs as waited 15 mins for the lift which didn’t appear. No shower gel or shampoo and advertises coffee and tea in room but only a kettle and cups, no tea or coffee. Overall a shocking dirty experience. This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. I have written a complaint so am waiting to hear what they have to say.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 8 Feb 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for your review, we are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your time with us. Since your stay, we have started a refurb across the entire hotel to bring a modern fresh feeling to the Grand. Regards
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Despite all the negative reviews on here about this hotel we had a fab holiday. As we only used the hotel as a base for exploring and breakfast we can’t comment really on any facilities such as the bar or entertainment as we didn’t use them. Ok so the place is tired and could do with a lot of money spending on it - the prices you pay to stay are budget friendly and the staff are working hard through a pandemic. I can say our room on the 5th floor was clean and tidy. There may have been crumbing paintwork but that did not effect our experience at all. As there is no housekeeping cleaning the room I did have to get fresh towels and tea making facilities from reception on a daily basis - however this was not an issue at all. Finding such a dog friendly hotel is fab and I understand if you don’t own a dog you may not appreciate the place as much. We did have to queue for 1 and a half hours to get in which was strange, the staff however were friendly and polite which must be difficult when people were moaning about having to wait. We had breakfast everyday which was good and efficient- the man who looks after residents at breakfast is excellent and should be acknowledged definitely. When you are paying such low prices for a holiday it seems such a shame customers expect so much more and so bent their frustration on this site. If you want a luxury stay then I would recommend you actually pay more and look elsewhere!
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 8 Feb 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for your lovely review, we look forward to welcoming you back
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Waited 2 hours in a queue to get checked in (although they apparently had 4 people on reception), on our way into the lobby we were greeted by a chandelier-style light fixture with 10s of flies buzzing round it and some empty booze bottles chucked in a nearby plant pot.... I will say that staff were making sure that everyone had a mask on in public areas and there was plenty of hand sanitiser about, so that was a slight positive.
We got to our basement room via a lift that felt like it would break down at any moment (I stopped using the lift after a couple of times as it made me so nervous, and I’m usually fine with being in lifts!). Our room was surprisingly quite clean and apart from a couple of holes / chips on the wall the decoration wasn’t too bad. Went to look out of the window to see the seafront and was greeted with grubby net curtains and a window caked with seagull crap - the view would have been quite nice without that!
Bed was very uncomfortable, after spending two nights there I have come back with aches, pains and a couple of bites (can’t 100% say they are from the bed but it wouldn’t surprise me!)
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from G M, General Manager at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 21 Oct 2020
Thank you for your review of your stay at the Grand Hotel, Scarborough. We are sorry to hear that we did not meet with your expectations for your stay with us. We take all feedback seriously and review this during our regular management meetings. Kind Regards Customer Service
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Britannia Hotels: Cleaning Kit, Staying at The Not So Grand Hotel, Scarborough, I found this was an essential purchase. They say the rooms are cleaned and sanitized before arrival. I found All the surfaces were dirty and litter in room.
Spare Towels Might Also Help, I followed the instructions regarding towels and they were not replaced they just vanished.
I know its a budget hotel, but surely its not too much of an expectation for rooms to be cleaned before arrival?
Due to Covid-19 they don't service rooms while you stay, so I would have thought that would have given staff more time to clean rooms.
My room was not sealed although they give information stating they do this.
I could not see seals on any other room.
I found a half eaten stick of rock behind the curtain and litter on top of the wardrobe.
The window would not open and it was so dirty I could not see out.
Its no surprise they get so many bad reviews. A poster has appeared in the entrance saying the hotel is currently being refurbished. Check in takes so long here I could not be bother to queue for another hour to complain. The last time I had a dirty room was many years ago in Tunisia. I bought cleaning stuff and gave up and moved hotel there.
It is great shame this hotel is in such a poor state, especially when you consider its location and its history.
After my second day a notice appeared in the lobby informing guests of refurbishment. The problem I see is the refurbishment is only covering up the dirt and cracks. That can be the new carpet or plastic sheeting covering old tiles in the showers rooms.
I booked breakfast at the Grand Hotel Scarborough although it was made up of cheap ingredients the restaurant has a hygiene rating Five Some of our local cafes can only manage One. The staff were very good and everything was clean.
The hotel is also home for thousands of Seagulls that poop all over it. The Gulls also mess all over the town centre.
The Grand Hotel Scarborough, Anne Bronte died on a house on this site in 1849. and it was once the largest hotel in Europe. It has a room for each day of the year. The building has many interesting facts. It is built in a V shape viewed from above as a tribute to Queen Victoria.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:No Good Rooms Here
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 16 Nov 2021
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review, we really appreciate the time you have taken to leave this review. Regards,
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Booked here for a short stay in Scarborough. Didnt have high expectations due to other britannia hotels previously stayed in. Even this managed to lower my expectations even more. Took nearly 4 hours to check in, once we got to our room as per pictures attached the room had not been cleaned, with a tobacco left all over the bed and floor and a strong smell of what we will call exotic tobacco in the room. We then went downstairs to reception to wait another 25 minutes to get "upgraded" to a Seaview room which was very slightly better as the bed was actually made. Yet the wallpaper was pealing off the wall and marks all over the entrance wall.
If you do have the unfornate need to stay here I suggest avoiding the Seaview room if you want to get any sleep as you will have sea gulls at your window all night.
I can definitely say I won't be making a return to this or any britannia hotels again in the near future.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 8 Feb 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for your review, we are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your time with us. Since your stay, we have started a refurb across the entire hotel to bring a modern fresh feeling to the Grand. Regards
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Mam and I stay at the grand for my birthday every year with no problems we stay for 5 nights in june We always book direct with the hotel and book early check in and late check out. When we arrive our check in time was 2.00 we got check in for 2.00 there was a little hiccup Mark the manager sorted it straight away he was very helpful and polite when we enter our room it was lovely as always the bedroom has 2 twin beds a sofa tv wardrobe 2 small chest drawer. There is a very large bathroom with shower above bath and the bath has jets just make sure you fill the bath just above the jets first before you turn them on or you will get soaking wet and flood the floor we learnt this the hard way 5 years ago the switch for jets is on the outside of the bath the room is also dog friendly you have lovely views as for the seagulls you can't hear them at night time they did not keep us up. We usually pay for premier dinner bed and breakfast pay that little bit extra is worth it the premier dinner room is nice the food is lovely the staff members are helpful polite but because of covid we did not have premier dinner this time we enjoyed our stay and have already booked for next year
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 16 Nov 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for your review, we appreciate the time taken to leave your review. Regards,
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I booked through booking.com for 2 nights. It cost £39 for a family of 3. It stayed the room would have no window. I decided as it was cheap and we only needed a bed to book. We read the reviews so came prepared. I brought cleaning products and our own pillows. We arrived at 2 pm and I bobbed into reception to ask regarding the parking. As soon as I got out of the car the noise from the seagulls was deafening and the stench from them was horrific! This could also be smelt in the hotel lobby. There was no queue at 2 pm and the lady on the desk Becky was really helpful and an absolute credit to the hotel. She kindly explained about the pay and display areas outside the hotel being £7 for 24hours and she gave us a card to put in the car window. She then said we could check in there and then and we could have an upgrade to a standard room. The room was perfect. It was clean, large and had everything we needed. The only bad thing regarding the room was that the seagulls sat on our window ledge and woke us up at 4.50am on the first night. The 2nd night was fine. Pros for us were: staff member becky was helpful Room: clean, large Location for town and harbour excellent Great views Cons Stench from seagulls We witnessed people queuing for check in for over 2 hours although we didn’t go through that Hotel is tired and needs massive investment Other guests were horrific... some homeless and families that were the dregs of society- totally paralytic and abusive to others. Would we go again? Only if we knew we weren’t going to queue and our room was going to be like the one we had
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FoH Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at Grand Hotel Scarborough
Responded 8 Feb 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for your review, we are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your time with us. Since your stay, we have started a refurb across the entire hotel to bring a modern fresh feeling to the Grand. Regards
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Worthing, United Kingdom72 contributions52 helpful votes
I'm sorry but I don't know the answer. I would comment that the Royal Hotel (owned by the same company) is just accross the road from the Grand and appears to be far nicer.
Burnley, United Kingdom10 contributions5 helpful votes
I was on the 4th floor and my shower was at the bottom of my bed, no wardrobe. My friend was on the 3rd floor and the bathroom looked nice and had a wardrobe
Carluke, United Kingdom41 contributions2 helpful votes
"Take a couple of hangers.
Stick to dinning times to avoid a crush at the dinning room door.
Talk to the staff if you have any issues, housekeeping are very friendly. "
There are more places to choose from in the Scarborough area.
PRICE RANGE
$80 - $126 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
grand hotel scarborough, scarborough grand hotel, grand scarborough, the grand hotel scarborough
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandYorkshireNorth YorkshireScarborough DistrictScarborough
NUMBER OF ROOMS
413
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