Nelcon hotel is blasted by scathing TripAdvisor reviewers

A hotel at the centre of a row with a customer after telling her to ‘go on a diet’ has come under fire from more holidaymakers who have given it scathing reviews on TripAdvisor.

Emily Chance complained about the Nelcon Hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire, in a review on Booking.com after spending £38 for two nights there for her second wedding anniversary with husband Michael. 

She then revealed owner Ken Evans had sent her a message accusing her of ‘hating everyone and everything’ and telling her to ‘go on a diet’ 

Now more customers have come forward slating the hotel for being in ‘awful condition’, ‘revolting’ and ‘filthy’.

Emily Chance, pictured, said the hotel manager sent her a text telling her to ‘lose weight’ after she left a bad review of the business on Booking.com

Now more customers have come forward leaving scathing reviews of the Nelcon Hotel on websites including TripAdvisor, although others have been very positive 

Now more customers have come forward leaving scathing reviews of the Nelcon Hotel on websites including TripAdvisor, although others have been very positive 

Some TripAdvisor reviewers said it was one of the 'worst places they have ever stayed in'

Some TripAdvisor reviewers said it was one of the ‘worst places they have ever stayed in’

Others claimed the hotel was 'in awful condition' and 'substandard' despite its cheap price 

Others claimed the hotel was ‘in awful condition’ and ‘substandard’ despite its cheap price 

But some were far more positive, claiming they would come again if they needed a place to stay in Blackpool

But some were far more positive, claiming they would come again if they needed a place to stay in Blackpool

Mrs Chance, pictured with her husband Michael, gave the hotel less than four out of 10 when leaving her review

Mrs Chance, pictured with her husband Michael, gave the hotel less than four out of 10 when leaving her review

In one review, titled ‘Please, please avoid’, a customer wrote: ‘The manager was lovely however, the state of the hotel was awful; so dirty we asked for a different room due to mould on the wall.

‘But the room we got after wasn’t much better.  The bed sheets stunk so bad, [there was] hair everywhere, bathrooms dirty (sic). 

‘We slept on our clothes in the end because we was too tried (sic) to go searching for a new one plus we already paid. We don’t usually stay in top luxury hotels but this was ridiculous.’

Another reviewer from Dublin, Ireland, wrote: ‘This hotel is really in an awful condition. 

‘It may be cheap but anyone would still expect a normal living standard to be supplied. This is totally sub standard and they should focus on bettering cleanliness.’

Becky J, from Birmingham, wrote a review titled ‘Mi casa, poo casa’, wrote: ‘Upon entry a young lady in a bright pink onesie gave us directions to where we could park. We went up the filthy stairs and entered our awful room.

‘Our room had not been cleaned since the last person has stayed in it, probably longer. I pulled the bed cover back to discover crisps (I think) and loads of hair.

‘The sheets were crumpled, I don’t believe they had been changed since the last person. There was a giant orange stain on the duvet cover in the shape of a body.

‘The floor next to the bed was even worse – more hairs, food crumbs and rubbish.

‘At this point the young lady that worked there walked past our room and we asked her if they could get it all sorted, I had to leave as I was fuming at my other half for booking such a terrible place, he hadn’t even checked the internet reviews before booking it!!

‘I took my luggage back to the car, where it stayed for the duration of our stay as it was so dirty, I vowed not to return to the room until I was blind drunk, we didn’t have the time to look at other hotels as everywhere else seemed fully booked.’

But others have been very positive, describing staff as ‘very friendly’ and describing the hotel as ‘very clean’ and a ‘perfect break’.

The message read (sic): ‘For someone who as never been away before you do not come across as nervous in fact you come across as a nasty piece of work who probably should be put on a diet as you must hate everything and everyone’

Mrs Chance was visiting the hotel with her husband Michael, pictured right, to celebrate their second wedding anniversary in September

Mrs Chance was visiting the hotel with her husband Michael, pictured right, to celebrate their second wedding anniversary in September

Mrs Chance's pictures of the hotel show grime in the room where she was staying

Mrs Chance’s pictures of the hotel show grime in the room where she was staying

Marks on a wall in the hotel room

A picture of a broken socket in the room where Mrs Chance stayed

The hotel cost the couple just £38 for a two-night wedding anniversary stay

One reviewer from Sheffield said: ‘Decided to stay here after getting lost in Blackpool after going to watch an Elvis impersonator. 

‘It was off the cuff and I’ll be honest, I was amazed as how nice this establishment was.

‘I would certainly come again if I am in dire need of a place to stay at a very reasonable price.’

A couple known only as ‘Mr n Mrs n’ added: ‘I don’t know what the fuss is about with all the nasty reviews because for £10 I don’t think it’s all that bad.

‘We was (sic) greeted by Ken and he was a lovely bloke he took over the hotel in April so he is renovating the place with new carpets and new gadgets.

‘But it does take time. Yes it’s a bit dated but at the end of the day it’s just a budget hotel, not the Ritz…so what do you expect?’

Another reviewer called Imogen wrote: ‘They were such friendly people & were happy to help when you needed anything! 

‘The hotel was a lovely place to stay very clean & facilities were brilliant! Also the beds were very very comfy!

‘I woke up in the morning to a lovely breakfast how I asked for it – cup of tea & a lovely chat with the man working in the kitchen.

‘The building its self needs modernising But the place is clean and I would definitely be staying over night again on my next visit to Blackpool!’

Mrs Chance was also unhappy with the pillows which were provided in the room

Mrs Chance was also unhappy with the pillows which were provided in the room

The roof at the budget hotel in Blackpool, pictured, also had marks on it

The roof at the budget hotel in Blackpool, pictured, also had marks on it

Mrs Chance said: 'I wouldn't want my worst enemy to stay in there let alone anyone else'

Mrs Chance said: ‘I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to stay in there let alone anyone else’

Speaking earlier this week about the message, Mrs Chance said: ‘My weight has nothing to do with this at all, the staff made no effort to help and we were worried if we cancelled we would lose our £40.00 booking fee.

‘Even though it was the cheap hotel you still expect some effort for your money, you would still expect it to be clean.

‘I don’t think the bed sheets had even been changed from the last person.

‘I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to stay in there let alone anyone else. I was stunned by the text message. It was so unprofessional.

‘The manager was shouting at people to get out when they were checking out, they made us feel uncomfortable.

‘There were lots of drunk, rowdy people in there. They asked for a review and when you give it to them this is what you get.’

But their romantic getaway quickly turned sour as Mrs Chance claimed standards at the Palatine Road hotel were not up to scratch.

In a September 30 post on Booking.com, she complained of a ‘horrendous smell as soon as you walk in, grime in the shower and dirty towels’ – scoring the hotel 3.8 out of 10.

But a Nelcon Hotel spokesman responded publicly to Mrs Chance’s Booking.com review, asking her: ‘Can I ask, just what did you expect for what you paid?’

They added that ‘most of what you describe I do not recognise as a matter of interest’ and ‘I think possibly you were expecting a four-star hotel’.

Hotel owner Mr Evans took the defence of his establishment even further – and sent a text message to Mrs Chance’s phone.

The message read (sic): ‘For someone who as never been away before you do not come across as nervous in fact you come across as a nasty piece of work who probably should be put on a diet as you must hate everything and everyone.’

He later said he had sent the message after reading her review which he labelled ‘a pack of lies’.

‘I don’t have a problem with people reviewing us, but what she wrote was a pack of lies,’ he said.

In a September 30 post on Booking.com, Mrs Chance complained of a 'horrendous smell as soon as you walk in, grime in the shower and dirty towels' - scoring the hotel 3.8 out of 10

In a September 30 post on Booking.com, Mrs Chance complained of a ‘horrendous smell as soon as you walk in, grime in the shower and dirty towels’ – scoring the hotel 3.8 out of 10

‘The hotel is not dirty and doesn’t smell. She was looking for problems which weren’t there. I am really pee’d off with it all.

‘I don’t regret texting her at all. We have new carpets coming in a couple of weeks and anyone is welcome to take a look.

‘The review was disgusting and reduced a female member of staff to tears.

‘This is a budget hotel but we are not dirty and don’t deserve to be lied about.’

Mrs Chance told MailOnline: ‘We tried to spend as little time as possible in the room as possible because of the awful smell. It made us feel ill.

‘A homeless shelter would have been cleaner.

‘The bedsheets and towels had not been washed, the shower was disgusting and there was dirt all over the kettle as well as chewing gum on the window sill.

‘The carpet had not been cleaned for a long time and the staff did not seem interested in helping at all. 

‘I left an honest review about how bad Nelcon Hotel is only to have one of the staff make it their business to go into my account and personally text me an offensive text from their personal mobile number to mine telling me I needed to go on a diet.

‘This should not be allowed, it was a little too personal and they had no right making personal digs to paying customers. It is an outrage.

‘They need exposing and people need to be warned how bad this hotel really is.

‘I would never recommend this to anyone it’s not fit for a dog to be staying in.’

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