Grand Burstin Hotel

From the Dover Express, 26 November, 2009.

Secrets of the hotel.

SECRETS buried under the Grand Burstin hotel at Folkestone were revealed in words and screened photographs to members of The Dover Society this month.

Artist Ruth Patkinson from Folkestone spoke at St Mary's parish centre about the Royal Pavilion Hotel, a 400-bedroom establishment built near Folkestone harbour.

Miss Parkinson told how, when she first moved to Folkestone, she discovered a door at the back of the Burstin, which made her investigate further. She was given the run of the hotel and made many finds in the cellars and elsewhere. Much of the Royal Pavilion was demolished to make way for the Burstin although, she said, sections of the old hotel were still "crudely attached".

Her investigations around the cellars and other parts of the Burstin led her to research the guests who stayed at the Royal Pavilion, which gained its "Royal" prefix following an 1855 visit by Queen Victoria to inspect troops at Shorncliffe.

Folkestone newspapers each week listed staying guests at the Pavilion and these showed that members of the European financial Rothschild family were regular guests.

Other notable guests, many of whom had just crossed the Channel from Boulogne to Folkestone, included authors Dickens and Thackeray, the Punch cartoonist John Leach, Prince Albert, the Duke of Wellington, the King of Sardinia as well many princes and counts.

Miss Parkinson said it was a great pity that the Royal Pavilion was demolished and that at one stage the holiday camp pioneer Billy Butlin wanted to buy it.

"It's a pity he didn't," commented Miss Parkinson.

From the Dover Express, Thursday 26 March 2020. By John James.

THE owners of some of the country’s most popular hotels, including the "Grand Burstin Hotel" in Folkestone, have come under fire after letting several staff members go in a brutal fashion.

A leaked letter has shown the manner in which the manager of the Coylumbridge Hotel in Scotland informed staff that they had lost their livelihoods and their accommodation.

In the letter, employees were told that their "services were no longer required" and that they needed to "vacate the hotel" immediately.

The letter attempted to blame the government for the sudden move.

The Coylumbridge Hotel and Folkestone's "Grand Burstin" are both run by the Britannia Hotels group.

The letter said: "Taking the latest Govemment advice, this letter is to confirm that with effect from March 19, 2020 your employment has been terminated as your services are no longer required.

"You are asked to vacate the hotel accommodations immediately, returning any company property to John Macfarlane, hotel controller, before leaving the hotel."

Following the dismissal, the letter went viral on Twitter with many expressing their disgust that a company could treat its staff like this in the midst of a public health emergency.

These include outspoken TV host Piers Morgan who described the action as "contemptible".

John G Burns said on Twitter: "Aviemore Coylumbridge Hotel sent this letter to staff today.

"Not just fired but chucked out of their accommodation with no notice and no redundancy pay!

"Britannia Hotels should be ashamed of themselves. Certainly no 'room at the inn' here, disgusting."

Linda Lindsay wrote: "That is absolutely disgusting, @BritanniaLtd should hang their heads in shame treating their employees like that."

The Herald and Express has approached Britannia Hotels and the "Grand Burstin Hotel" for comment. Britannia Hotels has so far declined to comment on the matter.

From the Dover Express, 7 December 2023. By Hedi Mehrez.

"It may not be perfect but it's fine for a night or two..."

IF I were to base my opinions of a hotel solely on its user ratings, I would not have stepped foot in the Grand Burstin.

Not only was the Folkestone hotel previously compared to a 'horror film,’ but it has received a spate of negative reviews on Tripadvisor, from its 'inedible' food to its "smelly" bed sheets.

So I was curious what a stay at one of the 'worst' hotels in Kent would be like. I booked a night for only £34, so I did not expect much as you get what you pay for.

On the train to Folkestone, I read a few reviews online, only to identify some of the issues many faced. It wasn't reassuring to say the least, but I was still determined to give it a go and make my own opinion of the place.

A review published on Tripadvisor in August of this year read: "Worst nights sleep ever! Beds lumpy and sheets smell of dogs! Quilt cover stained! Quilt smell of urine! Curtains hanging off rail! Toilet seat broke! And disgusting toilet brush!"

Another warned people of the filthy conditions in the room: "Absolutely terrible. Not one single good word to say about it, filthy, uncomfortable. Don’t bother!"

You can’t miss the massive building located right on the seafront - it vaguely reminded me of one of those big cruise ships.

Its location is convenient with easy walks from both the beach and the town centre. I arrived at the hotel relatively late, but it was adorned with some Christmas lights - nothing impressive but it adds to the festive spirit.

The front of the building was covered with scaffolding after part of the wall fell into the streets last year, injuring two people. Women and teenagers wearing gowns and fancy dresses were near the entrance, and I could hear music coming from inside the building - it was a lovely atmosphere so far.

I walked inside the building and saw more decorations, including two stunning Christmas trees on each side of the entrance door. I headed towards the reception and waited in a line to check in - only one person was ahead of me in the queue.

Minutes later, I was confirming my information to the friendly man at the reception. It all went very smoothly. He then handed me a pair of keycards to access my room which was on the third floor.

I walked past arcade machines in the hall, which is a first as I’ve never seen that before. I then took the lift up to my floor. The lift was relatively old, with scratches on its walls, but it had a huge mirror - perfect for pictures with your loved ones after a night out, right? I followed the signs down the corridor that made the hotel look older than it actually was with its brown carpet.

I inserted the key card into the small slot in the door and a green light flashed. I was hesitant to get inside the room as I turned the door handle after reading the reviews.

For a minute, I imagined a filthy room, with a terrible smell coming from the sheets, but instead I found a clean and spacious room. Although there was a musty smell, my nose quickly adjusted.

There were two small single beds, with a couple of towels on each. The furniture looked relatively old but that did not bother me, as long as none of them were broken.

I inspected the room, starting with the wardrobe near the door. There was an extra pillow, more towels, an iron, and a bag full of tea bags, coffee, and milk.

Near the desk, I found a kettle on a small shelf with a pair of mugs filled with more tea bags, coffee, milk and sugar. I’ve been to hotels where I paid more, and there weren’t hot beverages, so this was a good surprise.

Closer to the window, there was a coffee table, two comfy chairs, and a TV which worked just fine. I then turn to the beds.

One thing I’ve learned from watching TikTok videos is to always check for bed bugs in hotels. This is exactly what I did and while I didn’t find any parasitic insects, there were brownish stains on both mattress protectors.

The sheet and blankets were, however, both clean.

The bed in itself was not smelly. But the wooden bed legs didn’t look solid as one of them was tilted. I picked the other bed just to be on the safe side.

Apart from that, there were no signs of mould, or dirt in the room. I was pleased to find a clean bathroom. The only negative thing was the lime-scale in both the bathtub and sink - you can tell they've both been heavily used and weren’t well cleaned over the years.

The towel rail was rusty and when I turned on the shower it made a shrill sound. I believe one of the main issues with this room was how thin the walls are. I could hear everything in the next rooms and corridors. I was woken up at least five times throughout the night due to the noise.

However, I woke up in the morning to a nice seaside view and for £34 a night, this room is actually decent. You cannot possibly expect more for this price.

Overall, the room may not be perfect, but it is fine for a night or two.

From the Dover Express, 23 November 2023.

Fire beaten in Grand Burstin boiler room.

FIRE crews were called to an incident at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone on Saturday evening.

Eight appliances arrived at the hotel just after 6pm. The hotel was evacuated by staff and the fire was located in a boiler room and put out with a fire extinguisher. It was believed to have been started by an electrical fault.

There were no reported injuries.