This Unsuspecting Hotel Holds The Unfavorable Title Of Worst In The United Kingdom

It almost goes without saying, but no one wants to stay at a hotel ranked the worst. Yet, for The Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, that's the reality. Worse yet, it was deemed "an embarrassment to the city" after receiving a zero rating for food hygiene in March 2024, as reported by Yahoo News. That inspection failure is just the latest in Adelphi's recent tragedies. For example, a 21-year-old visitor was killed at the hotel in September 2022 when a wardrobe fell on her after not being properly secured to the wall. 

Issues are not new at the Adelphi, unfortunately. It has been named the Worst Hotel in the U.K. for over a decade. Though the latest zero food safety ranking is a new low, the hotel owner (Britannia Hotels chain) is equally problematic. Brittania has also consistently been named the worst in the U.K. for hotel chains for over a decade. According to the Britannia Hotels website, the chain purchased the Adelphi in 1982 and called it "a luxurious and superbly appointed hotel in the very heart of Liverpool." That's all well and good, but how did things get so bad for this grand old hotel?

Although this Edwardian hotel may have once been considered the crème de la crème of Liverpool, it is merely a shadow of its former self now. Guests overwhelmingly pan the hotel on Tripadvisor, with almost 3,000 terrible reviews in comparison to its 890 excellent ones. Many Tripadvisor users commented concern over food safety, with one reviewer citing their own experience in kitchens and cold food they were served.

"My main concern was the food," they wrote. "Every meal time the food was cold and luke warm at best ... On one occasion a member of the catering staff came out with fresh food and I complained to him. He went away and came out with a probe the check the [temperatures] so I inquired what they were. He just looked at me and walked away." Other users mentioned getting food poisoning after eating at the hotel, which may be another reason to rethink indulging in complimentary breakfasts in the future.

Even more concerning is that there are pages upon pages of reviews on Tripadvisor that mention finding blood in the room. One user found blood in multiple places in their room, while many others mentioned finding blood stains on the bed. There have even been reports of guests finding bloody syringes and vomit in their rooms. With cleanliness and hygiene standards alarmingly low, it is understandable that guests might not feel safe in their hotel rooms here.

Once upon a time, the Adelphi Hotel was truly a luxury property. Its first iteration opened in 1826, though the version known to visitors now was completed in 1914. It was considered one of the most luxurious hotels in the U.K. and all of Europe. In its heyday, the hotel had many famous guests gracing its halls, from political titans like Winston Churchill to cultural icons like Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, and even Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger — they all paid visits to the once mighty Adelphi. 

Now locals are hoping someone will buy the hotel back from Britannia Hotels to restore it to its former glory and earn back its formerly sterling reputation. Anthony Briggs told the Liverpool Echo in November 2023 that, "It would be the best hotel in Liverpool once restored. Definitely needs a compulsory purchase order or something. The council must have some powers to get it back."

Only time will tell if the Adelphi can get its groove back. Until then, the negative reviews might just keep rolling. And, although Rick Steves says not to take review sites too seriously, we might need to air on the side of caution when it comes to the Adelphi in Liverpool.