My post today should be about our trip to the Forties event in Morecambe but it has turned into our final sad goodbye to the once magnificent Art Deco Midland hotel and I have to say my anger that it has come to this.
The Midland Hotel was literally the shining jewel in Morecambe’s crown but as you can see from this image there is very little shining going on here and the interior is just as bad, we have sadly chosen to give up the unequal struggle of supporting this hotel and are here pictured waving goodbye.
This all stems from the takeover of the hotel by the Inn Collection who have effectively ruined this hotel, no longer are you greeted by two members of staff behind the reception desk with the imposing sculpture by Eric Gill behind, although the sculpture and the desk remain, the staff have disappeared to be replaced by a sign requesting sign in at the bar.
As for the previous waitress service for dinner, gone are the fine white table cloths and attentive staff to be replaced by a Bernie Inn style of picking a table number and going to the bar to order from the new menu which is mostly pub grub food, the only exception was the offering of a steak option. We chose to decline their offerings and found a fish and chip shop down the road with far superior food.
You may say I am being a little picky and this is the modern way and perhaps you would be right, were it not for the fact that one is still paying £285.00 for one nights bed and breakfast accommodation, where once again the standard of the food and service were not up to the standard when the previous owners were in charge.
However, the weekend was not a total loss, for we came up for the forties weekend which although being a rather small affair was very enjoyable, including the pipe band.
Together with meeting friends, vintage clothes shopping, watching the ukulele band and coming to the dance in the evening we amused ourselves as usual.
Lastly and with a tear in our eyes we said our final goodbyes to Eric Morecambe and left, never to return with just one thought in my head……………The Inn Collection, you should hang your heads in shame for what you have done to the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. RIP.
I am a retired actor, although to be honest I only retired because I wasn't getting any work due to losing my agent when I became a full time carer to my mother who had dementia. and the option of becoming an unemployed actor/waiter at my age was ludicrous, especially as my waiting skills are non-existent.
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I spent many years looking after my aged mother and shortly after her death I was lucky enough to run into an ex-girlfriend of many years ago and our romance blossomed once again, resulting in us getting married in 2013.
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Sadly, as with most hotel groups now, not only do they have to cover staff costs but also they expect to make a handsome profit for the investors, so they will save money in any way possible. In most cases by cutting service levels! Glad you enjoyed the forties weekend nonetheless.
I’m inclined to think getting on for £300.00 for a night B&B in a hotel deserves better service than a cheap pub chain, which I imagine from the reviews for other patrons and the fact that the car park was half full suggests I am not alone in my thinking. I think in the long term, they are cutting off their nose to spite their face.
If you read the reviews you can tell those people who stayed in the “old days” when it was a classy hotel and the recent ones. I believe the hotel is marketing the place with special offers which is why people who would have never thought to stay before are now staying. If you’re used to a pub chain hotel, the Midland still seems special but those of use who have known its heyday see it as a very sad demise.
Sad to hear, back in the day it was a really nice hotel. The problem is that Morecambe has gone downhill over the last 20-30 years, and that there probably wouldn’t be much demand there for a quality hotel.
We have been there numerous times over the years and the place was always full but since the new owners have taken over it seems to be half empty most of the time. There is a big forties event coming up on 31st Aug 2nd Sept and the hotel still has vacancies, usually it would have been booked out months ago, which speaks volumes about how people view the hotel nowadays and it’s only about a year to 18 months since the new owners took over. You wouldn’t have thought it possible to ruin a place so quickly but the Inn Collection have managed it!
The Diary of a Country Bumpkin 
Sadly, as with most hotel groups now, not only do they have to cover staff costs but also they expect to make a handsome profit for the investors, so they will save money in any way possible. In most cases by cutting service levels! Glad you enjoyed the forties weekend nonetheless.
I’m inclined to think getting on for £300.00 for a night B&B in a hotel deserves better service than a cheap pub chain, which I imagine from the reviews for other patrons and the fact that the car park was half full suggests I am not alone in my thinking. I think in the long term, they are cutting off their nose to spite their face.
I read some reviews on their website. It seems you are not alone by any means!
If you read the reviews you can tell those people who stayed in the “old days” when it was a classy hotel and the recent ones. I believe the hotel is marketing the place with special offers which is why people who would have never thought to stay before are now staying. If you’re used to a pub chain hotel, the Midland still seems special but those of use who have known its heyday see it as a very sad demise.
So sad when a beloved venue changes for the worse.
Very true, but there are plenty of other places we can go to and spend our money there, I feel it will be their loss in the end.
Sad to hear, back in the day it was a really nice hotel. The problem is that Morecambe has gone downhill over the last 20-30 years, and that there probably wouldn’t be much demand there for a quality hotel.
We have been there numerous times over the years and the place was always full but since the new owners have taken over it seems to be half empty most of the time. There is a big forties event coming up on 31st Aug 2nd Sept and the hotel still has vacancies, usually it would have been booked out months ago, which speaks volumes about how people view the hotel nowadays and it’s only about a year to 18 months since the new owners took over. You wouldn’t have thought it possible to ruin a place so quickly but the Inn Collection have managed it!