Mum left 'disgusted' after seaside hotel getaway at The Viagra Hotel

Sammy Jones, 25, says she booked the trip online in March as the hotel looked “presentable” and went by the name The Vidella Hotel on the site.

But when she arrived last Saturday in Blackpool she was “disgusted” to see it was actually called The Viagra Hotel and had an inappropriately worded banner attached to the sign.

She looked the hotel up on Tripadvisor and says there are more than 100 complaints from angry customers all saying they had a similar experience.

She called the online booking firm and and asked for the £45 refund she’d paid for the family sized room, claiming the hotel was falsely advertised.

She claims they told her the inappropriate hotel name was just a “promotional banner” attached to the original sign.

And that the rooms at The Viagra are “as advertised” on the site.

Speaking from her home in Knottingley, she said: “I was gobsmacked when I turned up.

“I was with two young children and it was disgusting they would advertise as a family hotel with a sign up like that.

“We were excited for a weekend away and to go to the seaside but we were crushed when we arrived.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. The name was The Viagra Hotel.”

She left husband, Kohan, 27, and children, aged six and four, in the car while she went in on her own to sort it out.

She said: “I didn’t want my children stepping foot in there. I was appalled and upset as we’d travelled for two hours and now we’d have to find somewhere else to stay.

“The manager said he didn’t understand what the problem was as my kids were ‘too young’ to understand the name of the hotel anyway.

“We had travelled two hours and my children wanted to relax. I couldn’t believe what had happened. Luckily we found a nice hotel.”

“The whole experience has upset me and my family, it had ruined most of our day looking for another hotel.

“Not only that I was out of pocket paying for another family room.”

The guesthouse only changed names last month - in a bid to stand out.

Defending the name change, landlord and owner Neil Marshall said: “You have got to stand out in a town full of hotels and guesthouses.

“The Vidella had a bad name so we changed the name. People know we are a fun place.

“We are a budget hotel and if they don’t like what we are they can go elsewhere.”

Blackpool Council officers said the council was considering what enforcement action it could take to get the signs removed.