A hotel chain behind one of Kent's most recognisable seaside hotels has been rated worst in the UK for the tenth year running.

Britannia Hotels, which owns the Grand Burstin hotel in Folkestone, has earned the unwanted accolade of a decade-long run propping up the table in the annual Which? consumer survey.

The Burstin, which overlooks Folkestone harbour, is rated 2.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor and is popular with coach parties from across the UK.

It has previously been dubbed 'Britain's worst hotel' but for many regulars it offers a cheap and cheerful destination for a seaside break.

The newest Which? survey of 4,447 people, published today, gives the Britannia chain a customer score of just 56% - based on factors such as cleanliness, food and customer service.

Topping the table for large chains was Premier Inn with a score of 78%.

A spokesman for Which? said: "As of this year, Britannia has been bottom of our survey for an entire decade. We can't even say it's cheap, with plenty of better-rated brands beating it on price.

'Stay here at your peril...'

"Britannia's downfall is particularly sad when you consider its illustrious past. The Adelphi in Liverpool was once the departure point for wealthy passengers before they boarded luxury liners, including the Titanic.

"The beautiful historic buildings in prime locations remain, but the interiors are showing serious signs of neglect.

"The brand received just two out of five stars in every category, including cleanliness, with one guest describing their stay as 'absolutely dire, drab and smelly'."

On Tripadvisor the Burstin has almost 1,500 reviews rating it 'terrible'.

One user of the review site last month wrote simply: "Stay here at your peril!"

However one satisfied guest who gave it an 'excellent' rating said: "Not as bad as some people say.

"We have stayed here quite a few times now and always enjoy it. Yes it needs a refurb but for what you pay we find it OK. The staff are always friendly and polite."