The Anchor Head Hotel, Weston Super Mare

Once a rather grand sea front hotel, the Anchor Head has definitely seen better days. It’s part of the Leisureplex travel company. The front facade is now partly hidden by a raised road, and much of it appears boarded up. This makes it appear closed, until you find the main entrance. Once in the foyer you need to ask where the bar is as it isn’t obvious. We were informed that someone would need to come and open it for us as they had intended to wait until a couple of coaches full of pensioners arrived, but they were happy to serve us anyway. The coaches are organised by Alfa Tours, another subsidiary of Leisureplex. The bar, like the rest of the hotel, was past its prime but comfortable enough. The restaurant area is very grey, both the carpets and furniture looking like a G-Plan advert, but they weren’t serving meals when we arrived. Te bar has a very busy carpet and also looks like a relic of a lost past, more like a NAAFI canteen than an hotel. It does have good views to the back across the sea, though. No real ale, just Tetleys Smooth Flow, Carling and Somersby Cider. Probably fine to stay if you don’t mind roughing it, but not somewhere I’d choose for an evening’s libation.