This grand hotel was amazing in the past, hosting lots of movie stars. And it might be amazing in the future.
But right now it's owned by Britannia Hotels. Their business model is to buy up wonderful old hotels in what will some day be prime locations again, and let the hotels slowly decay.
So the location is amazing, the bones of the building are wonderful, some of the rooms are huge. But the experience is like a tired motorway hotel: Windows don't really close all the way, some windows haven't been cleaned in years, bars or restaurants might have been closed for months or maybe years too, questionable heating, carpets not quite fraying, shower rail held up with zip-ties. There was lots of hot water, which was a nice surprise.
A kind of sad walk into the past.
The only thing not from the past was the price, which was very much up to date.
If I'd noticed it was a Britannia hotel I would not have booked it. If I were back in Southport again I'd try to find something else. But there really isn't much else facing the ocean, and nothing with this character. Maybe if you go in with the right expectations it could work for you...