Had tickets for a show in Southend last summer and my friend and I decided to stay rather than drive there and back. Could only find the Weatherspoons hotel available at a good price - staff were welcoming and the room was good, but oh my word! It was a hot weekend and the place was heaving; we decided to have a quick drink at the bar after the show and it was truly horrid, lots of very young people, bouncers on the door, noise and a distinctly volatile atmosphere, felt really quite unsafe, and this from someone who has broken up fights before. Breakfast the next morning - tables were simply filthy, doubt they'd been cleaned from the night before, sticky carpet etc. We wiped down the tables with napkins and had a very good value breakfast - but I wished we'd gone elsewhere.
I too dislike the owner and his attitude and would have - and will in future - take my business elsewhere.