Skegness: Ariel views show seaside town in Lincolnshire
“Keir Starmer is barred,” a sign reads in a window of the Beeston Lodge Hotel in Skegness. If you want an idea of the feeling many business owners in this famous seaside town have towards Labour, then this is it.
Several in Skegness’ hospitality sector say 2025 has been one of the hardest years yet, with the Government taking the brunt of the blame. They have told the Daily Express that while the Lincolnshire resort is continuing to attract visitors, spending is down, with local hotels particularly affected. Beeston Lodge Hotel is one of those to have noticed a stark difference this year.
Loraine Parker, with partner Neville Henshaw, has taken the decision to retire as business is such a struggle (Image: Paul Marriott)
‘Keir Starmer is barred from this pub!’ reads a sign at the front of the Beeston Lodge (Image: Paul Marriott)
Inside, it has a 60s theme and its walls are adorned with memorabilia and some famous faces that owner Loraine Parker, 73, and partner Neville Henshaw, 80, have met over the years.
Loraine, from nearby Grimsby, has run her cherished business for 20 years but is now just one of the hotel owners in the area looking to sell up.
She accused Sir Keir Starmer of “killing [business owners] all off” and named Labour’s winter fuel cuts and rising energy prices as factors for the fall in trade.
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Loraine Parker says other years have been ‘nowhere near as bad’ and says visitors are spending less (Image: Paul Marriott)
Loraine, who has decided now is the best time to retire, says some visitors “can’t afford” to visit Skegness anymore, adding many are “frightened” to spend.
I speak to Loraine on a hot Saturday in June. She says she only has two of her six rooms booked and admits she would usually hope to be fully booked on a weekend at this time of the year.
She tells me other years have been “nowhere near as bad as now”.
“We’ve always had a full bar on a weekend, because this is a little bit different, the 60s [theme] and all that but the customers aren’t coming down.
“They’re not going to the caravan sites because they’ve gone up [in price], they’re getting rid of the caravans.”
Skegness is home to a large beach and is famous for donkey rides (Image: Paul Marriott)
The Clock Tower in the middle of Skegness town centre (Image: Paul Marriott)
She adds: “We used to do 22 breakfasts in the morning and we used to have eight rooms, that was in 2007, 2008, 2010.
“[It was] packed down here, Easter, took loads of money, bank holidays… but now when bank holidays come, people say you can’t even tell there’d been a bank holiday.
“People seem to be about in Skegness but after tea they’re all gone. It’s a shame, really, I do love Skegness.”
Loraine says “every single place” she’s visited recently, including pubs, have all reported facing similar issues.
Down the road is Hatters Hotel, owned by Gary Allen, 63, who too is selling up.
