Lawrence House

What it is and who it welcomes

Lawrence House, at 33 General Street, is an adults-only guesthouse run by a gay couple for gay guests and their friends. The wider LGBTQ+ community and straight guests are welcome too. The hosts took over a run-down guest house called Bristol Lodge in October 2008. They gutted and renamed it, opened to paying guests in August 2009 and marked 18 years in 2026.

It is the choice for people who want a proper, polished B&B with a gay welcome, without a party bar beneath their room. The street is quiet, yet the gay bars and both saunas are only a few minutes' walk away.

Awards and reputation

Lawrence House has a four-star rating, a Silver Award and a national breakfast award from the national tourist board. It has also won several travellers' choice awards from guest-review platforms, and a national newspaper travel feature named it one of the best places to stay in Blackpool.

Rooms and prices

All rooms are en-suite with a shower, WC and basin, and every double bed can be reached from both sides. Each room has:

• a welcome tray and complimentary toiletries
• bottled water
• a mini bar and a safe
• a hairdryer and a shaver point
• fast WiFi
• at least one chair or stool

Recent prices per room per night, with breakfast:

• Single: about £55 to £60 (rear and front singles)
• Double or twin: about £100
• Premier: about £120

Food and bar

• Breakfast is cooked and included. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most other diets can be catered for if you say so when you book.
• Evening meals are home-cooked and served in the dining room from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, seven nights a week. That is rare among Blackpool guesthouses, and handy before a show.
• The bar is open seven nights a week, with bar snacks, tea and coffee.
• The roof terrace is a much-loved, award-winning space with a water feature, lit up on summer evenings. It is one step up from the first floor.

House rules

• Adults only.
• Non-smoking throughout. Smoking indoors means leaving without a refund and a minimum £150 cleaning charge.
• The first night is taken as a non-refundable deposit. If you cancel and the room is not re-let, the full cost may be charged.
• Check-in is from 2pm and check-out is by 11.30am.
• The balance is paid on arrival by card or cash. Bring photo ID if you are paying in cash.
• Lost keys cost £20.

Location

General Street is a quiet street just back from the town-centre end of the quarter. You are a few minutes' walk from the gay bars, both saunas, the promenade, the Winter Gardens and the conference centre. Blackpool North station and the coach station are close by, and taxis wait at the station.

Parking

There is no on-site parking. The General Street / Cocker Street pay-and-display car park is diagonally opposite (sat-nav postcode FY1 1RX). Bank Street car park is about eight minutes' walk away. There is free on-street parking nearby, but it gets scarce at busy times.

Accessibility

The building is more than 130 years old, and it is not suitable for wheelchair users. There are no ground-floor bedrooms and no ground-floor toilet.

• Entrance: a 12cm step into the porch, then a 20cm step into the hall. Help is available, and there is seating in the hall.
• Stairs: about 16 stairs to each floor, with handrails on both sides to the first floor and on one side above that.
• Other help: menus come in large print, and medication can be kept in a fridge.

Tell the hosts about any hearing impairment so they can plan for an evacuation.

Booking tips

• Book direct. Lawrence House does not sell rooms through third-party sites. Book by phone, email (you'll get a secure payment link) or online.
• Long-stay discount: 10% off bed-and-breakfast stays of five consecutive nights or more. It is not available at Christmas and New Year, and it cannot be combined with other offers.