The owner of Kent’s worst-rated hotel has admitted it is “rundown” - after a homeless guest said he would “rather sleep on the street” than stay another night.

Pictures and videos sent to KentOnline show blood-splattered walls, dirty carpets, stained bed sheets and plug sockets next to a sink at the Windsor Hotel in Folkestone.

But boss Jon Huxley insists the site in Langhorne Gardens is helping to address the “severe shortage” of temporary accommodation in the area.

The 56-year-old says the hotel, which is the county’s lowest-ranked on Tripadvisor, was in serious disrepair when he took it on a year ago and restoring it has been a slow and costly process.

It currently houses more than a dozen homeless people.

Mr Huxley said: “You have to understand there is a choice between sleeping under the arches on the beach or along The Leas or having a warm roof over your head. This is what we provide.

“A property of this size requires money, skilled labour, and time to bring it back to a good condition.

“I’m under pressure from various agencies because of the lack of temporary accommodation that is available in the Folkestone area.

“I’m trying to run a business and achieve the income that is required to bring it back to a condition that can be used. I know the hotel is rundown but it takes time and money to bring it up to the standard we want it to be.”

But one guest has this week decided to leave - due to the “absolutely disgusting” conditions inside.

Daniel Medhurst became homeless in August and moved into the hotel at the start of November. He says charity the Serco Foundation was paying £300 a week for his accommodation.

But the 33-year-old told KentOnline he decided he would be “safer sleeping in a tent on the street”.

“There’s blood in the rooms, the carpets are filthy, and the plug sockets buzz,” he said.

“One was next to a sink, and it’s not safe.

“I felt like my life was at risk staying there. I couldn't stay there any longer.”

Mr Medhurst also claims his air fryer, sweets and cheese were stolen during his stay.

Struggling with bipolar disorder and on medication, he says the lack of suitable housing support has left him feeling abandoned.

“I’m not classed as a priority for the council, even though I’ve got mental health issues. I don’t know how to appeal this, but I need help,” Mr Medhurst said.

A Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) spokesperson says it has not been made aware of Mr Medhurst’s situation and encourages him to contact the authority directly.

They added: “Any concerns about temporary accommodation raised with us are, as a matter of course, shared with property owners so they can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

Mr Huxley says Mr Medhurst’s room was damaged by a previous guest, which has made him hesitant to invest in immediate repairs.

“The carpet is four months old, and it was ruined by the previous guest who also shot the blood onto the ceiling,” the hotel boss said.

“This is what makes me reluctant to spend money on a new carpet straight away.”

According to government estimates, the number of people sleeping rough in Kent on a single night in autumn 2023 was 126 - a 57.5% increase from 2022.

In Folkestone and Hythe, the official figure for rough sleepers in November 2023 was 16. However, data indicates that 42 people were verified as sleeping rough during the same month when combining information from multiple agencies.

Mr Huxley, who lives in Folkestone, added: “This is the reality of where we are as a society. Having a roof is better than no roof.

“If people want me to shut the building, then fine, I’ll shut it down, do the work, and reopen in a year’s time. But then all these homeless people will be on the street.

“There is nowhere else for them to go.”

Mr Huxley, who also owns the Portland Hotel and the Westward Ho Hotel in the town, is asking for patience as “it takes time to improve all the rooms”.

KentOnline previously revealed how in just five years the cost to councils for providing temporary accommodation in the county has doubled as demand has soared.

While some people end up in hotels, like the Windsor, others are provided with more modern housing.

The first residents will soon be moving into new “homeless pods” built on a car park in Ashford. Each apartment - ranging from one to three beds - will be occupied by a single household, with its own front door, private balcony, kitchen and living room.

Last year, reporter Max Chesson spent a night at the Windsor before Mr Huxley took it on. He opted to sleep fully clothed, being “very careful” not to excessively touch any of the surfaces.

One online review at the time said: “I've never ever been anywhere more terrible in my whole entire life.”

Another said: "Not giving a star as that is an insult - the Addams family had more updated furniture, please don’t go."

Last month, a charity lodged plans to transform the former Hamlet Hotel in Shakespeare Terrace, Folkestone, into “emergency accommodation” for the homeless.

Bosses at Rainbow Centre Folkestone have submitted proposals to FHDC to convert the site into a 17-bed HMO (house in multiple occupation).

The Serco Foundation has been approached for a comment.