Firstly, I'd like to point out that in calling ahead and asking if the Derwent could match what expedia.co.uk were offering the hotel for, we ended up paying just £16 pppn, so it's hard to be overly judgemental about the Derwent.
It's situated maybe a 10/15 minute walk from Blackpool tower on a relatively quiet street, but unfortunately parking is only available at the end of the road next to the busy main road, which was disappointing as it meant the car was being stored out of sight, and the £5.50 per day charge pushed the overall cost of the stay up somewhat. Parking on the street is only available for 1 hour, or all day on Sunday.
Chris is very friendly and went out of his way to ask where we'd come from, what brought us to Blackpool, and even gave us a business card to ensure we could get back to the hotel after "too many lemonades", quite a nice touch!
The room was clean and tidy, and the bathroom was spacious enough for our needs. The TV wasn't connected when we arrived so we had to tune it in ourself, but I'm fairly sure the room had been recently decorated by the freshly pasted smell that was present in the room. My only negative point on the room was the bed which was fairly hard and uncomfortable, and the single pillow was rock solid, which meant waking up with a cricked neck on both mornings of our stay. The walls also seem quite thin, as we could clearly hear the TV in the room next door.
I've stayed in other B&B's in Blackpool which were both better located and more comfortable, albeit at a higher price, so there's certainly a case of swings and roundabouts to be considered here, but with a few minor adjustments, Chris could have a goldmine on his hands here, as he certainly has the personality to be succesful as a proprietor in Blackpool!
