The once elegant and stylish hotel, the Excelsior, located on the shores of the Irish Sea in Blackpool, has sadly become just a mere shadow of its original grandeur. When a mysterious death of a guest in 1925 in room 33 was covered up by the original owner, no one would have predicted it was just the start of a series of similar incidents. The Excelsior was run by numerous owners over the subsequent years, but eerily, "the curse", as it became known locally, remained firmly attached to room 33. No one who ever checked in to that room ever made it out alive. In fact, within just a few hours of occupancy, all guests there were found to be dead, all with horrendous and hideous grimaces of fear and terror on their faces. When Anne Cartwright, the current owner, took over the Excelsior, all it took was one such incident for her to permanently close the room to anyone again, including the staff at the hotel who were more than willing to oblige the decision.

Meanwhile, down in Southampton, Chloe Riddell has received the distressing news that her beloved grandmother, Emily, has taken a downturn in her health and may not live for much longer. It is the Christmas holiday season, but knowing this may be her last chance to see her grandmother, Chloe heads off to the convalescent home, also in Blackpool, to see her. In her urgency to get to Blackpool, Chloe neglected to consider that finding a place to stay on Christmas Eve may be impossible. After multiple failures to secure lodging, Chloe finally convinces Anne Cartwright to give her the one remaining room at the Excelsior...room 33. Despite serious warnings from both Anne and others in Blackpool, Chloe just laughs off the whole thing, wondering how otherwise intelligent and rational people can believe the absurd superstitions that had hung around the room for so long.

It seems a normal hotel room when Chloe first checks in, but she soon begins to experience all manner of inexplicable and bizarre goings-on in her room....