Coombe Abbey - Warwickshire - Jan 2012

This was a Christmas present treat and we were lucky to get away with all the snow we had! Coombe Abbey is a beautiful old abbey still keeping a very medieval feel. Our room had a 4-poster bed, and a wonderful view of the moat around the front. The abbey is well set in acres of parkland with an impressive long drive, so you really feel like you are staying in an old country house.

Our room was very warm with a surprisingly large bathroom, quite old victorian style fittings which makes a nice change from all the modern hotel bathrooms we've been used to! Our room was at the end of corridor in the oldest part of the building, think big staircase, wide corridors and creaky floorboards! But it was very quiet and we hardly saw any other guests even though I believe it was quite full.

We had dinner in the restaurant in the evening. The restaurant is in a conservatory/garden room and it was a bit cold but dinner was lovely and the service was great, very friendly and proffessional. Breakfast in the morning was a choice of a continental buffet and/or a cooked breakfast. The buffet was one of the smallest selections I have encountered, but I prefer a cooked breakfast anyway.

We then took a very pleasent walk around the grounds. This was a Sunday and the park is open to the public and as it was a beautiful blue sky day, there were lots of families and dog walkers around, the locals must really treasure this place as it is so beautiful and well maintained. There are many footpaths you can take through the woods and all around, a wonderful way to while away a few hours on a Sunday.

Orsett Hall - Orsett - Sept 2011

This hotel is local to us, and so not somewhere we'd usually stay but it was a little treat as we were checking it out as a possible wedding venue! We are regulars in the restaurant and so we knew the service was exceptional and the food delicious. We were not dissapointed!

We stayed in the William & Mary suite which was so beautufil and grand, a large suite with a sitting area and four poster bed and views over the grounds. The bathroom was also massive with a claw-footed bath and seperate large shower cubicle, plus complimentary toiletries. The hotel has recently been refurbished after a devastating fire and they have kept the original charm of the building whilst making everything clean and modern. It is a very large complex with a spa in the basement and various rooms for events. It is very well laid out though and the main event room is set away from the actual hotel and so you don't get any disturbances from guests or noise.

We tried out the beauty salon where there was plenty of choice of treatments, the therapists are all very friendly and very good at the treatments we had. We left feeling very relaxed and refreshed. There is also a hairdressers in the basement which I imagine is a big plus point for brides-to-be and wedding parties that are staying. Again, it is so well spread out that it still feels like a small hotel, not the massive complex that it really is.

The Garden restaurant is one of our favourite restaurants, the food is gourmet and always delicious, and the service is first-class. We have to particularly complement Leo and Mark for their outstanding service, nothing is too much trouble.

All in all we would very much recommend the Orsett Hall as a wonderful place to stay, eat, relax or party!

Premier Inn - Guildford Central - June 2011

We don't usually stay in Premier Inn's but we were attending an event nearby and it was the most logical option. However it was a choice we won't be repeating! It does what it says on the tin, although we didn't get the "Great night's sleep" that they advertise as their slogan, but that was due to noisy upstairs neighbours and not the hotels fault. I did call and complain during the night and the noise quietened down for a short while but we had a terrible nights sleep and were shattered the next day. The room was standard, the breakfast was standard, the service was acceptable. We would rather have stayed in a small B&B however. Live and learn.

The Lodge at Winchelsea - Winchelsea - Apr 2011

We booked this last minute for one night on our journey home along the south coast. The Lodge is located between Hastings and Rye along the main road. It is really a motel, the rooms and bathrooms were very basic but clean and served us fine. There is plenty of parking both in a main car park, and outside each 'lodge'.

The service was welcoming and the bar/restaurant had the feel of a local pub, decorated like a light and airy converted barn. It was very quiet when we went for dinner, food is basic pub grub, but with plenty of choice and good size portions, the service was very friendly. We really enjoyed our meal and breakfast was just as good in the morning.

Our stay was cheap as chips and we were happy with what we got for the price!

Flint Cottage - Chichester - Apr 2011

 We stayed at Flint cottage in the double room for just one night and really enjoyed our stay. We wanted a B&B near to Chichester town centre and this served us perfectly as it was just a short drive down the road. Flint Cottage is situated just off the main road, although it is a quiet road and semi-rural in location, having farmland surrounding. The owners have a smallholding with chickens supplying fresh eggs and aviaries on site housing birds of prey which we really enjoyed seeing and were pleasantly surprised that they were so quiet! There is off road parking for guests and we had a very pleasant quiet nights sleep in our room.

The owners were very welcoming and helpful. There are only 2 rooms for let, a double and a twin room, with a dining room downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was superb, you can order what you like for a hot English breakfast (with fresh eggs!) and there are also cereals, yogurts, toast and juice to fill you up.

All in all, really good value for money, brilliant hosts and a lovely clean room.

Christchurch Harbour Hotel - Christchurch - Apr 2011

Christchurch Harbour Hotel is a spa hotel, however we only stayed for one night and we didn't use the spa facilities. It seems to be a popular hotel with the locals for dinner, the Jetty Restaurant was very busy and the menu looked amazing although quite expensive. Unfortunately it rained for most of our stay so we didn't get to enjoy the harbour location, but I'm sure the setting and the garden is lovely in good weather.

The room was clean and comfortable although we were at the front so had a view of the road! There was not much to do nearby as it is a little out of town so we drove into Christchurch to eat at a lovely Thai place on Castle Street called Sabai Thai. When we got back to the hotel there was no parking left because of a wedding so we had to park down the road which was a bit of an inconvenience, we later moved it when some of the guests had left.

Breakfast was served in the restaurant, a beautiful room at the centre of the hotel, overlooking the harbour. We had a cooked breakfast served fresh, service was efficient, the restaurant was very busy and quite noisy.


All in all the hotel was fine, the weather probably spoilt it a bit but mostly we felt it just had no soul and the customer service, although efficient, was not particularly friendly or welcoming.

The Bath House Bed & Breakfast - Bath - Apr 2011

We stayed for one night at the Bath House B&B. We chose it for the central location and free parking which was a real plus for us and unmatched among the b&b's we searched.

Upon arrival we were greeted and shown to our parking space, it was a tight spot at the rear of the building but the staff member very helpfully and expertly directed us into the spot. We were then shown to our room even though we were a little early for check-in. We booked the four-poster room and were not disappointed. The room was furnished in a very bright modern boutique way, with a lovely large and clean ensuite.

The B&B is located right in the centre of town, just a few minutes walk from the baths and the main shops and restaurants, and just a short walk uphill to the Royal Cresent area. We tried a really nice restaurant just around the corner from the Royal Cresent called the Lime Lounge which does a really good 2 for 1 menu before 7pm on a Thursday when we were there. Would recommend this restaurant for really good quality food.

Breakfast in the morning was in our room, we just had to put our order on the door in the evening. We really liked having our breakfast in our room as we had a dining table and chairs to sit at comfortably and it meant we could eat in our dressing gowns! The breakfast was really tasty and very filling, there was so much choice on the menu, from a full English to cereals and toast.

Although we were only here one night, we found the staff to be among the most helpful, friendly and efficient people we have come across, a real credit to the B&B industry. We would definitely recommend this B&B to anyone wishing to stay in Bath.