So I first came to Dublin about in 2006 time I love the city and it's with lots of great bars clubs and a fantastic friendly population. The Beacon Hotel isn't in the city centre but is outside of the city in the area of Sandyford. I first visited here in about 2018 and since then the hotel has undergone some refurbishment and refresh, having said that, in it's previous incarnation it wasn't exactly poor! I arrived late at night (hence the dark room photos)but I had a very warm welcome from the front desk. Upon entering the room the first thing to strike you as the size of the both the room and bathroom. This isn't a small box room, it's a large spacious room with large bed, lots…
I've always liked Bath as a city, it's probably because I spent a load of my childhood growing up and living in Cambridge that I've always found the city to be a great place to visit. The mixture of the old stone work, the historical buildings, the narrow streets, and all the charm that this brings always makes for a nice trip to Bath. Due to the lack of choice of Hotels, I had a bit of an upgrade to a standard that I wouldn't usually go for on my recent stay here. The M Gallery Francis Hotel sits high up in the Accor range of hotels. This is no Ibis! Recently renovated it describes itself as "an exemplary ensemble of Georgian townhouses on Bath's original classic square". Quite frankly…
In the last year or so I've become a bit of a convert to the IHG chain of hotels. A number of reasons really - but I find them to be good value and a bit more consistent than my previous chain of choice with Accor. Due to location of meetings though I stepped away from the usual Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn express and stayed in the Crowne Plaza in Basingstoke. The hotel is situated just off a main road quite close to the city centre. As always I arrived quite late in the evening - so didn't really have time to explore the neighbourhood around the hotel. Parking was ample for the car and was free (which makes a change from a few of my recent stays!) On…
Set in the rolling hills just outside of Blackburn is the wonderful Stanley House Hotel & Spa. With a mix of the modern rooms (that I stayed in) and the bedrooms in the grade 2 listed Manor House - this hotel really does have everything for everyone. Attached to it can be found a great spa for all your pampering needs as well! I was here on business so didn't manage to make use of the spa facilities but from the reviews I've found it's got a good reputation. My room was situated in the new block of 18 rooms that have been built. First off - it's a huge room with a huge bath and bed! I know that I did have the disabled room (I don't know…
There are a few Mercure Hotels in Bristol, but by far my favourite of the bunch is the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. Set close to the shops and a number of fine restaurants the Grand has recently been refurbished and mixes some quirky and designer styling with a very practical and comfortable offering. First impressions on walking into the hotel foyer is that this is something a bit different to other Mercure hotels. With nice designed lighting (love good lighting in a hotel!) some beautiful art work and then a non standard reception desk - it's all pointers to something a little better! This continues in abundance into the rooms. A really mixed of styles are found the rooms. With classic style bathrooms but with great flooring the rooms have…
