Hotels

I have long been a fan of Murrays restaurant in the Ship hotel but had never stayed here. This I did last Thursday when invited by Tim (Horsfall-Smith) to go to see Ivanov. We were also scheduled to have a National Rust editorial conference in the morning. With this in mind I booked the Cottage as [...]

The Sanctum on the Green at Cookham Dean is on old favourite of mine. It’s situated in the delightful village of Cookham Dean, not far from Cookham by the Thames where Stanley Spencer painted much of his best work and there is gallery to exhibit and honour this. The Sanctum is a modern [...]

This hotel was formerly the Clifton Ford, a box-like sixties type of building in Welbeck Street. The Doyle Group, which owned and sold out Jury’s, acquired the hotel and its success mirrors that of the quarter it occupies, Marylebone Village. It is an excellent base to explore with the High [...]

The Old Ship is the oldest hotel in Brighton. In 1559 there are records of an inn on the site  known as the Shippe, the Hampshares, Brighhelmstone.  In 1650 it was renamed  the  Old Ship when  the New  Ship was built opposite  (now Hotel du Vin). In 1651 King Charles II  fled  the country [...]

After two nights I was not sorry to leave the small ” superior” room at the Mercure for a much larger, cheaper one at the Best Western next door. I complimented the barman on the service at the Mercure, but this did not compensate for its dreary rooms and common areas. It has too much [...]

I am reviewing Brighton’s sea front hotels, starting with the Mercure. The problem that virtually all of them have is that the buildings are old and prone to draughtiness. The Mercure, which is set on the front on the border with Hove, is no exception. I checked in early and gave them full [...]