2010
09.02
On September 27 the London Hilton on Park Lane will host the AA’s annual Hospitality Awards ceremony and this year there are a couple of additional prizes up for grabs. At last year’s ceremony the Feversham Arms Hotel picked up the award of Hotel of the Year in England while London’s Hotel of the Year was named as the supremely luxurious Connaught in Mayfair.
London Hilton on Park Lane
In addition to the usual categories this year sees the introduction of the Eco Hotel of the Year and the Eco Hotel Group of the Year awards. Judges have taken into account the likes of recycling programmes, sustainability and use of local produce, the reduction of consumption and waste reduction. It seems there is an increase in eco-awareness in hotels, with the Rafayel on the Left Bank in London among those leading the way, and the introduction of these awards will only serve to enhance the snow-balling of the green world.
2010
09.01
This weekend I shall be heading north to the Cambridgeshire town of Peterborough for a friend’s wedding, a town I will be visiting for the first time. Peterborough is perhaps most notable for its cathedral which stands tall in the town along with nearby Ely’s famous cathedral. There are two particular hotels to mention when discussing Peterborough and they are the Bull Hotel and the Peterborough Marriott Hotel.
Bull Hotel Peterborough
The former of these – the Bull Hotel Peterborough – is set in the centre and takes up position in a 17th century former coaching inn. Though there were once just eight bedrooms in this grade II listed building there are now 118 to choose from as well as a brasserie and 14 conference facilities. The other main option in the town is the Peterborough Marriott which is positioned around 2.5 miles from the centre of Peterborough in the Peterborough Business Park.
Peterborough Marriott
Nestled amid 11 acres of ground, the hotel has leisure facilities in the form of a swimming pool, a gym and a spa, as well as 163 bedrooms for overnight visitors. In other parts of the hotel you will find 12 conference rooms, a restaurant and bar and onsite car parking.
2010
08.31
Allow me to kick off this post-Bank Holiday weekend Tuesday with a focus on Swindon’s Alexandra House Hotel, a modern four-star property in Wiltshire. The hotel lies amid 20 acres of grounds and is a stone’s throw from the M4, junctions 15 and 16 to be precise, as it passes by on its way from Wales to London. The Alexandra House is actually set on the southern side of the motorway and so is approximately four miles from the centre of Swindon itself.
Alexandra House
At the Alexandra House Hotel there are 150 bedrooms and they are contemporary in style, complete with a range of amenities such as wireless internet, a television and refreshments. Leisure facilities at the hotel include a swimming pool, a whirlpool, a sauna and archery, while guests can also make the most of special rates at the nearby Broome Manor Golf Club.
It is also worth noting that there is plenty of space for meetings and events at this four-star hotel in Swindon; there are 16 such offerings including the main room which can accommodate for 240 in a theatre style set-up. Finally, the hotel is home to an Orangery Restaurant which is open for each meal of the day.
2010
08.26
August Bank Holiday = Reading Festival and Leeds Festival, possibly the biggest weekend in the music calender, and several of my colleagues will be heading into Reading town centre later today to join in the festivities once again. James, Alex and Adam will be spending the weekend in what is likely to be torrential rain and thick mud – nice. On a more positive note however, they will be able to take in the sounds of some big name bands over the coming days, with the likes of Guns n Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, the Libertines, Blink-182 and Arcade Fire all taking to the main stage.
The line-up at Leeds, at Bramham Park, is similar to that at Reading although in a different order of course. Reading Festival takes place near Caversham Bridge and has taken place since 1971, with somewhere in the region of 80,000 people attending the location annually in recent years. Approximately 70,000 fans make their way to the Leeds venue meanwhile. So, if you’re heading to Leeds or Reading, have a great weekend and enjoy the music!
2010
08.25
Earlier today a colleague of mine re-drew my attention to the Hotel Arts in Barcelona, and what a wonderful hotel it is! First of all, the hotel is beautifully positioned on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, overlooking the vast blue expanse; the location is unbeatable. One of the world’s most luxurious and elegant places to stay, the Hotel Arts Barcelona has the likes of award-winning (Michelin star) dining, contemporary Spanish art, gardens and an outdoor swimming pool. This truly is a fantastic destination.
Hotel Arts Swimming Pool
For those looking for somewhere to stay while on holiday there are almost 500 bedrooms at the property and this figure includes a number of executive rooms, a range of impressive suites and some apartments. Further, there is more than 1,000 square metres of space set aside for functions, including meetings and parties, while offering the utmost in relaxation there is a spa on the Hotel Arts’ 43rd floor.
I must say I’m rather pleased my colleague redirected me to this striking Barcelona hotel!
2010
08.24
Following last week’s blog post regarding Lindsay’s stay at the Moran Hotel in London I’d like to take this opportunity to offer up further space for guests to review hotels in which they have stayed. This might be just a small snippet of a sentence outlining something in particular you liked about a hotel you have recently stayed at. Or perhaps it could be a longer review, as we saw last week, with the given hotel’s convenience for travel, what you might expect to find inside, and so on.
To carry this out please email any reviews to the person who made your reservation and I will endeavour to use them at some point. Please include your first name and the town or city in which you live. For now, it’s over to you…!
2010
08.23
I am delighted to be able to announce the grand unveiling of e-travelguide’s new, updated and improved pages on the great city of London! Thanks to the hard work of web developer Gary, the pages are particularly stylish and thoroughly put together, with few stones left unturned. The United Kingdom’s capital is, of course, one of the world’s top places to visit and it is not hard to see why, given its long history, its impressive array of attractions and its wealth of top four- and five-star hotels.
Houses of Parliament, London
To help manage the bountious swathes of information, attractions and hotels in London we have divided the city into smaller chunks. So, if you’re looking for hotels, places to visit or restaurants in nation’s capital you can head to the following sections to aid your search: Belgravia, Camden, South Bank, West End and Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Marble Arch and Marylebone, Kensington and Chelsea, City and Docklands, and Westminster.
Happy searching!
2010
08.20
It is the summer and so I guess it makes sense that many members of the e-travelguide staff are jet-setting and spending time in various parts of the world. Next week is the turn of Sam H who will be heading to Spain where he will be able to enjoy an abundance of sun and plenty of relaxation time, no doubt.
Alicante Harbour
First up he will be heading into the well known and popular tourist destination that is Alicante before heading out to his final destination. Alicante is set on the eastern coast of the Iberian country and falls in the region of Valencia. Looking out over the Mediterranean Sea, this region has, for some time, been a favourite among those looking to soak up some rays and chill out on the beach. So, great for relaxation, but sun warnings are at a high!
2010
08.19
If you are heading to the lovely city of Winchester one particularly convenient place to stay would be the Wessex Hotel Winchester. The contemporary hotel provides a good base for visitors exploring the surroundings, perhaps working their way along the high street or touring the impressive cathedral, such is its proximity to the centre. Now, I have to be honest, the hotel’s appearance from the outside is not particularly inspiring to say the least; however, as we all know, it’s best not to judge a book by its cover!
Wessex Hotel Winchester
The four-star Wessex Hotel Winchester has the added bonus of onsite car parking; there is space for around 30 vehicles at the property. There are just 87 bedrooms at the hotel and they feature the likes of wireless internet and air conditioning, providing comfort and helpful added extras.
Other features of this central Winchester property include the Wessex Restaurant which serves international cuisine, the King’s Lounge, and five meeting and event rooms, the largest of which is able to accommodate for 100 in theatre.
2010
08.18
This morning I received an email from my colleague Marjorie in which was a review of the Crown Moran Hotel in North
London, a hotel she had recently booked for her client Lindsay from
Lancashire.
‘Dear Marjorie,
‘You recently made a reservation for myself and my family at the Crown Moran Hotel, Cricklewood.
‘I thought I would just let you know that we found the hotel to be excellent. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. In the triple room we had booked there was a problem, in that the plug in the bath was not functioning. On advising the front desk staff, this was dealt with very quickly and, therefore, did not cause any inconvenience. The rooms were a lovely size (even the room with three beds in) and very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was the usual buffet style catering for all nationalities and was very good.
‘My three sons used the swimming pool, which they said was a good size and clean and, with towels provided in the changing rooms, was very convenient to use.
Crown Moran Hotel
‘In some reviews it was mentioned that it was not particularly convenient to get into London. We used this hotel to go into London to shop then return to drop off our purchases then go back into London to the Theatre. We did not find this (the distance) a problem at all. There are buses every two or three minutes from directly outside the hotel which for £2 will take you to Kilburn Tube Station. It took aproximately 25 minutes to get from the hotel to the centre of London.
‘All in all, we really enjoyed our stay and will definitely use this hotel again.’
A great endorsement of the Crown Moran Hotel in north-west London!
