Middle Eight Hotel shimmers on Great Queen Street, especially when the sun is out and its rays bounce off its beige exterior. Inside it is a piece of delightful architectural artwork and the theme is music. The name Middle Eight refers to a musical section in a song, a sort of bridge from one part…
Hotel Review: Tylney Hall Hotel, Hook, Hampshire, England
It’s a longish, well-manicured, tree-lined winding driveway leading to the imposing Victorian, Grade II listed Tyney Hall hotel. The former stately home of Lord Windlesham and then Lord Rotherwick once served as the HQ of a shipping line, after which Tylney Hall became a school. Eventually, in 1985 it became a hotel. The interior is…
Hotel Review: Jetwing Jaffna hotel, Sri Lanka
Jaffna, in the far north of Sri Lanka, suffered badly during the civil war but is now enjoying something of a revival. The massive fort is undergoing restoration and nearby are pristine beaches and many Hindu temples. The Jetwing Jaffna Hotel is situated right in the middle of the action, close to the lively market,…
Cruise Ship Review: Azamara Onward
The new ship from upmarket Azamara is a small (684 passengers), a classic vessel that has been given a swish, stylish makeover, a world of earthy shades, warm greys and browns, like aged timber, with touches of olive green. As befits Azamara Onward’s style, the ship was christened at the quayside in Monte Carlo on…
Hotel Review: Northcote, Langho, Lancashire UK
Originally a private house built in 1880, Nothocte became a hotel a hundred years later and now has 26 luxurious rooms. The traditional and the modern are woven into the fabric of Northcote, with manor house rooms in the main house and opulent rooms in the garden lodge. The restaurant won a Michelin star in…
Hotel Review: The Guardsman, Westminster, London
The Guardsman hotel is an unusual-looking purposed-built piece of grey-bricked architecture based in St James. I am not sure if it is highly forgettable or simply discrete but I walked past it a couple of times until I spotted the plaque with its name in a distinguished golden brass. On reflection that is exactly how…
Restaurant Review: Red Lion, Hellidon, Northamptonshire
The Red Lion pub/restaurant with rooms is a quaint low rise stone-built pub surrounded by the picturesque village of Hellidon, Northamptonshire. It is the sister to The Castle at Edgehill.pub with rooms and both to the Free Spirit Pub group. It has seven bedrooms, and though we didn’t stay the night, we did get to…
Hotel Review: Amara Hotel, Limassol, Cyprus
Located on the beach and sea views from every room, the elegant The Amara Hotel Cyprus has restaurants from two Michelin starred chefs says Judith Baker. The Amara Hotel – Amara is a Greek word meaning everlasting – is just a 50-minute taxi ride from Paphos international airport and 10 minutes from the quaint town…
Review: That Gin Company, Warwick
I am a big fan of a cuppa, but at That Gin Company, the new watering hole in Warwick, tea makes way to a G&T alongside the traditional British. Afternoon Tea. As serendipity would have it, I am a big gin fan so I had to try out the fare. That Gin Compay hides behind…
Is Review Addiction a Danger to Holidaymakers? Research says it is?
Dramatic stunt exposes absurdity of trusting strangers’ opinion by projecting real bad reviews on iconic landmarks New research from Plum Guide, reveals 1 in 3 of us refuse to book a holiday without reading online reviews, yet 21% of Britons have been seriously let down by a holiday because of them. Increased anticipation around holidays…
