BRITAIN’S HOTELS

BRITAIN’S HOTELS tend to fall into one of two camps: town or country. The metropolitan ‘boutique’ hotels of London and Glasgow draw a style-conscious and demanding clientele, while the national pastime of the weekend break means that escapees from the city have a wide selection of country hotels to choose from – many of them offering excellent food in beautiful surroundings. As with the other countries in this guide, we include a selection of places to stay across the board, from the best B&Bs (bed & breakfasts) to classic hotels such as Gleneagles, page 110. Many of our listings are in unusual locations, for example, a Norfolk windmill, or a croft on a Scottish island. There’s as much variety and character in this small country as anywhere.

Southern England In London, recommendations include great places to stay that are also well-placed for shopping, theatres, museums and restaurants. Within easy reach of the capital are the B&Bs of the Weald and downland of Kent and Sussex, luxurious spa hotels such as Chewton Glen in the New Forest (page 87), and fun places like the traditional beach huts that can be booked at the Hotel Continental, in Whitstable, Kent . Two hotels in the neighbourhood of Bath – the stylish Royal Crescent in Bath itself , and Babington House in nearby Frome – show how British hotel styles are on the move. The Georgian Royal Crescent is one of the new breed of polished townhouse hotel. Babington House is the country offshoot of a Soho club; where the knowing informality is typical of the developing style of the British country-house hotel. Further west, Devon and Cornwall offer some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Britain, plenty of B&Bs, and understated luxury in hotels such as Tresco’s Island Hotel.

Central England

The sandstone villages of the Cotswolds are a plentiful source of guesthouses, coaching inns and manor house hotels. Many offer firstrate service, provide picnic hampers, or transport you to and from great walking country. The old counties of Hereford and Worcester, the university town of Oxford, and the East Anglian counties of Suffolk and Norfolk also offer some special places to stay, the latter including a B&B in a windmill at Cleynext- the-Sea .

Northern England

Newcastle is home to one of the Malmaison chain – the only hotel chain included in this section – which is noted for its somewhat unconventional ambience and affordable prices. In the northwest, the Lake District is packed out with tourists in summer, but it is easy enough to escape the crowds if you like hill walking or if you visit in autumn when the weather can be clear and warm. There are many B&Bs which don’t mind muddy walking boots, and some special country house hotels too, including Old Church at Watermillock on the edge of Ullswater (page 108). Other famous areas of outstanding beauty in the north include the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. Nearby are country hotels such as Amerdale House at Arncliffe (page 103), and small hotels with character, among them a former cotton mill.

Scotland

Country hotels in Scotland are memorable for location, character and food: many occupy imposing positions on peaceful lochs, and employ chefs who make full use of the local specialities such as seafood and game, and have a loyal clientele who rearrange their itinerary to be sure of getting a room. Glasgow and Edinburgh are obvious centres for their art galleries and architecture (and assured townhouse hotels), as well as the annual Edinburgh Festival (and associated Fringe) in August. The Highlands and Islands offer some of the most remote and peaceful places to stay in Britain, one such being Scarista House on the Isle of Harris , whose solitary, windswept exterior does not prepare you for the warm welcome and relaxed atmosphere within.

Wales

The walking is superb in the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia and along Offa’s Dyke. The Pembrokeshire coastline, with its crumbling medieval castles, and seaside resorts such as Tenby and St David’s is well worth a detour. Potential overnight stops include many family-run hotels offering good food – often with fresh local produce on the menu. Some hotels in this chapter are Wolsey Lodges – neither hotels, nor just guesthouses. A stay at a Wolsey Lodge is like being at a private house party – except that the host presents you with a bill at the end of your stay.

FOOD AND DRINK IN GREAT BRITAIN

EATING HAS become a form of entertainment for many Londoners, with a hardcore of ‘foodie’ enthusiasts making – or ruining – the fortunes of restaurants and affording many chefs celebrity status. Sometimes you have to book weeks in advance if you want to dine somewhere in vogue. However, some of the best British food is served outside the capital, and the 1990s produced some excellent new establishments. As well as the country hotels where food takes pride of place, there are ‘restaurants with rooms’, which illustrate the 1980s’ and 1990s’ renaissance in British food; with inventive cooking that often uses locally-grown, seasonal produce. The quality of fish, game, lamb, and the controversial beef on the bone is high, and at many hotels chefs have access to a kitchen garden or buy the freshest local produce. Many hotels are at the forefront of the campaign against genetically modified crops, and organically produced food on the menu is now increasingly commonplace.

Modern British cookery is actually an amalgam of many influences and styles, among them provincial Italian and Pacific Rim, with an imaginative use of fresh herbs and spices borrowed from foreign cuisines. Britain is one of the few countries where you can be vegetarian and eat well. Classy pub food continues to be excellent value for money, and so is traditional fish and chips, eaten straight from the paper wrapping. Lunch is generally served from 1–3pm and dinner from 7:30–10:30pm; many pubs stop serving lunch at 2:30pm and dinner at 9 or 9:30pm. Afternoon tea at about 4pm is an old-fashioned institution that city hotels do particularly well. Even better is the West Country (typically Devon and Cornwall) speciality of cream tea – scones eaten with clotted cream and jam – served, of course, with strong traditional English tea. Britain produces little wine, still less any of note. Beer from the tap is the ubiquitous national drink of the pub or hotel bar, reaching its highest quality in the ‘real’ ales of independent specialist brewers. It is served by the pint or the half-pint. Scottish whisky is, of course, renowned. Everyday ‘Scotch’ is blended. ‘Single malts’, from one distilling, achieve gourmet status and are accordingly expensive. There are many from which you can choose, and some hotels make a feature of offering a wide range, each with its distinctive style.

BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

IF YOU WANT twin beds, ask for them specifically when booking. Even the humblest B&B can have a four-poster bed, a great view or some other interesting feature – it’s worth asking beforehand. Some hotels in historic buildings will have a new wing – generally with more spacious rooms and better bathrooms, but less character. You will usually be given the choice when you book, but it is worth making sure that you state which you prefer. Bathrooms generally mean just a bath – specify if you want a shower. BRITISH HOTELIERS seem very sensitive about ‘no-shows’ (people who book a room but don’t turn up), and you may be asked for your credit card number or a cheque to secure the booking. Under English law, by making a booking you are entering into a contract. Hotels are within their rights to charge you for the room if you cancel at the last minute, although they must try to re-let the room and are not supposed to profit from your cancellation. The English cooked breakfast, high in cholesterol, is often a major feature, worth trying at least once.

Language in Great Britain

English, and, in Wales, Welsh, tend to be the only languages spoken.

Currency in Great Britain

The pound sterling, written ‘£’.

Shops in Great Britain

Generally open from 9:30am–5:30pm Mon–Sat in the country, and until 6 or 7pm in central London. Banks are open Mon–Fri; most closing at 3:30pm, but some staying open until 4:30 or 5:30pm. Supermarkets and shops in tourist areas often open between about noon and 4pm on Sundays.

Tipping

A tip of around 15 per cent is the norm for waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers. A service charge of 10–15 per cent is often added to restaurant bills, in addition to the tip, but the extra rarely goes to the waiting staff. You can negotiate not to pay the service charge (if you have ordered expensive wines, for example, which are already subject to a high mark-up) but be ready for consternation from the management. In metropolitan bars and cafés the staff may give you your change on a tray, hinting that donations are welcome. In pubs, the terminology of tipping is to say, ‘and a drink for yourself’ in which case the price of a drink will be added into the total for the round.

Telephoning

Hotels are shameless at racking up the phone charges, defending themselves by saying that they publicize their price per unit charges. Some will even charge you for using your own charge card for calls.Public call boxes are plentiful, accepting coins, phonecards or credit cards (minimum call charge for the latter is 50p). For calls within Britain, dial the zero before the area code. To call Britain from the US, dial 011 44, then the number, dropping the initial zero.

Public holidays

England and Wales: 1 January; Good Friday; Easter Monday; first Monday after 1 May; last Monday in May; last Monday in August; 25 and 26 December. Scotland: 1 and 2 January; 25 December; plus assorted local public holidays.