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Hotel suggestions - other than London

Posted by (Seattle, WA) on

Hello again, mates.

Looking for hotel suggestion for May 2027. Our preferences run to 3 or 4 star hotels, quaint, with proper breakfasts and with queen-size beds (or larger). Our itinerary includes:

  • Cambridge (3 nights) (LATE NOTE - now covered; a different Hilton, a little further out but still walking distance to city centre.)
  • Bakewell, or nearby (3 nights) (LATE NOTE - now covered: Ashford Arms in Ashford in the Water)
  • Stratford Upon Avon (3 nights) (LATE NOTE - Cat’s suggestion was not available all three nights and, for better or worse, I’ve decided on Hotel du Vin)
  • Salisbury (1 night) (LATE NOTE - we’re going with Marco’s suggestion of the Chapter House.)
  • Royal Tunbridge Wells, or nearby (3 nights) (LATE NOTE - now covered: Camden Arms in Pembury.)

We anticipate using public transport for the first three. We hope to travel by car from Bath to Salisbury to Tunbridge Wells and around Kent.

We have accommodation planning elsewhere covered (London, Lake Dist., Cotswolds and Bath)

As ever, thanks for your thoughts and consideration.

Posted by
13507 posts

fred, the only one I can really help you with is Bakewell, and I really can't help you with that one, since I stayed in Castleton.

But I have had a lot of success, especially in England, in going to Google Maps, finding the town, then doing a search under the "Nearby" feature for hotels and looking at some of them. I check all the reviews and so on, but there are some nice ones that have pretty decent reviews in the Bakewell area, so you might just want to take a look at them.

I don't know that you're going to find a whole lot of information on this forum. Not that many people go to The Peak, unfortunately.

Posted by
12603 posts

What is your budget, per night, in £, ?

For instance in the Peak District it would be easy to suggest one of the three hotels on the Chatsworth Estate, such as the Pilsley Inn (the Devonshire Arms, as was) but all are £££ so may be beyond budget.
And Pilsley is served by the Sheffield/Chesterfield to Bakewell buses, so has a half hourly service.

Posted by
1840 posts

We really liked the Arden in Stratford upon Avon- great location and very nice hotel.

Posted by
91 posts

Here are some 4-star hotels in central Cambridge. Since I live here, I haven't stayed in any of them but I have had good meals (dinner, lunch or afternoon tea) in the asterisked ones:

  • Clayton, Station Road*
  • University Arms, Regent Street
  • Hilton, Downing Street
  • Graduate by Hilton, Granta Place*
  • Wilde Aparthotels, Park Street
  • Varsity, Thompson's Lane*

Cambridge isn't very big but, of these hotels, the Clayton is by the station about a mile from the centre. The others are in the centre. The Graduate has an attractive location by the river and the Varsity has a great view from the restaurant and rooftop bar, but they would all be equally convenient for wandering around town.

Posted by
1068 posts

Budget is a good Q. Maybe £200 - £300 or $270 -$400 (USD). Of course, less is nice, but 2 star accommodations are far, far behind in our rear view mirror. Often, we prefer 3 stars to 4.

The emphasis is charm and a nice breakfast, a good bed and quirky is great.

We don’t need an exercise room or equipment. We will be cycling at least 8 days overall and hopefully as many as 11 days during our 30-day trip … and we’ll walk plenty when not on the saddle.

I fear our Cotswold and Bath nights will be running us more £££, but the self-guided e-bike tour there is a package deal and we’re apparently splurging for the tour we’ve selected, based on vendor reviews, itinerary and our “bespoke” requirements. Fortunately, the Lake District e-bike tour is considerably less per diem; not much more than 1/2 the price.

David, Cat & Stuart, thanks for your suggestions here, as well to Cat and Stuart for many past suggestions in planning what looks like a very promising visit to your isle.

LATE NOTE - Stuart, the Pilsley and Devonshire, both connected to Chatsworth Estate, seem to be non-refundable reservations - definitely a deal breaker when reserving 6+ months out. And so, we’re going with Ashford Arms in Ashford-in-the-Water.

Also, I am surprised to see a relative lack of attractive and yet reasonably priced lodgings in Kent near Tunbridge Wells and also in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

(There are some attractive looking lodgings elsewhere in Kent (or Sussex), on the coast near in/near Brighton & Rye, Margate, & Elmley Nature Reserve, as well as on the Isle of Wight, that I find on https://www.i-escape.com/, a UK-based source that I’ve used before with good luck for charming finds in Spain and in Prague.)

Posted by
743 posts

The emphasis is charm and a nice breakfast, a good bed and quirky is great.

In Salisbury, take a look at the Chapter House. It’s a historic building, several hundred years old, it’s right by the cathedral, has lots of charm and creaky floors. I don’t remember the breakfast, but other eggs I don’t like English breakfast at all.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DdqVo845gKyXV63j6?g_st=ic

Posted by
102 posts

No lack of attractive OR reasonably priced hotels in SUA.
Try the Hotel Indigo Stratford Upon Avon by IHG,
Crowne Plaza by IHG,
The Pen And Parchment,
The White Swan,
Hotel Du Vin,
and that's just a start.

Posted by
2110 posts

I wouldn’t have any qualms about the Hotel du Vin Fred. I haven’t stayed at the one in Stratford-on-Avon but I have in a few others. I wouldn’t call them quaint (but then I wouldn’t really use that word anyway), but they all have individual character, the breakfasts will be good and they are a reliable brasserie option in the evenings with of course very good wine lists.

Posted by
8902 posts

We too enjoyed The Arden Hotel in Stratford Upon Avon. We did have a vehicle and the free parking came in handy.

I’ve stayed at a Hotel Du Vin in Cheltenham and it was nice. Haven’t stayed at any others.

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