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Apex City of London Hotel (London)
by laukez
We wanted to stay somewhere in central London that was value for money, and found this brilliant hotel for only £69 per night. This was in December 2008, so we didn't expect any decent hotels so close to Christmas to be so cheap. While this hotel is a little out of the way of main attractions it is close to the Tower of London, and to ... Tower Bridge and easily accessible by bus and tube.
The rooms were excellent, with brilliant facilities. Good hospitality tray with the usual tea, coffee and biscuits and good quality bottled water. The bathroom in particular was great, with a massive walk-in shower. The beds were comfortable, and there was a choice of pillows which is great for anyone as fussy as me! While we didn't get breakfast included in the room rate there are plenty places nearby, including a Pret-a-Manger on the same street and others such as All Bar One and Wetherspoons close by for better value food than the hotel. The view of Tower Bridge from the local Wehterspoons is special!
Having visited London many times I can say this is the best hotel I have stayed in, and didn't want to leave when our two nights was up!
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Crewe Hall (Cheshire)
by flodombey
I recently stayed at this very grand hotel for a conference and was overwhelmed with the quality of the venue, of its business facilities and of the service we received, I have stayed in many hotels for similar events, across the country and I would honestly say that this is among the top 3. ...
Location
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The location of this hotel is one of the main reasons we chose it for our conference as we were expecting delegates from across the Midlands and the north. This hotel is a five minute drive from junction 16 of the M6 if you head towards Crewe. It is very easy to find and well signposted, I used my sat nav but could have managed without it using the hotels own directions.
Set in massive grounds and with plenty of parking, you turn off the main road onto a long sweeping drive lined with shrubs and trees, I thought it felt like you were driving into a Jane Austen novel, it makes for a very romantic and dramatic feeling arrival.
Building / Check In
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I followed the signs for conference parking which took me round to the back of the hotel where the brand new Events Centre has been built which adjoins the original and very grand 17th Century building housing the main hotel. From the outside the older part looks like a country esatate and it is quite massive and grandiose. They have tried to blend the newer building in but to be honest it is quite obviously new and sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb against the original, historic parts of the hotel.
The Events Centre contains a whole suite of conferencing facilties, meeting and presentation rooms, a restaurant and bar and a wing of brand new rooms which look onto a central courtyard garden area.
To check in I had to walk back round the front of the hotel to the main and very grand looking entrance. On going under the large archway into the main lobby and reception area the feeling of walking into a romantic novel is reinforced, a marble floor and pillars around the outside of a square room bordered by a very grand looking dark wood staircase frame the check in desk. Gigantic portraits adorn the walls and everywhere you turn their are antiquities like suits of armour and throne type chairs. David Dickinson would probably have a coronary with excitement!
The check in staff were friendly and efficient (and evidently used to people staring round open mouthed at the surrounings!) and told me that my room was in the new wing (no 419) through in the events centre which they directed me to via an adjoining corridor.
Rooms
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On reaching my room I was very impressed. It has to be one of the swankiest feeling hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. My room was on the ground floor with large windows overlooking the garden courtyard which let in tons of light. A queen size bed dominated the room with a very contemporary feature headboard built in over it. Spotlights and down lighters were everywhere and meant that you could adjust the lighting to exactly how you wanted it.
A large flat screen TV was on an expensive looking sideboard along the length of the room as well as a dressing table and a large wardrobe which contained an ironing board and iron (a godsend at these kind of events). The bathroom had a gigantic walk in shower (one of the most powerful showers I have ever been in), a full size bath and a large sink area. The bathroom was about as big as my kitchen at home!
The room also contained a table and two easy chairs under the window, a small fridge (empty sadly) and coffee and tea making facilities. I was very pleased with the 2 full length mirrors which as any woman will tell you are another essential in any decent hotel room.
Everything was spotless and the furniture felt new and of a high quality. It is also worth noting that wi-fi was available in the room (for a small fee payable at reception, I believe it was £5 for a 24 hour pass) and the TV had a number of satellite channels as well as various pay-per-view options.
Conferencing
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This really is an excellent venue for conferencing. Purpose built rooms for meetings and presentations, large networking areas and top spec technological support mean that everything went very smoothly for us. It is very well thought out in terms of layout too, toilets close to refreshment areas and all mod cons, plenty of ad hoc seating areas and wi-fi throughout. You cannot fault their investment in this brand new wing.
Staff were faultless and we had no complaints whatsoever, quiet and courteous, they were perfectly attentive and polite, handling enquiries and requests and co-ordinating all the catering and comfort breaks with ease.
Leisure Facilities
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Linked to the back of the new Events Centre is the Spa & Fitness centre which contains a pool, a very modern and well equipped gym and a set of rooms for spa treatments including a spa bath, steam room and sauna. They offer a full compliment of massage and therapies as well as beaty treatments like manicures and pedicures. I did not personally use these facilities but a number of our delegates did and had nothing but praise for them and for the dedicated staff.
Food & Restaurants
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Nearly every person I spoke to after our conference raved about the quality of the food. We had a three course meal served for our party of around 30 in The Sheridan Lounge which is a grand dining room in the old part of the original building. Apparently George V and Queen Mary once dined there as guests of Lord Crewe and it certainly feels like a room fit for a King!
The food was indeed excellent and again the service was second to none with all tables served quickly and nobody left waiting more than a few seconds. I had a tomato soup to start, chicken in a white wine sauce for a main and an absolutely exquisite miniature individual apple crumble with custard flavour ice cream for dessert. Very tasty indeed.
During the day our lunch was buffet style from the Brasserie Bar & Restaurant in the new wing. Again the food was of a high quality with an extensive fresh salad table, soups and cold meats, a number of hot options and a dessert fridge. Nobody left hungry or disappointed!
Drinks did verge on the expensive side and this was most notable in the evening after the wine with dinner had run out. A glass of wine was around the £6 mark and a pint of beer around £4. However, to my mind these prices are what I would expect to pay in such a hotel as this.
Prices
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I was unaware of the cost of the rooms as I stayed as part of a conference where the rooms were already paid for. However, having checked on the website it would seem that rooms start from around:
Standard Double: £87 pppn
Deluxe Double: £102 pppn
Double Feature Room: £112 pppn
These are for mid week stays and prices rise at the weekends. The 'Feature Rooms' are the ones in the old part of the building and have period features and four poster beds.
Overall
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I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough from a conferencing and business point of view. They are totally professional and highly organised and ensured that our event went without a single hitch. I would not hesitate to use them again for future events and in fact some of our delegate feedback was so positive that we are already considering using them on an annual basis for the same event.
I would also not hesistate to stay here as a non-business guest and I think this would be a wonderful venue for a weekend retreat or a spa break. The staff are attentive and courteous and the rooms are plush and comfortable. It may be a more expensive choice but I do think that in this hotel you most definitely get what you pay for.
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