15/11/2009

I usually end up staying at high-end hotels due to work.  When I got to Bristol, I was unsure as to whether I was going to be able to get into a hotel that I would like.  (For those that don't know, Bristol is about 1.5 hrs west of London by train.)  The client ended up recommending this hotel and I decided to follow through with the suggestion, and boy am I impressed!

This is one of those 'modern hotels', and one of the really nice things is (as of 2009 November at least) free Internet!  While I haven't stayed in too many hotels in the UK, at the ones I did stay at always had a fee for having Internet access unless it was part of a room upgrade.

First things, I believe all of these hotels have an iMac setup in every single room.  This is kinda neat as I knew about it before I got here, but I wasn't sure if it was 'really' going to work as a television and all the other little features we expect from our typical hotel experiences.  Well, I will say that having an iMac definitely opens up the possibilities!  Being able to surf the Internet without pulling out your own computer is nice.  Bring your DVDs as it will play them without hindrance.  Also, a nice feature at this hotel (I don't know if other locations are the same...) is that they also have a DVD library at the front desk.  Albeit a limited selection and mostly older movies and some classics, it's still a nice thing to know about and be able to take advantage of.

The room decor is nice, a bit Scandinavian-ish design for pragamatic and minimalistic uses, but all in all its a nice room to be staying in.  Decent bed and enough room to feel like you have some space.  I found that my bathroom isn't the roomiest, but most hotels in the UK and Europe tend to be this way.  More of a comment than a complaint...

The attached restaurant, City Cafe, is also quite nice.  Their buffet isn't ultra extensive like other big name hotels, but this is by no means skimpy and most people should be able to get what they would like for a morning meal.  It's also relatively close to the major shopping areas which is convenient if you have forgotten something, or just want to partake in the local retail economic activites.  About a 10-20 minuted walk depending on the route you take.

For a business hotel at about 75-90 GBP/night, I am definintely impressed and am happy with my stay.  If ever I have to return to Bristol, this is the hotel that I will be staying at.

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