Favourite Hotels?

[DTCwordfan]

Leading on from the Claridges thread, what are your favourite hotels, say two or three in the UK/Ireland and two from overseas (one Europe one elsewhere?). Do say why....

It may help build a wee reference for ABers travelling or wanting somewhere special for celebrations.

I'll start:

UK: Yorke Arms in Nidderdale (Leeds Harrogate), fab location in great country, wonderful food and ever so comfy.

Ireland - Marfield House in Gorey (60 miles S of Dublin), beautiful country house, comfy rooms and great food. The owner is as nuts as gness!
http://www.marlfieldhouse.com/ - another candidate for country comfort and food is the Peat Inn in Fife, http://www.thepeatinn.co.uk/

EU - The Amstel, Amsterdam, beautiful old "railway" feel hotel (but not) over the river, lovely rooms and fab bathrooms - very attentive service without being fawning......nice bar and café too and one of the best NL restaurants (though that's pricey) - a special treat is to take their launch
http://amsterdam.intercontinental.com/

New Zealand - Kauri Cliffs. The pics don't do it justice! Beautiful and wonderful food wine and service. http://www.kauricliffs.com/

[DTCwordfan]

done that in my time in Scotland and other countries...when I was younger. A tickled trout cooked on a wood fire....

[FredPuli43]

Dublin: The Shelbourne Old fashioned service, discreet, unobtrusive, very agreeable old building with an ancient bar where Irish literary types used to meet

Antibes/ Juan les Pins. The Belles Rives. 1930's Art Deco hotel, a favourite of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Has a fabulous setting on the bay in Juan. A small hotel with an intimate feel to it; no great marble foyers or vast check in desks about a mile from the entrance. Service is personal, unobtrusive and 5 star. And it's owned by a family, not some faceless chain.

England. Barely any, but the Chester Grosvenor is pretty good. Rather a grand building on The Rows, all chandeliers and vast staircases,. Staff are excellent, make a point of remembering your name and , again, are very efficient and unobtrusive.

[DTCwordfan]

Agree, Fred, or the Merion in Dublin......

Have stayed at the Grosvenor a few times - used to prefer the old rooms (suites) in the Crabwall Manor...(and cheaper). Just trying to remember the name of the Italian restaurant in old Church buildings towards the Crown Courts in Chester......

[DTCwordfan]

and the Grosvenor, if only they could put candles or paraffin lamps on their Bistro café, it would add so much warmth to a great room!

[ethandron]

Paparazzi

[DTCwordfan]

thanks ethandron, not a bad eating place - was taken there the night of 9-11 when I was across from the States (with two US colleagues) and they were amazing when they heard we were "stranded".