hotel

Barbara Bacilieri, who served as a flight attendant for 14 years, shares travel guidance and knowledge with her 5.1m TikTok followers and 2.9m YouTube subscribers

A flight attendant has disclosed why holidaymakers should position their suitcase in the hotel bathtub and place a shoe on top of the safe upon checking into a room. Barbara Bacilieri, who served as a flight attendant for 14 years, shares guidance and insider knowledge with her 5.1m TikTok followers and 2.9m YouTube subscribers.

She recently urged tourists to leave their luggage in the bathtub immediately upon arrival, instead of setting it down on the bed or carpet. She told creatorzine.com: “Place your suitcase in the hotel bathtub before opening it. Leave it there, closed, while you inspect the room.”

While it may appear an odd location to keep a suitcase, the guidance aims to minimise the risk of transporting unwanted stowaways back home.

“Bed bugs are a very serious problem, and they can sneak into your luggage and come back home with you,” Barbara warned. Bedbugs can lurk in mattresses, bed frames and upholstered furniture, and may crawl into luggage positioned close by.

Placing a suitcase in the bathtub allows travellers sufficient time to examine the room before unpacking their possessions. The hard surface also prevents luggage from being placed directly on fabric-covered spots where the insects might be concealed.

Barbara, 34, recognised online as Barbie Bac, advised: “Look at the mattress seams, headboard and luggage rack. “If you find insects or suspicious signs, keep your bag closed and inform reception to request a room change.”

Another tip concerns the hotel safe, where guests typically store passports, cash, jewellery and other valuables throughout their stay. Barbara’s suggestion is to use a shoe as a prompt to remember to check the safe before departing.

“If you put your passport in the safe, put one shoe inside and leave the other right by the door. This shoe will remind you to check the safe,” she said.

The concept is to create a visual cue that’s virtually impossible to miss when it’s time to leave. A guest preparing to check out will require both shoes before exiting the room, prompting them to collect the one stashed inside the safe.

This should encourage them to open the safe and verify they’ve retrieved everything inside before heading off. Barbara also outlined a range of packing and travel tips gained from her years working as a flight attendant.

Before handing over a bag for check-in, she advises photographing it from multiple angles. “Take pictures of your bag before handing it in. A full picture of the bag, and another of the wheels, handles and corners.

“This way you will have a reference for its condition if they return it damaged,” she said. She also recommended photographing the baggage claim tag and storing the original alongside your passport.

“Upon receiving your bag, inspect it before leaving the airport. If it appears broken, take pictures, notify the airline and keep the report number,” Barbara explained.

She added that photographs can assist with documentation but offer no guarantee of compensation, and advised verifying what travel insurance covers in relation to luggage.

She emphasised the importance of identification inside the bag itself. “The outer card may tear and get lost. Leave another identification card inside the bag where it is easy to see when it is opened.

“Name, phone number with country code, and email address. A contact person you can get in touch with during the trip,” she said. When packing liquids, she advised taking extra precautions.

“Shampoo may leak even if the cap is closed, so keep it in a tightly sealed bag away from clothes. Do the same with other products that may spill. If anything leaks, the bag can contain it and save you from having to wash half the bag,” she explained.

She also proposed making use of the space inside shoes: “Put the socks inside the shoe. If you are carrying perfume, keep it tightly closed and protected inside a bag before putting it away.”

Slippers, she noted, ought to be covered with a transparent plastic cover or shower cap so they don’t come into contact with clean clothing. She takes an empty bag for practical purposes.

“This may be helpful if you encounter a problem when checking in. You may have to rearrange your bag because it is overweight. Upon returning, use it for dirty clothes,” she said.

She reuses her packing list when departing the hotel and sets a particular alarm. “Set an alarm to remind you what needs to be checked. The charger, the safe, the documents. This name is more useful to you than an alarm clock that rings but says nothing.

“Set it a few minutes before leaving the hotel. When it rings, check everything before turning it off,” she said.

Barbara, who hails from Argentina and is based in Spain, has amassed a substantial online following by sharing travel tips and offering insights into life as cabin crew.

Her videos span everything from the day-to-day realities of working aboard an aircraft to practical methods passengers can use to make their journeys smoother.

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WHEN you picture Wetherspoons, you probably think of cheap pints, even cheaper food, colourful carpets, and a lively Friday night.

But your night out at Spoons doesn’t have to end with an expensive taxi home – with dozens of hotels across the UK and Ireland, the budget pub chain is quietly offering some of the best value city breaks around.

I headed to Dublin to see exactly what a night spent in a Spoons hotel really entails.

Spoiler alert: this particular Spoons hotel feels like staying overnight in a museum, and the rooms are nicer than you might think.

There are 56 Wetherspoons hotels across the UK and Ireland, so I decided to try out a stay at Keaven’s Port, a unique convent-turned-hotel in Dublin.

Keaven’s Port sits on Camden Street, which is where you’ll find crowds of locals out for drinks in Dublin – away from the expensive pints of Temple Bar.

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This well-positioned pub hotel puts you on the same street as popular nightclub The Camden, which you’ll find buzzing on the weekends.

And as for daytime sightseeing, here you’re only a 20-minute walk from popular attractions like Dublin Castle and Trinity College.

Wetherspoons are known for repurposing unique historic buildings including former opera houses, corn exchanges and banks.

Not only does this guarantee some decent square footage for all those restaurant tables (as well as a prime spot in the town centre) but it makes for a pretty unique overnight stay.

This one I found to be particularly unique. Keaven’s Port hotel is made up of eight old Georgian townhouses as well as a chapel.

The collection of buildings used to belong to Ireland’s Little Sisters of the Assumption, a convent established in the 1890’s.

Now, the chapel has been restored and is part of the bar and restaurant area. I must admit, sitting in a confession booth under stained glass with a bowl of chips and a pint is a tad surreal.

Getting to the rooms takes weaving through a series of corridors and lounge areas, each of which are packed with historical artefacts that made this stay feel more like a trip to the museum.

Lining the walls were old dresses and textiles, painted portraits and more belonging to historic residents of Camden Street Upper, as well as information boards telling you all about the history of the building.

One lounge area sees a giant Guinness-style harp, cosy sofas and a chessboard, while another sees antique furniture, Renaissance paintings and a collection of battered books packed with fascinating old stories.

After making your way out of the maze, you’ll reach the main bar and restaurant area (which thankfully has its own entrance, too).

Everything about the restaurant screams Spoons – tiled floors, a very long bar, plenty of high tables with stools as well as booths and larger tables for groups.

Just when you think there’s more than enough space, a spiral staircase decorated with mirrors leads you down to an even larger restaurant, as well as courtyard for the summer beer garden months.

We all know Spoons pubs in the UK offer some great-value deals on food and drink, but can you get good value over in pricy Dublin?

It turns out you can. An Irish spice bag with a soft drink costs €10.50 (£8.86), and a small cooked breakfast is an unbelievable €2.95 (£2.49).

You can grab a pint of Abbott for €2.60 (£2.19), wine by the glass starts from €4.30 (£3.63), and cocktail pitchers from €9.95 (£8.39).

A hot drink will only set you back €1.70 (£1.43), and it’s free refills from then on all day.

But what are the rooms like? Once you make it out of the busy bar area through to the elevators, the noise of the bar soon disappears.

If I’m totally honest, I went in expecting a cramped room with stained furniture and some strange marks on the walls.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw when I stepped in.

First of all, these rooms are very spacious. The large double bed had crisp white sheets, and there was plenty of room surrounding it to open up your suitcase.

The spacious desk was laid with the usual tea and coffee facilities. Here you also get posh shortbread biscuits and water cartons decorated with pictures of Irish poet W.B. Yeats (I kept mine as a souvenir).

The bathrooms were pretty glam too with black marble, a large mirror and a surprisingly spacious tub and shower. All in all, not at all bad for the price point.

Inspired by the local history, I did a bit of my own research. Namely, I wanted to know, who actually was St Keaven?

The name supposedly comes from St. Kevin, a sixth-century Christian hermit and saint, with a church named after him in nearby Camden Row.

Little is known about the Irish saint, other than that he appears in Seamus Heaney’s poetry and that he is associated with the glacial valley of Glendalough in nearby County Wicklow.

If you fancy, you can actually take a day trip from Dublin city centre into Glendalough to walk beside its glacial lakes with Wild Rover Tours (from €43). If you want to see some of Ireland’s rolling green hills and sparkling lakes away from the city, I’d highly recommend giving it a try.

But if you’d rather stay in the centre and make the most of the cheap pints in the bar below your room, it’s a great place for pre-drinks before rocking up to The Camden.

Rooms start from €86 (£72) per night, or £36pp based on two sharing. Click here to book.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

AS rooms with a view go, my vista from the seventh floor of Gary Neville’s Hotel Football is hard to beat.

Well, for a Manchester United fan anyway.

From here I can almost reach out and touch the legendary Old Trafford, aka The Theatre of Dreams.

It’s a shivers-down-your-spine moment for me and my lad Reggie, who often make the trip to follow our team — but never in such style.

Usually, we’re forced to leg it from the stadium to be squashed into a tram in order to make the train back down south.

This weekend, we’re not in a rush as there’s no game on, but that’s why we’re here.

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On non-match days, footie fans can nose about the stadium, which has sat on this site since 1910 and holds just over 74,000 fans.

Enjoy it while it lasts. United plan to build a new 100,000-seat stadium — just a David Beckham free-kick away — by 2035.

For around £30 you can spin round the museum and visit the Reds’ trophy room, giving a glimpse of past glories.

It also tells the club’s story from its Newton Heath beginnings, through the Busby Babes and the Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Treble winners.

You can walk along the edge of the new, state-of-the-art “hybrid” pitch (96 per cent grass, four per cent artificial fibres), relaid this summer for the first time in 14 years, and sit in the dugout.

You also get access to the dressing rooms and plush directors’ box.

The guided tour lasts around 70 minutes and takes in the players’ tunnel, too.

We filled our faces back at the hotel in Cafe Football, where classic pub grub — fish n’ chips, burgers, pizzas and salads — is on the menu.

It’s decent enough to fill a hole and portions are immense (the loaded fries are enough for eleven players and a few subs).

It has a well-stocked bar where you can sink a few pints while you watch whatever game is showing.

While the theme of the hotel is football — did you guess? — it’s not limited to United.

The brightly-lit dining room — not a spot for romance — is decorated with photos of players as diverse as Peter Crouch and Kevin Keegan.

Upstairs, the rooms are perfectly comfortable, as befits a four-star hotel that’s part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio.

We had one of the fancier ones, which was dedicated to United’s Class of ’92 players, like Gary Neville and his Hotel Football co-owners Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Philip Neville, who opened the hotel in 2015.

It’s a cute touch and will delight young fans.

The compact bathroom squeezed in a bath and a rainforest shower.

My only gripe was that the pillows were too big, so I woke up with a stiff neck and a new double chin.

Up on the roof is Heaven, a five-a-side pitch with views across Old Trafford and the city, which can be booked for kickabouts and parties.

And if anyone needs a break from football, the Imperial War Museum North is close by, with The Lowry arts centre just across the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays.

On paper, Hotel Football looks a bit out of the way if you’re planning to be in the centre of town (it’s a 15-minute tram ride from Piccadilly).

But for us, the United faithful, it’s definitely worth a schlep.

Former Sale second row Hyron Andrews has died at his Johannesburg Lions’ team hotel before their Champions Cup match at La Rochelle on Saturday.

A statement from SA Rugby stated that his death had been an “accident” and that the 31-year-old had “died after a fall”.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Hyron,” said Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli.

“He was not only a gifted rugby player, but also a cherished member of our Lions family having recently joined us this season.

“On behalf of our chairman, Mr Altmann Allers, the board and everyone at the Lions, I extend our deepest sympathies to [Andrews’ wife] Maighlin, their young sons Hendrix and Emerson and the entire Andrews family.

“We stand with them in their sorrow and will remember Hyron with great affection and respect.”

The Lions will fulfil their fixture against La Rochelle, which kicks off at 17:30 BST, in Andrews’ honour, while a moment’s silence will be observed at all the opening round’s fixtures.

“This is terrible and distressing news; our hearts go out to Hyron’s family and the whole Lions rugby community,” said Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.

“There are no words to adequately convey our shock and the depth of sympathy we feel for his wife Maighlin, and for his extended family, friends, team-mates and loved ones during this time of immense sorrow.

“His untimely passing is a devastating loss, and we share in the grief of all who knew and loved him.”

Andrews left Sale in the summer to return to his native South Africa. He made 45 appearances for the club after arriving in February 2024 from the Durban-based Sharks as injury cover for England international lock Jonny Hill.

“Hyron was just a brilliant guy and a brilliant team-mate,” said Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson.

“He was so skilled on the field but off it, he was always someone you would want to have a beer with.

“He was funny and charismatic in his own unique, dry way and the lads, to a man, loved playing with him and being around him.

“It was a big move for Hyron and his wife Maighlin to come to England, but he truly made a second home in Manchester. It was incredible to see how he and his family embraced the club and area.

“Most importantly, he was a loving husband to Maighlin and a doting father to his two gorgeous boys. It was an absolute privilege to get to know him and it’s just absolutely devastating for everyone.”

While he was yet to earn senior international honours, Andrews had represented the Junior Springboks in 2015.

Andrews’ death comes 10 years on from the sudden death of Munster coach Anthony Foley in Paris before a Champions Cup fixture.

Foley, 42, died in his sleep on the eve of a match against Racing 92 after a heart condition caused fluid to build up in his lungs.

Munster’s present-day players will wear commemorative tops, featuring the Munster club crest and Foley’s shirt number eight as part of their pre-match routine at their match against Racing on Saturday.

The Lions, who play their home matches at Ellis Park, are making their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition, with South African sides introduced into the continental competition in the 2022-23 season.

They have won two of their first three matches in the United Rugby Championship so far this season, including beating defending champions Leinster in their first game of their campaign.

FANCY a stay inside a haunted hotel this Halloween? Consider a night at Ettington Park in Stratford Upon Avon.

The property is home to so many ghosts that the AA declared it to be the most haunted hotel in the country, with plenty of ghostly sightings by guests.

Ettington Park’s roots go all the way back to the time of William the Conqueror, and as many as 21 ghosts are said to wander its corridors.

Guests and staff have reported sightings of a woman standing by their bed, floating candles and even taps turning on on their own.

One of the most commonly sighted ghosts is Lady Emma in White, who is believed to be a former governess – she wears a long white gown and vanishes into solid walls.

An older Victorian woman has also been seen and heard walking near the conservatory, while others have seen the ghost of a man walking with his dog inside the library.

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One member of staff even claimed that on Christmas Eve, a candle lifted up off the mantelpiece and floated by itself.

The Long Gallery on the top floor has a vaulted ceiling and is said to be one of the eeriest parts of the building.

Lots of guests have taken to social media after their stay to reveal their experience, with one writing on Facebook: “I woke in the night feeling rather cold and was hit by a feeling of pure fear. It felt like someone was leaning over me and so close I couldn’t move .

“The room was completely black but I was totally convinced someone was there. I don’t know how long I lay terrified before I screamed.”

Another said that during their stay they woke up in the middle of the night to find the taps running and had to “sleep with the lights on all night.”

Talking to The Sun, another guest said that he woke and was laying in bed when he saw a light under the door.

When he opened it, he “saw this woman standing there, screaming, but there was no sound. I was really freaked out.”

The hotel is tied closely to The Shirleys, one of Warwickshire’s oldest families and has owned Ettington for many years.

There’s evidence that people have been living in the area for at least 2,000 years and that it’s possible a Roman villa once existed on the site of the Ettington Park Hotel.

Next door is a private chapel with a graveyard and tombs, ancient headstones and a pet cemetery.

The hotel even featured in the 1963 film ‘The Haunting’ which follows a small group who spend several nights in a sinister, isolated mansion to investigate whether it is truly haunted.

Aside from its hauntings, visitors describe the hotel as incredibly beautiful and it’s a popular wedding venue too.

If you fancy a stay and perhaps a glimpse of a ghost, the hotel has a variety of rooms from superior to feature and classic.

Meals are served in the grand Drawing Room which has tapestries and enormous windows with views of the grounds.

Afternoon tea is popular too and starts from £29 per adult.

The hotel even has its own spa with a huge swimming pool, hot tub and treatments too from manicures to massage.

Classic rooms start from £125 per night.

A father whose two-year-old boy fell to his death at a five-star hotel in Cyprus has been fined 3,000 euro (£2,500).

Joshua Foster thought the window was closed when he placed the boy on a sill to show him the view of a waterpark and “lost control” of him, Paphos District Court previously heard.

The boy fell nearly 40ft (12.1m) from the fourth floor of the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort on 12 July, the first day of the family’s holiday in Chlorakas.

Foster, 37, from Essex, admitted causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act and was sentenced on Friday morning.

He held back tears as his sentence was handed down by the judge, before hugging his lawyer and parents.

Foster had lifted his son on to the windowsill to show him the view of a water park, the court in Cyprus was previously told.

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The surge in soccer fans this summer was bad for some businesses in Los Angeles.

World Cup host cities had lofty economic expectations for the summer tournament. But the city’s hotels only got a 1% bump in occupancy, according to a report published this week by Hospitality Education and Research Organization, a project of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles.

Seventy-two percent of surveyed hotels said the tournament hurt their 2026 finances, and 48% called the impact “extremely negative.” Just 2% said it met projections.

Downtown occupancy reached 66% in June, down from 71% a year earlier, the report says. Room nights fell between 10% and 12%.

Hotel guests at the Metropole restaurant just opposite the main lobby at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles in May.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Ahead of World Cup tournaments, FIFA holds large blocks of rooms. But FIFA canceled or released up to 70% of the hotel room blocks it had reserved in host cities, including Los Angeles.

“We understood that we were maybe going to be disappointed with attendance going into the World Cup simply by the volume of cancellations that came out of the room block agreement,” said Jackie Filla, president and CEO of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles.

The disappointing turnout led to staff reductions. Of the hotels surveyed 82% reduced seasonal staff and more than six in 10 reported reducing employee shifts, scheduled hours, or permanent staff.

Hotels did raise prices, with the average daily rate hitting $228, the highest of any comparable L.A. event in three years. But occupancy was 71%, well below the 83% recorded during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

A visitor walks in the lobby of the Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The survey drew 58 responses from 210 hotels, and the analysis was done by travel-data firm Rove using CoStar and AirDNA data. International visitors were also scarce, with Los Angeles welcoming 700,000 international arrivals in June and July — roughly 80,000 visitors below 2024 levels for the same period, the report says.

“We particularly didn’t see a lot of foreign visitors and that’s something that was disappointing,” Filla said. “Foreign visitors do spend three times the amount of money as the average domestic traveler.”

Short-term rentals, meanwhile, gained. Their demand rose 23% and revenue 21% versus July 2024, while hotel revenue fell 3.3%. Airbnb, the tournament’s official fan accommodation, offered new hosts $750 incentives.

The city is currently weighing a temporary proposal to ease its short-term rental rules through the end of 2028 to accommodate tourists. “That will really, truly undercut the business of hotels,” Filla added. “We saw some of that with the World Cup.”

The worry is carrying over to the Olympic Games, set to be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028. Six in 10 surveyed hoteliers expect an Olympic rental surge to hurt their bookings and rates, the report says.

The World Cup “gave us false hope to recover from a negative year,” one Los Angeles hotelier said, according to the report. “I also feel [the] same thing will probably happen for [the] Super Bowl and Olympics.”

They said the hotel was dirty and food on the all-inclusive trip was undercooked. They also claimed to see faeces in the swimming pool on more than one occaision

A family say their £4,000 holiday was ruined by a “filthy” hotel which left their five-year-old on antibiotics. Samantha Smithson, 34, and husband Dion Hart, 31, took their two children – aged two and five- and Samantha’s parents away to Tunisia in August.

But when they arrived at their hotel on August 10, they were apparently put in a room that had just a double, which Samantha shared with the children, and a single bed, which Dion took. The couple also claim they found exposed cabling, wobbly balcony railings, a smashed light, and a shower tray that did not drain inside the room.

They said the hotel was dirty and food on the all-inclusive trip was undercooked, so they shelled out around £500 extra buying food from outside the hotel. They claimed to notice faeces in the swimming pool twice and alerted staff. Booking provider On The Beach has offered the family a partial refund of £496.

Samantha, an operations manager, from Canterbury, Kent, said: “It was the most horrendous experience. Our room wasn’t safe and I spent the whole week feeling anxious about the kids. I was in tears all the time, it was awful. We just couldn’t wait to get home.

“I do not believe that £496 fairly reflects what our family experienced or the significant difference between the holiday we paid for and the holiday we actually received.”

The family said rubbish was left out, and their towels were dirty. Samantha said the hotel had no air-con in the 40-degree heat. Playground equipment was broken, and the advertised spa and gym were not open, Samantha said.

Their five-year-old has been given antibiotics for 40-degree temperatures and gunky eyes since coming home, and doctors said it was likely caused by dirty water, Samantha said. Samantha and builder Dion booked the holiday, in the Abou Sofiane Sousse hotel and aqua park, through online-travel-agent On The Beach.

Samantha made a complaint on August 17 and on August 25, and was offered a partial refund 28 days later. Samantha, who shared the story on Talk to the Press, said: “It’s just unacceptable to book in more people than they have capacity for, and to take bookings for rooms they don’t have.

“I’m really disappointed that On The Beach didn’t help us at all. We trusted them with our money and have been completely let down. We spent the whole time trying to contact them, but you can’t speak to anyone.

“It was filthy everywhere; it was horrible. Our kids were hungry the whole time because the hotel food we had paid for was so bad, and dangerous.”

A spokesperson for On the Beach said: “We’re sorry that Ms Smithson was disappointed with her hotel stay and we have been in contact directly in an effort to resolve her complaint.

“A partial refund of the hotel cost has been offered and has not yet been accepted.”

Abou Sofiane Sousse Hotel and Aqua Park were contacted for comment.

She was celebrating her 390th birthday but now has a broken back – her family wants to bring her home

A woman has been badly injured after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony while celebrating her 30th birthday on a dream holiday in Greece. Denby McLaren suffered a broken vertebra, multiple broken bones in her foot and other injuries in the fall.

She his now in hospital in Greece, with her family desperate to bring her home to Larkhall, South Lanarkshire. Denby had been enjoying a birthday getaway with her mum.

A fundraiser set up to help get her home said: “No family should ever have to experience something like this, and never in a million years did we imagine we would find ourselves in this position. Denby was on holiday in Greece with her mum, celebrating what should have been a very special milestone – her 30th birthday.

“What should have been a happy time filled with memories has turned into every family’s worst nightmare.”

The fall left Denby with serious injuries and facing a long road to recovery far from home and her loved ones.

The fundraiser adds: “Denby has now spent four days in hospital in Greece, far away from home, her family and the people who love her most. It is impossible to put into words the fear, heartbreak and uncertainty that Denby and our family are experiencing right now.

“In a matter of moments, everything changed, and we are now facing a situation none of us could ever have prepared for. Our biggest wish is simple: we just want to bring Denby home.”

Denby requires specialist repatriation by air ambulance, travelling on a stretcher with medical assistance throughout the journey. But the cost has added further strain to the situation.

The fundraiser said: “We want nothing more than for Denby to be back on home soil, surrounded by her family, where she can receive the ongoing medical care and treatment she needs and begin the long road to recovery with her loved ones by her side.

“Right now, being able to get her home safely is our greatest priority. No one ever expects something like this to happen to someone they love, and the emotional and financial strain has been overwhelming.”

The fundraiser had raised more than £10,700 at the time of writing. The appeal added: “Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean more to us than we could ever explain.

“Every single contribution will help us get one step closer to having Denby safely back with her family, where she belongs.”

Ready for a luxury East London break? Enter our exclusive competition to win a stylish two-night stay at the award-winning Town Hall Hotel, complete with daily breakfast and an exquisite dinner for two at Elis.

Looking for the ultimate East London escape? We’ve teamed up with the award-winning Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green to give one lucky reader and a guest the chance to win a stylish two-night stay, complete with daily breakfast and dinner at the acclaimed Elis .

Housed inside the former Edwardian Bethnal Green Town Hall, this Grade-II listed landmark seamlessly blends grand historic architecture with cutting-edge modern design. Step inside to discover sweeping marble staircases, intricate Art Deco detailing, and a striking glass-and-steel extension—creating a boutique retreat like no other.

Experience the best of East London

Positioned right in the energetic heart of Bethnal Green, Town Hall Hotel is perfectly placed for exploring East London’s vibrant culture from the independent boutiques of Shoreditch, to the iconic Columbia Road Flower Market and historic Brick Lane.

When you’re not out exploring, unwind in the hotel’s breath taking 14-metre indoor heated swimming pool, squeeze in a session at the gym, or relax with a cocktail at the bar.

What you can win:

• A two-night stay for two guests in one of the hotel’s spacious, gallery-like luxury suites (featuring fully equipped kitchens and bespoke interiors).
• Daily breakfast (B&B) to start each morning in style.
• Dinner for two at Elis, where two-Michelin-starred chef Rafael Cagali and his team serve up a relaxed menu inspired by his Brazilian-Italian roots.

For your chance to win simply fill in the form below. if you can’t see the form, click here.

This competition closes on the 15th November.

IF you love fantastic food and hotels that make you feel like you’ve stepped into Pride & Prejudice, we have just the place for you.

Here’s everything you need to know about staying at The George In Rye in East Sussex.

Where is The George in Rye?

Slap bang in the middle of town, you won’t miss The George in Rye – the Georgian House is painted in an easily-spottable salmon pink.

What’s it like?

The Grade II listed building dates back to 1575, welcoming three previous King Georges.

And the hotel has masterfully toed the line of restoring its heritage while modernising just enough.

Think old wooden staircases and low beamed bars next to trendy cocktail menus.

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What are the rooms like?

The exterior of the hotel doesn’t betray the maze of the building which saw me go down stairs, up stairs and through courtyards to find my tucked away room.

Bold pattern wallpapers and vintage furniture were offset by brushed brass lights and DAB radios.

My king-size bed was deliciously sink-into-able, while the lounge area was the best spot for a cup of tea and a biscuit, all complimentary.

The larger rooms – I was staying in their Junior Suite – have roll top baths, so you better believe I hopped straight in, making the most of the free Verbon toiletries.

It even has a tiny outdoor patio and table and chairs for you to have a coffee in the warmer months.

If you’re on a budget, opt for their Cosy Rooms which are more compact but just as gorgeous. Rooms start from £125 a night. See thegeorgeinrye.com.

What is there to eat and drink?

The restaurant is a must, even if you aren’t a guest at the hotel.

The Grill is the epitome of cosiness with deep red walls, low lighting and the perfect level of lo-do music.

And it has a delightfully concise menu – I hate having too many options.

My smoked salmon salsa to start was refreshingly zingy and fresh, and just light enough to line my stomach before devouring their rib eye steak. 

My dessert was the star of the show, with super sweet macerated strawberries offset by kalamata ice cream and marshmallow.

If you want to swap the pudding for a cocktail, The Dragon Bar has a great menu which also includes wines and beers.

Try the drink of the season – a Sarti Spritz – or my favourite, the aptly named Dragon Mojito.

(Come back for breakfast too – my Mimosa and Hastings Kipper went down a treat).

What else is there?

As tempting as it is to stay at the hotel, the town of Rye needs to be explored.

Grab a decadent hot chocolate from Knoops, before walking the cobbles paths of Mermaid Lane, which look straight out of a fairytale.

Beach days aren’t far away either, with Camber Sands beach just down the road too.

Is it family friendly?

The hotel has some rooms that are perfect for kids, with the Luxury Rooms and Junior Suites able to fit kids beds

Is it accessible?

There is an accessible room which can be accessed by the ground floor lift, which can also take you to the ballroom.

However being such an old building, there may be some issues with getting around the rest of the hotel.

A EUROPEAN theme park that is a great Disney alternative has revealed it is opening a grand new hotel in just months.

Park Asterix in France, which is cheaper than Disneyland Paris and is under 19miles from the centre of Paris, is opening a themed hotel for up to 750 guests in March.

Opening on March 26, The Odyssey will be the park’s fourth hotel and boast 301 rooms across four themed sections.

The hotel will have a more “mineral theme”, designed around Asterix’s travels to the Orient.

The hotel will be inspired by caravanserais – typical fortified buildings used as a lodging by merchants and their animals in the likes of Egypt.

The hotel will have four facades surrounding a central courtyard with a number of common areas on the ground floor and bedrooms then on the upper floors.

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In the courtyard, there will be four areas around a central oasis.

Each will be a garden with a different theme including Persian, Phoenician, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian.

And then the interior of each facade will correspond with one of the four themes.

In the Mesopotamia area, for example, there will be different artisans.

Then in the Phoenicia area, the theme will centre around welcoming merchants.

And finally the Egyptian section will transport guests to the banks of the River Nile.

The entire roof of the hotel will then also feature lots of plants.

When it comes to the bedrooms, each will have a double bed that can be separated into two single beds if needed and an alcove with a bunk bed in.

Rooms will be able to host between three and six people.

And if you fancy something a little more lavish, there will be four suites and large terrace on the second floor as well.

The four-star hotel will be twice the size of the other three hotels at the park.

When it comes to dining options, there will be two all-you-can-eat restaurants – La Table des Rois (The Kings’ Table) and La Table Gourmande (The Gourmet Table).

A bar is also in the plans, at the centre of the gardens.

The new hotel was first announced in October last year when the park was also revealed to be the second most visited theme park in France.

And the hotel is part of a wider €250million (£212.6million) investment project to expand the park by 2030.

This year, the park transformed its Egypt area including the re-theming of the Oxygénarium attraction to become The Descent of the Nile.

Les Chaises Volantes then also became The Flight of Ibis and the Le Cirque restaurant became Le Comptoir d’Epidemaïs.

In 2027, the park will also open a new Greek zone with two family attractions, a playground and a restaurant.

And in 2028, there will be a Londinium Zone which will be an indoor area inspired by Asterix in Britain comic books.

Veronica Lorraine , Gardening Editor and Associate Head of Features, who recently visited the park, said: “With more than 50 attractions, there really is a ride for everyone, regardless of age, or fear factor — you definitely need more than one day if you want to get round all of them.

“Disney certainly has the monopoly on world-renowned characters and a blow-out budget to create that real wow factor, all of which seems impossible to compete with — yet somehow Parc Asterix does.

“The tickets are cheaper, the food is better, the shows are spectacular and the rides are a total revelation.

“Add in a sprawling protected countryside backdrop just 30km outside Paris, with three separate hotels within the grounds at very reasonable prices, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

“It’s pure escapism, based all around the cherished world of Asterix — the man who, in famous French comics, protected France from the Romans.”

EUROPE is home to a theme park you might not have heard of, but was named one of the best in the world – and it’s about to get some huge upgrades.

Futuroscope in France is often overlooked by its busier neighbour Disneyland Paris.

Yet earlier this year, it was named one of Europe’s best theme parks by Blooloop and was even dubbed the equivalent to Universal Studios in Europe”.

Celebrating its 40th birthday next year – it opened in 1987 – it has since announced huge new multi-million plans.

Called Vision 2025, the €304million (£260million) masterplan has already included the Aquascope waterpark, three rides and and two themed hotels.

One of the biggest upcoming investments will be a fourth hotel at the park, with a science fiction theme throughout.

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The four-star hotel is currently under construction, with 240 rooms randing from premium to suites.

A 400-seat restaurant, an 120-seat bar and a huge spa area are all part of the plans too.

Guests will be able to access the park directly via a pedestrian bridge when it opens.

An official opening date and prices are yet to be confirmed.

Olivier Héral, Creative Director, said it will be a “spectacular and immersive hotel, designed as a world unto itself, where architecture, scenography and services tell a true story”.

Also new next year will be ATHOS, a new IMAX film at the park’s Kinemax.

The new Dance with the Robots attraction will see 10 robots dancing to music, while others include the illusion show Imagine, Live Show.

But there are also some exciting new additions to the park this year too.

From December 5, the new Magical Nights parade will launch with five floats and 23 artists.

In the mean time, there is still loads of things to do with 40 rides and attractions.

This includes the Aquascope indoor waterpark, which have eight slides and a lazy river with four themed universes – and even an “aquatic cinema”.

One visitor previously said:  “Aquascope is a kind of aquatic nightclub crossed with a James Cameron film.“

A BELOVED UK hotel chain has closed two of its sites ahead of a Premier Inn takeover.

One of the hotels has been in operation since 2009 and was highly praised by guests for its great service, low prices and comfy beds.

Now, Future Inn in Bristol‘s iconic Cabot Circus has shut down for good, having been bought by hotel giant, Premier Inn.

Future Inn’s Plymouth branch has also closed its doors, after operating for 20 years.

The four-star sites were acquired by hospitality operators, Whitbread, and will re-open under the Premier Inn name.

While it’s unknown when the transformations will be completed, the purchases come after Whitbread announced a new business strategy to invest in the Premier Inn brand.

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The company has shut down hundreds of Brewers Fayre, Beefeater, Table Table and Bar + Block locations in recent months in order to invest in Premier Inn hotels.

The closure of Bristol’s Future Inn was confirmed after guests who had reservations for after September 28 had their bookings cancelled.

Sharing a statement after the official closure, a Future Inn spokesperson said: “After 17 wonderful years, we’re saying goodbye to Future Inn Bristol.

“To every guest who stayed with us, celebrated with us, shared special moments with us and made memories here – thank you.

“And to the incredible team members, past and present, who brought the hotel to life every day – thank you for your hard work, loyalty and dedication.”

The statement also confirmed the fate of the Plymouth branch, while it said that the Cardiff site will remain open.

The Bristol Future Inn hotel boasted 149 bedrooms as well as its Chophouse restaurant and bar.

The branch also had multiple conference and event spaces plus a jazz music venue.

Having hosted guests for almost two decades, Future Inn became a popular tourist go-to with countless positive reviews.

Reviewing the hotel earlier this year, one guest said: “Excellent stay from start to finish.

“The hotel is modern, clean and very comfortable, with spacious rooms that had everything needed for a relaxing family stay.

“Beds were comfortable, the room was well maintained, and it felt fresh and welcoming throughout,” the customer added.

Another described their stay as a “lovely experience”, while one more wrote: “I had a wonderful stay at this hotel. The room was very spacious, and the bed was large and extremely comfortable.”

A NEW Minecraft rollercoaster and hotel is coming to the UK next year as part of a huge new theme park expansion.

Chessington World of Adventures announced the new £50million Minecraft World earlier this year, which will be the first of its kind.

And new details about what will be in the land have been revealed.

The main ride will be Escape the Nether, the first Minecraft rollercoaster in the world.

Passengers will be taken through ‘dark mines’ on the indoor ride, before travelling through a Nether Portal to an Overworld themed area.

Little else is known about it, although it says it will be a ‘high-speed indoor adventure’.

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The park has also revealed what to expect from the new Minecraft World Hotel.

Inside will be 69 rooms spread across four floors, ranging from standard to premium.

Guests can expect the famous Minecraft blocks and items within the rooms, while the ‘Nether Portal’ themed lifts and mine tunnel corridors will add more to the immersive experience.

Also inside will be a Woodland Mansion themed ‘potion’ bar as well as an underwater-themed restaurant.

This is alongside other retail and dining attractions in the land as well.

An official opening date for the new land is yet to be confirmed with it being sometime in 2027.

Daisy Mercedes, Creative Producer at Merlin Entertainments, said: “We promised something truly special when we announced Minecraft World earlier this year, and with Minecraft World Hotel we are offering even more.

“Not only will fans be able to experience the game imagined for real life, but they’ll be also able to sleep inside it, ensuring fans respawn exactly where they want to be.

“Seeing the Minecraft World Hotel take shape alongside the attractions we are building at Chessington World of Adventures theme park is a Minecraft fans biggest dream.

“Every room, corridor and detail has been crafted with immense love for this game, the stories made within it and its community.

Trains from London to Chessington take around 35 minutes. Tickets start from £34 each.

In the mean time, you can visit the UK’s first dedicated Paw Patrol-themed land, which opened at Chessington earlier this year.

FANCY tucking into a tasty full Irish breakfast cooked for you by a former Premier League football star?

Well, that’s firmly on the menu if you check into Causeway Guest Accommodation, on the picturesque County Antrim coast, which is owned and managed by ex-Manchester City and West Ham midfielder Steve Lomas.

Lomas was appointed first team captain at The Hammers and played more than 300 games in the Premier League, in addition to 45 international caps for his beloved Northern Ireland.

After 22 years as a player and manager, he has taken on a new role as maitre d’ and head chef at his family-run B&B in Bushmills.

The 13-bed property is less than three miles from the world famous Giant’s Causeway and roughly five from the renowned Royal Portrush golf course, which hosted the 2019 and 2025 Open Championships.

It is also staggering distance away from the popular Bushmills Whiskey Distillery – the first in the world to triple distill whiskey.

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Lomas, 52, said: “The County Antrim coast is a hidden gem.

“The drive from Belfast up the coast to Bushmills is one of the top five or six drives in the whole of the UK for its outstanding beauty.

“Beautiful beaches, beautiful scenery, and the Giant’s Causeway is touted as the eighth natural wonder of the world.

“Game Of Thrones was shot predominantly around Northern Ireland and that has added to the prestige, but you think of Northern Ireland and the first thing that still comes to mind is the Troubles.

“People are still overlooking all the natural beauty we have.

“Fermanagh is regarded as the Lake District of Northern Ireland.

“Across the border in Donegal you have the 1,600-mile Wild Atlantic Way.

“Northern Ireland has moved on.

“More and more tourists are coming but it’s still understated.

“We get a lot of visitors from Spain, Germany, America and China.

“They all come over to see the Causeway.

“I love football and it’s no hardship to talk about it.

“But I’m usually slaving over the stove.

“Occasionally, when I am not cooking I will pop out and have a chat, and when guests check in.”

The B&B features spotless double and twin rooms, all of which have ensuite bathrooms, TVs and tea and coffee facilities.

And then there’s that full Irish breakfast – served in the light, bright kitchen dining room.

Tucking into one of his delicious fry-ups, it’s clear to see that Steve’s talents extend beyond the pitch.

WITH its enormous Olympic Park, graffiti-clad buildings, old mills, new bars and neighbourhood pubs, it’s no wonder East London is one of the world’s trendiest neighbourhoods.

And actually, that’s why Alberto Cambus who was born and raised in Italy’s Sardinia, decided he was going to stick around when he moved to the London district over 10 years ago.

Alberto Cambus, Director of Sales & Marketing, for The Stratford, explained why he has never left the quirky area of East London.

He explained: “I moved here 11 years ago to study, and I loved it – I embraced the pace, the lifestyle, the coffee – I’m even having cappuccinos after 11am now.”

“I’ve always lived in East London, so I’m definitely an advocate for it and Stratford is one of the areas I love the most.”

Here are some of his top tips on exploring the area.

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As he works The Stratford, Alberto of course highly recommends the hotel as a great base for those visiting East London.

He said: “Our hotel is itself a triumph of architecture – our architects are the same that designed the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. 

“It perfectly blends with the local area and community, making it well worthwhile popping in to take a look at our art – if you check out the lobby, we have many pieces that reference the London 2012 Olympics.

“On top of that, we have tours of the area, such as the Olympic venues.

“We do tend help our guests with the ease of access to these London institutions whether it’s to Sadler’s Wells for contemporary dance or the V&A.

“We can try to facilitate the sourcing of West Ham tickets, London Lions or London Aquatics too.”

Restaurants

Despite coming from the Italian island, he did say there was an Italian restaurant in the UK that was just as good.

He said: “I have to mention Santi, an Italian restaurant in front of a hotel – the menu is similar to the classic Italian food that you’ll find in Italy.

“The pizza is amazing, it’s so underrated, I’d say it’s one of the best pizza places in London.

“Another of my favourite restaurants is Hera, a beautiful Greek restaurant – it’s in front of West Ham stadium, it has a great atmosphere, very cosy, sophisticated, but not over the top.”

Bars and pubs

Alberto admitted that the hotel’s Stratford Lounge cocktails were amazing, with “mixing of the classics” as well as a recently launched autumn menu.

But he did shout out another local bar too.

He said: “Another one is Number 90 Bar in Hackney Wick, along the canal.

“It is always lively with amazing music playing, very good cocktails and reasonably priced.”

Being in the UK for more than a decade, Alberto is a pub convert – and he raved about one called Mother Kelly’s in the Olympic Village.

He explained: “It’s tiny, very cosy pub in Victory Parade, a neighbourhood pub that excels in craft beers, sour beers , IPAs and it’s a stone’s throw away from the hotel.

“I’ve been working in Stratford for three years now so I go in a fair bit.

“I still haven’t managed to try the whole selection of beer they have – there’s so much you’re spoiled for choice.”

Lesser-known spots

Despite East London being a popular tourist destination, there are still some spots only locals know about: “Three Mills Island isn’t very well-known; essentially, they are old flour mills between the river and navigation channel – it’s completely off the beaten track.

“It’s nothing short of an East London experience because it has a huge amount of history.

“I’d say it’s quite an unusual place for London, but beautiful – and you can take a long walk around it.

“If you’re in the area, visit now because I think that the landscape of East London in 10 years will be completely different – it’s transforming in front of my eyes.”

One must-do local experience

“You absolutely have to see a West Ham match – I’m so passionate about it, there is nothing like watching them play at the London Stadium.

“I’ve been a West Ham fan since I was about 10-ears-od thanks to a very strong Italian player called Paolo Di Canio.

“One of the first activities I did here was see a West Ham game at Upton Park, then they moved to the London Stadium right next door, I always say it was fate.”

Green spaces

“This area of London used to be a bit of an urban jungle, but then obviously they built the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is an oasis of green space.

“Stratford is so much more enjoyable now, and if you combine it with the canals in Hackney Wick, the Hackney Marshes, I’d say there’s lots of nature in East London.

“It’s well connected to Victoria Park too so you can actually walk between the two parks in 10-minutes then head along Regent’s Canal.

Family attractions

“The Olympic Park has so many options and activities for families –  there’s the Tumbling Bay Playground and The Aquatics Centre.

“There’s Zip World at the ArcelorMittal, and a huge slide which goes down from the Orbit too – you name it, we have it.

“There’s the Olympic Pool, which is available for guests and for kids to swim, and all sorts of activities at the Velodrome.

“The V&A East opened earlier this year – I can’t say I enjoyed going around museums when I was a kid – but they do have activities for children.”

Shopping

“I’d recommend Hackney Wick for shopping, there are lots of small markets, particularly on the weekend that populate the area.

“They sell any type of quirky item – it’s very nice.

“And I know that most people won’t be going to a butchers but I love Appetite Steakhouse, they have a huge selection of Italian meats.

“I’m mentioning it’s also a restaurant – it has the best meat I’ve found in London.”

Sweet treats and coffee

“My favourite place is called Signorelli, which is an Italo-English” bakery.

“While I’m not a massive sweet tooth, I am a huge coffee lover and Signorelli is perfect for both.

“From time to time you can be lucky enough to find a Cornetto, which is the Italian version of a croissant, but it’s a bit different in terms of the dough, and in terms of coffee, definitely, I mean, they are the best in Stratford.

“Whenever I feel homesick, I have one of their coffees, and it takes me back to Italy.”

Free things to do

“Hackney Wick is full of street art so I’d suggest taking yourself on an unofficial graffiti tour.

“One artist, Helch, has always been known by his tag – like Banksy, he passed away recently, and Hackney Wick was a place he worked the most.

“Lots of the buildings in Hackney Wick are decorated by graffiti and you can probably see it all in around 20 minutes.

“Otherwise, take a stroll around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – they also have lots going on there, so it’s worth checking out their site ahead of time to not miss out like live music to kids activities.”

Best views in East London

“Our rooftop at the hotel has the best view of Stratford.

“The view from the rooftop at Kokin is unbeatable – it’s our signature restaurant on the seventh floor and you can see the very best of East London from there.

“You can enjoy the dramatic views across to St Paul’s Cathedral and enjoy some of the best sushi in London – it’s not just sushi there’s all sorts of Japanese cuisine and the chef is incredible.

“They do special events up there too like tuna carving which takes place every Wednesday.”

Daytrips from Stratford

“The thing about Stratford is that it has so many transport links so really, you’re spoilt for choice, but I would definitely say head to Kent.

“You can get there so easily and the Kent coast is amazing, there’s Whitstable, Margate, Deal, Ramsgate – I was born by the sea in Sardinia so for me to be able to get away to the beach, it’s fantastic.”

JANE Austen knew what she was doing when she wrote her books in atmospheric locations.

And with a new movie based on her novel Sense & Sensibility coming out this weekend, the locations in the film are the perfect destination for a staycation.

I have visited Dartmoor National Park more times than I can count, including the spots used in the film – and I stand by that it is the best staycation spot in England.

The National Park spans 368 square miles and to put that into perspective, its around nine times the size of the City of Paris.

In fact, Dartmoor is so huge you could spend a whole week exploring it and you could still come back again and see new things.

But you won’t see skyscrapers and massive roads here – instead, rolling hills meet meandering rivers with winding country roads running alongside them.

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The new Sense & Sensibility film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood, used the rugged and windswept landscapes of Dartmoor extensively to film scenes of the movie.

One location used was Gutter Tor – a large granite rock pile that makes for the ideal walk.

There is a small car park not too far away and after exploring the tor, head to Ditsworthy Warren House, just south of the tor, which was also used in film and it already featured in Steven Spielberg‘s film War Horse.

As a child and still now as an adult, I love searching for letterboxes on Dartmoor – a traditional hobby box with a rubber stamp inside and a visitor book.

Obviously some are harder to find than others and while I haven’t found one at Gutter Tor, there are three officials ones in the area.

It is a great activity for kids, like the ultimate hide and seek.

You will usually find them in the crevices of the granite rocks, or even under some that are light enough to move.

Another spot the new blockbuster used as a filming spot was Princetown, which is one of the National Park’s villages.

The small village is home to the famous Dartmoor Prison, made entirely out of granite.

Many myths and folklore about Dartmoor originate at this prison and are usually about escaped prisoners.

I’d really recommend heading to the Dartmoor Prison Museum to learn more about the 200-year-old building.

And if you want to hear more about the folklore, book onto a Heart of Dartmoor Guided Walk, based in Princetown.

For half a day (£40pp) or a full-day (£70pp) visitors head off on walks across open moorland and tracks with a guide who will share local folklore, history and hidden features.

Pop into Dartmoor Brewery’s shop as well and pick up some of their famous Jail Ales which have won numerous awards over the past few years.

The ales all come from the brewery next door, which is England‘s highest brewery at 446.5 metres above sea level.

If you want to sit and enjoy a pint in a pub, then pop into the Plume of Feathers or the Prince of Wales.

The final Dartmoor filming spot was Tavistock – a historic market town on the edge of the National Park.

Known as the original home of the cream tea, it is well worth spending a day exploring.

The World Heritage status town is home to loads of independent shops, a famous pannier market and an award-winning farmers market.

The town has a heap of restaurants, pubs and cafes as well and if you want to extend your stay then book into the Cornish Arms for a night, costing from £124 per night.

Dartmoor has more to explore than just these filming spots though…

One of the most popular spots to visit – with good reason – is Haytor.

The towering tor at the edge of the moors provides the ideal walk for those who enjoy being outside but don’t want anything too rigorous.

By Haytor is also The Moorland Hotel, with stunning gardens and a large restaurant serving delicious comfort food.

Staying here is the perfect base to explore the National Park and what makes it even better is that it costs from just £80 per night – so £40 per person per night, with breakfast included.

And across the moors you will find more than 70 pubs in total, many of which have won awards for either their drinks or food.

For example, head to The Chagford Inn, which is recognised as a leading West Country gastropub and focuses on farm-to-table menus.

Also in Chagford, drop into the Three Crowns which is the Gold Winner for Pub of the Year at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards and a Devon Life Food and Drink Awards finalist.

Another fun family spot – that is free to visit – is Dartmeet.

Here you can go for a dip in the river, head over a traditional clapper bridge and venture across giant stepping stones that span the river.

If all of this wasn’t enough, Dartmoor is actually the only place in England you can wild camp for free.

So, get your tent out and you’ll have free accommodation too.

While most of us know Wetherspoons’ pubs, I had no idea it had also been running hotels since 1998, when the chain’s first opened in Shrewsbury with 22 rooms. It now has more than 50

Love it or loathe it, Wetherspoons is a British institution. Its patterned carpets, bargain drinks and grand old buildings are familiar features of high streets across the country.

For a long time, I’ve been in the loathe camp. Having whiled away much of my latter teenage years in one of its pubs – a once particularly grand building converted into the biggest, cheapest drinking den in the South East – I fell out of love with Tim Martin’s chain in my 20s. Partly because the local newspaper I worked for had no offices, so we had to hold news conferences in the room above our local Spoons. Partly out of support for independent pubs, which have been in a fight for survival for the past decade.

Something Spoons is certainly not doing. The chain is booming. It has around 800 venues across the UK and brought in £2.13 billion last year, an almost 5% year-on-year increase. But while most of us know its pubs, I had no idea it had also been running hotels since 1998, when the chain’s first opened in Shrewsbury with 22 rooms. A further 54 have opened since.

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As you might expect with Spoons, the major draw is the price. A room for a night costs at most £50 at most venues, which is an absolute bargain anywhere near London. The chain also scored four stars out of five for value for money in a Which? budget hotel survey, one of only two to land the score.

So, on a bitter Wednesday in November, I arrived at the Thomas Ingoldsby in Canterbury, frozen and disheveled after a long bike ride from Broadstairs, ready to give Spoons another chance. I was glad that I did.

Price

Cheap drinks are a big part of Spoons’ appeal, and its hotel rooms follow the same formula.

In the Which? survey, Wetherspoons was one of just two hotel groups to earn four stars for value for money. The other was the overall winner, the Coaching Inn Group. While the Coaching Inn Group’s average room rate was £128 a night, Wetherspoons’ was £70. When I checked, a double at the Thomas Ingoldsby for the following Wednesday was available for just £55.

The savings didn’t stop at the bedroom door. I spent the evening drinking £1.89 pints of ale, then tucked into a £2.99 veggie breakfast the next morning. Both were rather decent. Perhaps I’d spent too long inside the M25, but those prices felt almost ridiculously cheap. At a time when leaving the house seems to cost £20 before you’ve done anything, the affordability was the standout attraction.

Atmosphere

My previous Spoons visit had been to the vast, strangely subdued Coronet on London’s Holloway Road. Canterbury on a chilly Wednesday evening couldn’t have felt more different. There were university students, cheerful groups of pensioners and solitary blokes reading books over onion rings. It was a lively cross-section of life, with people happily sharing the same space.

The hotel rooms are a short flight of stairs above the pub, so getting to bed after a pint couldn’t be much easier. You could even take a deli wrap and chips upstairs to enjoy in the bath. A member of staff told me rooms could be booked on a whim, although anyone who had overdone it at the bar might be turned away.

The room

I’ve stayed in plenty of budget hotels, and this was among the best. Everything felt fresh, well maintained and thoughtfully put together. My double room was generously sized, with a large desk, a well-stocked tea tray and a decent-sized television. Better still, it had a view of Canterbury Cathedral that few hotels in the city could rival.

Only two rooms at the Thomas Ingoldsby enjoy that outlook. Those on the other side not only miss out on the cathedral view but are reportedly disturbed by early-morning lorry movements. If you can get it, room 110 is the one I’d recommend. After a freezing day cycling across Kent, I was particularly pleased to discover the thermostat went up to 25C — and that the heating delivered. Within a short time, it felt as though I’d escaped somewhere considerably warmer.

What’s included

There is no all-inclusive package, which is perhaps just as well given the potential combination of Hooch and endless chips. Still, the room came with plenty of useful extras: reliable Wi-Fi, a couple of packets of biscuits, fresh towels, two bottles of water and a generous supply of tea, coffee and hot chocolate sachets. Check-out was at 11am. Breakfast wasn’t included, but at £2.99 for my veggie option, that hardly felt like a reason to complain.

The verdict

A friend’s dad once told me that Spoons was the closest thing Britain had left to a genuine social institution. Watching the mix of people enjoying their evening in Canterbury, I could see what he meant.

As nightclubs and members’ societies close, places where people from different backgrounds can gather feel increasingly valuable. Whatever my reservations about the business, this pub offered exactly that.

Add a comfortable room, a cathedral view and remarkably low prices, and the appeal becomes difficult to resist. I arrived as a skeptic, but Thomas Ingoldsby won me over.

THE UK is set to see the last of the summer sun this weekend, so where better to enjoy it than Cornwall’s Saint Tropez?

One charming coastal village has been compared to the French glamorous resort town thanks to its incredible beaches, high-end restaurants and royal visitors.

The village in question is called Rock which sits on the Camel Estuary and has incredible views across from the well-known town of Padstow.

The upscale hotspot has numerous celebrity homeowners and even Prince William and Prince Harry have enjoyed a holiday of two there.

The princes first visited Rock in the late 1990s as teenagers for family holidays and were spotted enjoying nearby beaches and surfing in Polzeath.

Other celebrities that have been known in the area include Gordon Ramsay who owns a multi-million-pound waterfront property there.

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He’s even been filmed arriving to the village by helicopter.

Chef Paul Ainsworth owns the local pub called The Mariners, where you can get some of the best fish and chips in the area.

Other top spots include Four Boys which is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.

Fee’s Food is a deli where you can pick up quiches, freshly baked loaves, pastries – they also specialise in pies and curries.

Of course, no visit to Cornwall is complete without a trip to the beach, and Rock has a great one.

Rock Beach has described as being called “world class” by previous visitors, and another called it the “best beach I’ve been to in a long time.”

The sandy beach stretches on for around half a mile with views across the estuary to Padstow.

If you fancy venturing a little further afield, Porthilly Cove which is a secluded sandy beach is just around the corner.

The St Enodoc Hotel in Rock recently underwent a multi-million-pound renovation – it was closed for 10 months but had a grand reopening in July.

Along with 21 rooms, there are two restaurants to choose from – the Estuary Grill which serves lots of local seafood or the Flour Garden which dishes up hand-made pizzas.

The hotel has beautiful gardens too with lawn games, deck chairs and Maurice, a charming vintage French truck, with a mix of drinks including Guinness on-tap.

When it comes to getting there, the easiest way is to catch the ferry from Padstow – single journeys cost £3 for adults and £1.50 for children.

AN ICONIC London tower is being carved into a £1billion “Swiss Cheese” hotel as plans are unveiled for major refurbishment.

New terraces, restaurants, office spaces and panoramic views of the city are all part of the plans.

The HSBC Tower, located in London’s Canary Wharf, is set to undergo a major refurbishment next year, as its current occupants relocate to the city.

Plans for the refurbishment of the 45-storey tower have been submitted to Tower Hamlets Council by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Canary Wharf Group (CWG).

The revamp will be led by architects Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) and reports indicate it is set to cost between £800,000,000 and £1,000,000,000.

Proposals for the building will see sections of the tower’s higher floors cut away to create a series of terraces, creating the appearance of holes which have landed the building with the Swiss cheese comparison.

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Designs for the tower will also see it move from a single-occupant space, instead paving the way for multiple uses throughout the building.

Starting from the bottom, the lower and ground floors will be transformed into an 181-room hotel and leisure facilities.

It will also see the addition of a brand new public walkway that crosses through the ground floor to link the Elizabeth Line Station with nearby Canada Square Park.

Middle floors will be reserved for office spaces, designed to house multiple corporate tenants, with asset management company BlackRock reportedly eyeing the space, according to The Banker.

Staggered terraces will be a main feature of the top floor, as well as a huge glass box called “The Cloud”, functioning as an entertainment space with restaurants and bars and boasting panoramic views of the city.

In a statement posted to the CWG website, CEO Shobi Khan said: “We look forward to working with QIA on 8 Canada Square to deliver a building of outstanding design, engineering and sustainability standards.

“This redevelopment is another step in Canary Wharf’s evolution into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood offering workspace, retail, homes, leisure and amenities all in one location – a true 15-minute city.”

Elie Gamburg from Kohn Pedersen Fox said: “We are extremely excited to collaborate with QIA and CWG to reimagine the single-use office building as a blueprint for the highly sustainable, mixed-use building of the future.

“This transformation embodies the ethos behind much of our work, we see it as an integral part of the evolution of today’s single-use neighbourhoods into vibrant mixed-use neighbourhoods of tomorrow – an evolution of which CWG is already leading the way.”