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A HOTEL has unveiled the ultimate getaway for Jeremy Clarkson fans – a suite with the presenter’s face staring down at your bed.

The £90-a-night Clarkson Suite has been unveiled at Mexborough’s Empress Building – and is just one of a number of rooms devoted to local celebrities, including the Doncaster-born Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Clarkson’s Farm and Top Gear host.

There is also a Kevin Keegan room.

The black and white image also features cheeky quotes, entitled Clarkson’s Rules of Life, which read: “Always go faster than strictly necessary, never apologise for having fun and laugh loudly, drive hard and live even harder.”

A spokesperson for the hotel said: “The suite is in honour of Jeremy Clarkson, the outspoken motoring journalist, television presenter, and writer who redefined automotive entertainment with wit, irreverence, and undeniable charisma.

“Best known for his tenure on Top Gear and later The Grand Tour, Clarkson has taken audiences on wild, globe-trotting adventures, combining horsepower with humour.

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“Beyond cars, he’s made a mark in British broadcasting through his sharp commentary and, more recently, his unexpectedly heartfelt take on rural life in Clarkson’s Farm, earning him admiration from a new generation of viewers.

“The Clarkson Suite captures his bold spirit and unapologetic style in a spacious, characterful suite perfect for those who appreciate horsepower, hearty laughs, and a touch of countryside grit with their luxury.

“Relax in a luxurious super king-size bed, or opt for two comfortable single beds and rejuvenate in your private en-suite, featuring a spacious double rainfall shower with premium fittings.”

The room also includes a 60 inch digital TV, Wi-Fi, full-length mirror, wardrobe, office desk and dressing table, a mini bar and fridge, safe, iron and ironing board and a tea maker and coffee machine.

The room spec adds: “With modern comforts and solar-powered energy, The Clarkson Suite is an accelerated choice for a stylish stay.”

Housed within the town’s Empress Building, the apartments are designed to preserve the architectural beauty of a bygone era while incorporating modern comforts that discerning travellers expect, a spokesperson added.

“Each suite has been thoughtfully named after notable local figures, from actors to athletes, creating a meaningful connection to the town’s storied past.”

During practice Friday, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close made it clear she wanted to see more from forward Angela Dugalic.

“You’re not using what you’ve earned,” Close recalled telling her while speaking with reporters Friday.

Dugalic is going to face some of the best players in the country this week. Close thinks she can match up with them, but she needs Dugalic to play like it. With all the work Dugalic has done on her low-post game over the offseason, she can’t settle for floating around the perimeter.

Close won’t let her.

“I just want her to be all she can be,” Close said. “She’s been an animal down there in the low post, and I want her to hunt for that. I don’t want her to settle for playing on the perimeter when she’s got a whole lot more tools in her toolbox that she’s not accessing.”

Close got that version of Dugalic in Sunday’s 88-37 rout of Southern at Pauley Pavilion. The third-ranked Bruins were in full control from whistle to whistle, even pitching a second-quarter shutout, and Dugalic led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and an assist. She shot eight for 15 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers.

It was pure dominance by UCLA. The Bruins shot 51% from the field while holding the Jaguars to 29%. They outrebounded Southern by 30. They forced 13 turnovers, nine in the first half, and scored 28 points off them. And on the offensive end, UCLA was flowing with 24 assists to Southern’s nine.

Gabriela Jaquez added eight rebounds and five assists to go with six points. Her first basket, a layup after cutting through the paint in the second quarter, gave the senior guard her 1,000th career point. Kiki Rice had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Lauren Betts finished with 15 points and six rebounds.

Dugalic opened the scoring for UCLA with a midrange jumper followed by a fast-break layup. She finished the first half with nine points, tied for the team lead with freshman forward Lena Bilic, who finished the game with 14 points.

Despite Dugalic’s strong start, Close issued her another challenge at halftime.

“I just want you to focus on making the right basketball play,” Close said. “What’s the defense doing? I didn’t think she was reading the defense. I thought she shot it well, and I thought she got some great rebounds, but I didn’t think she was in the flow that we’ve been seeing from her the last few days and our last few games.”

Close added that she thinks Dugalić is playing some of the best basketball of her career, and she’s continuously fighting to raise her standard. It’s not about how many points she scores, it’s about her decision making her defense, her consistency.

The Bruins entered that second quarter with a 22-9 lead thanks to a 14-2 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter after holding Southern (1-4) scoreless during the final three minutes. UCLA then exploded for a 27-0 run in the second quarter while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the entire period. It was the first time the Bruins had held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since they achieved the same feat on Dec. 5, 2021 against San José State.

Still, Close wasn’t satisfied.

During halftime, Close said she reminded the Bruins of what they want to accomplish. Close wrote down a list of “passion plays,” or goals for every single player to get in the second half.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Southern forward DeMya Porter during the first half of the Bruins’ win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

It’s part of a mentality Close is trying to instill in her players. They know a 51-point win against an unranked Southern team isn’t going to give them the feedback they need.

“Outcomes are actually a distraction,” Close said, referencing legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban. “What are the processes that we’re going to be committed to that are going to actually lead us to where we want to go?”

UCLA (6-0) will face No. 4 Texas on Wednesday in the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas, followed by either No. 2 South Carolina or Duke on Thanksgiving. The Bruins then will host No. 15 Tennessee on Nov. 30.

Those who want to stay at the Rose Bowl describe the place as iconic, an ode to everything that’s great about college football. They say it oozes history and tradition. Just the sight of the glowing neon sign is enough to give them goosebumps.

Those who want to go call the place a dump. They say it’s old and decaying by the day, a shell of its former greatness. Why hold on so hard when a futuristic stadium in Inglewood could provide not only a home closer to campus but also an infusion of cash as part of a more favorable lease?

Going into what could be UCLA’s last home game ever at its century-old stadium Saturday night, some with deep ties to the school say they understand each of the dueling perspectives in the debate over a possible move to SoFi Stadium.

“The concern is, are you gonna lose part of your identity, which has been in peril lately already?” said Kris Farris, a former All-America offensive tackle with the Bruins who was among the more than half-dozen former greats and current recruits who spoke with The Times about the situation. “So it’s like you’re taking away another special part of UCLA, but of course everyone understands the upside financially and what the program needs to do in the arms race of college football right now.”

Officially, nothing has been decided. School officials have released two statements in recent weeks, both acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation. It’s believed that if UCLA decided to make a move to SoFi Stadium, the Bruins would want to do so before the 2026 season.

But the courts could have the final say. The Rose Bowl Operating Co. and the City of Pasadena have commenced a legal battle with hopes of forcing the team to stay. Having called the stadium home since moving in before the 1982 season under legendary coach Terry Donahue, UCLA committed to a lease that doesn’t expire until the summer of 2044.

“I just really feel if Terry was here, I think he’d say, ‘What’s the hurry?’ ” said Pat Donahue, one of the late coach’s brothers. “You have a lease, why don’t you underwrite what the issues are and if you feel you made a bad deal, go renegotiate. You know, I just don’t know what the hurry is and it seems to me that UCLA has a lot bigger football problems than the Rose Bowl, right? I mean, the building’s on fire and you wanna remodel the garden.”

Only one thing seems certain: UCLA will not play home games on campus, as so many have proposed over the years. A movement to build a football stadium on the spot now occupied by Drake Stadium died in 1965 amid opposition from students, political leaders and local homeowners. Not only did the University of California regents rebuff the stadium bid, they also decreed that no structure built on the Drake Stadium footprint could later be enlarged into a football stadium.

Thus the current dilemma. Does UCLA keep its word and fulfill a Rose Bowl lease in which it loses millions of dollars annually in opportunity costs because it does not take in suite or sponsorship revenue? Or do the Bruins head to SoFi Stadium for a new beginning flush with cash, if not tradition?

“In the long term, if you look at the UCLA program, SoFi makes a whole lot more sense whether you like it or not,” said former Bruins quarterback Gary Beban, who led the team to an upset of top-ranked Michigan State in the 1966 Rose Bowl and won the school’s only Heisman Trophy in 1967.

Beban played for UCLA teams that called the Coliseum home, long before the Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl. He said initially wasn’t a supporter of UCLA playing in Pasadena because of a 26.2-mile commute from campus, acknowledging the issue seemed to be largely offset by wild early success the team enjoyed while appearing in five Rose Bowl games between 1983 and 1999.

With the Bruins stuck in a decadelong funk, making that long commute has become more burdensome, leading to dwindling attendance at a stadium that’s roughly twice the distance from UCLA than SoFi Stadium.

“It’s a convenience issue for the people at the campus and over a longer period of time,” Beban said, “I think eventually SoFi just makes more sense than the Rose Bowl. … Right now, this is being looked at at a time when the program needs a lot of fresh air. Regardless of how big of a supporter you are, there are a list of things that need to be advanced and this is just one of them. Maybe it’s time to start all over in all directions and try to get going in the right direction.”

One of Beban’s teammates favors holding on more tightly to the past. Jim Colletto, co-captain of the 1966 Rose Bowl champions, said standing on that field makes one feel like he’s playing or coaching with the ghosts of legends.

Before his return to the Rose Bowl as UCLA’s offensive line coach in 2006, Colletto walked to the two-yard line, where former teammate Bob Stiles had made a goal-line stand 40 years earlier by stopping Michigan State fullback Bob Apisa on a potential game-tying two-point conversion.

“I closed my eyes,” Colletto said, “and it all came alive again.”

Which stadium do possible future UCLA players want to call home?

Kenneth Moore III, a wide receiver from St. Mary’s High in Stockton who has verbally committed to the Bruins, said he’d prefer to play at SoFi Stadium. As far as he’s concerned, the stadium that opened in 2020 is closer to campus and would create a better environment than the team has experienced at the Rose Bowl, where it’s averaging only 37,099 fans this season.

“I feel it’ll be more involvement from the fans after going to SoFi,” Moore said, “to have more packed-out stands.”

Cooper Javorsky has remained a constant presence at the Rose Bowl even after decommitting from UCLA in the wake of coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal. The offensive lineman from San Juan Hills High who is still considering the Bruins has developed an affinity for the place based on his many weekends spent on the sideline watching games.

“I don’t think I’m really in a position to have an opinion,” Javorsky said, “but who wouldn’t think it’s cool to run out at the Rose Bowl on a Saturday?”

One widespread lament is the possible loss of unfettered tailgating on a sprawling golf course and surrounding parking lots. Farris said throwing a football on the grass and cooking food in an open space was the part of the gameday experience that his kids looked forward to most when they were younger.

“At SoFi, just having attended some professional games there, they just don’t have the tailgating experience,” Farris said. “The tailgating at the Rose Bowl is special, it’s unique. You know, it’s not a paved parking lot with a small little stall.”

Hearing that UCLA’s game against Washington on Saturday could be the team’s last one inside the stadium he once called home has motivated Farris to make the drive from Orange County. It could represent one final memory for someone who was part of the last Bruins team to play in a Rose Bowl game.

“There’s nothing like it,” Farris said of the place. “I’ve played in a lot of different stadiums and obviously the backdrop and the size and scale of the Rose Bowl, the history of the Rose Bowl, the energy coming from the fans and just the history in that building and to be able to call it your home as a program and that’s your home field and being able to dominate in that time like we were able to do as a team, I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

Nearly everyone who weighed in the stadium debate agreed that winning would solve many of UCLA’s problems regardless of where it played, drawing more fans and revenue. But Dave Ball, a former Bruins All-America defensive end, said there was a caveat that should be attached to that sentiment.

“Yes, winning solves everything,” Ball said, “but it’s like to me, the resources are the thing, especially now, that are going to promote winning. It’s like, man, you need to have the players and to have the players you need big budgets and an environment that is like swooning over the kids and Ohio State has that, Alabama has that, a lot of the SEC schools have that, and so a great coach who starts to get the program going will instill more excitement and more money, but you do need a lot of the budget and the resources to get that top-tier coach and those top-tier athletes.

“This thing is a game of moving onto the next and what matters to everybody is, do you win football games, championships, bowl games or not?”

Militaries are major global polluters, yet they remain exempt from climate reporting, creating a blind spot that threatens the entire COP30 roadmap.

As COP30 negotiations in Belem enter their final stretch, there is hope that countries might finally agree on a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels — a breakthrough that is crucial if we are serious about keeping 1.5C alive. Yet even at this pivotal moment, one major highway is still missing from that roadmap that could undermine the progress made in Brazil: the carbon emissions of the military.

Under the Paris Agreement, governments are not required to report their militaries’ emissions, and most simply don’t. Recent analysis by the Military Emissions Gap project shows that what little data exists is patchy, inconsistent or missing entirely. This “military emissions gap” is the gulf between what governments disclose and the true scale of military pollution. The result is stark: militaries remain largely invisible in the Belem negotiations, creating a dangerous blind spot in global climate action.

The size of that blind spot is staggering. Militaries account for an estimated 5.5 percent of global emissions. This share is set to rise further as defence spending surges while the rest of society decarbonises. If militaries were a country, they would be the fifth-largest emitter on Earth, ahead of Russia with 5 percent. Yet only five countries follow the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) voluntary reporting guidelines for military emissions, and those cover fuel use alone. The reality is far broader: munitions production and disposal, waste management and fugitive emissions from refrigeration, air-conditioning, radar and electrical equipment are left out. And operations in international waters and airspace are not reported at all, leaving massive gaps in both climate accountability and action.

The military emissions gap widens further still when we consider the climate impact of armed conflicts. As if the horror and human suffering from fighting wars were not enough, wars also destroy ecosystems, leave a toxic legacy on lands for decades to follow, and result in significant CO2 emissions, including from the rebuilding following the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. But without any internationally agreed framework to measure conflict emissions, these additional emissions risk going unreported, meaning that we don’t know how much wars are setting back climate action.

But despite this, momentum for accountability is finally building. Nearly 100 organisations have signed the War on Climate initiative’s pledges ahead of COP30, and protesters and civil society groups in Belem are demanding the UNFCCC confront this long-ignored source of pollution. Policymakers are starting to shift, too. The European Union has taken steps towards more transparent reporting and decarbonisation in the defence sector, though this progress is now threatened by rapid rearmament. Combined with NATO’s new target for members to spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on militaries, these pledges could produce up to 200 million tonnes of CO2 and trigger as much as $298bn in climate damages annually, putting Europe’s own climate goals at risk.

International law reinforces the urgency and demand for accountability. The International Court of Justice’s recent landmark advisory opinion reminded states that they are obliged under climate treaties to assess, report and mitigate harms, including those caused by armed conflict and military activity. Ignoring these emissions doesn’t just undercount global warming; it masks the scale of the crisis and weakens the world’s ability to tackle its root causes.

The gap between current emission-reduction plans and what is needed to stay below the 1.5C limit remains catastrophic. If COP30 negotiators agree on a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, what happens next will determine whether it delivers real progress or remains symbolic. No sector can be exempt from climate action, and military emissions cannot continue to remain hidden.

Mandatory reporting of all military emissions to the UNFCCC – from combat and training activities to the long-lasting climate damage inflicted on communities – is essential.  That data must form the baseline for urgent, science-aligned reductions, embedded in national climate plans, and consistent with the 1.5C limit.

Security cannot come at the cost of the climate. Tackling climate change is now essential to our collective safety and the survival of our planet.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that the city’s current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, has agreed to remain in the post, a major coup for the incoming mayor as he moves to assuage concerns over his past criticism of the police department.

For Mamdani, a democratic socialist who once called to defund the New York Police Department, the appointment seals one of the most consequential decisions of his nascent administration and provides further insight into the progressive’s looming stewardship of City Hall.

“I have admired her work cracking down on corruption in the upper echelons of the police department, driving down crime in New York City, and standing up for New Yorkers in the face of authoritarianism,” he said in a statement.

Tisch’s decision to remain commissioner could provide comfort to city business leaders and others who worried that Mamdani’s criticism of the department at the height of Black Lives Matter protests would translate into radical changes at the NYPD.

But the official announcement didn’t sit well with some progressives who helped elect the democratic socialist and wanted to see a bigger shake-up atop the nation’s largest police force.

Shared priorities, some disagreement

The appointment marked a budding political alliance between two leaders with starkly different backgrounds and some ideological differences.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist who once called for defunding the police, has vowed to remake the department as mayor by shifting some responsibilities from the police to new mental health care teams. Tisch is the heiress to a multibillion-dollar family fortune and is considered a steady, establishment moderate with nearly two decades in public service.

She has been a fierce critic of the state’s bail reform laws, which Mamdani supports, and has called on the city to hire more officers. Mamdani has walked back his previous comments about defunding the police, but said he will keep the department’s headcount even.

In an email to officers Wednesday, Tisch acknowledged the different views she has with Mamdani but said a series of conversations with him had made her “confident” that she can lead the department under his mayoralty.

“In speaking with him, it’s clear that we share broad and crucial priorities: the importance of public safety, the need to continue driving down crime, and the need to maintain stability and order across the department,” Tisch wrote in the email, which was shared with The Associated Press.

Hours after the announcement, Mamdani and Tisch appeared together at a Manhattan memorial for officers who died in the line of duty. Both declined to answer questions about their past differences, with Tisch saying she wanted to “leave politics out of it today.”

Tisch’s tenure

Tisch was appointed to lead the department last November as current Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s police force were reeling from overlapping scandals.

In September, federal authorities seized phones from Adams and several high-level appointees, including the police commissioner, Edward Caban, who soon resigned. Agents then searched the home of his interim replacement, Thomas Donlon, just a week after he took over.

During her first weeks as commissioner, Tisch reassigned several top officials, including some seen as allies to the mayor. The department’s top uniformed official, a longtime friend of Adams, resigned in December amid harassment allegations.

Her tenure has coincided with a drop in shootings and several categories of major crime, earning praise from the business community and some police reform groups.

A mixed reception

The announcement of Tisch’s appointment drew split reactions among Mamdani’s left-leaning supporters. The Justice Committee, a police reform group, called the move “a rebuff of his promises to New Yorkers and a disturbing endorsement of NYPD’s ongoing violence and corruption.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union, meanwhile, offered tepid praise for Tisch, while urging her to “join the Mayor-Elect in seeking to reduce the City’s misplaced demands on police to solve entrenched problems.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat who endorsed Mamdani, called the appointment “a very good outcome” and said Tisch remaining in the job could help stave off a federal intervention in the city, as Republican President Trump has suggested could occur if Mamdani were elected.

“This is an important step to send a message to the Trump administration that, if you’re coming here on the pretext that we need the National Guard because crime is going up in the city, that is not the story being told here in New York. Not at all,” Hochul said at an unrelated news conference.

Since winning the election, Mamdani has moved to surround himself with a cast of seasoned officials as he prepares to enter City Hall while facing some concern that his limited public experience could create headaches once he assumes control of America’s biggest city.

He tapped a veteran budget official with deep experience in state and city government to be his first deputy mayor, and named a team that includes two former deputy mayors to help guide his transition into City Hall.

Tisch, a Harvard-educated scion of a wealthy New York family, previously led the city’s sanitation department, becoming TikTok famous for declaring “The rats don’t run the city, we do” in 2022.

Her first job in city government was in the NYPD’s counterterrorism bureau. She has helped shape post-9/11 security infrastructure in the city and, as deputy commissioner for information technology, spearheaded the use of body cameras and smartphones.

Izaguirre and Offenhartz write for the Associated Press.

Twelve years ago, coach Lane Kiffin was humiliated, fired by USC athletic director Pat Haden on an airport tarmac at 3 a.m. moments after the Trojans had flown in from Phoenix after getting crushed by Arizona State, 62-41.

OK, so maybe it wasn’t the tarmac, maybe that’s just Trojan lore, maybe the abrupt firing took place in a small room next to the runway.

Either way, the memory has been burned in Kiffin’s heart and mind, helping motivate him to increased success on the field and seemingly heartfelt balance in his personal life.

Now the tables have turned. Kiffin, 50, has led Ole Miss to a No. 5 national ranking and 10-1 record, the fourth year in the last five the Rebels have won at least 10 games. He seemingly shed the reputation for aloofness and me-first attitude that dogged him as a failed NFL head coach at age 32 and as an Alabama assistant let go by Nick Saban days before a national title game for focusing too much on his next job.

Yet, here we are again, Kiffin apparently contemplating the unthinkable. Would he really abandon Ole Miss on the eve of the College Football Playoff for Florida or Louisiana State, fellow SEC schools and established national powers hunting for head coaches?

A young fan shows his support for Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin during the second half of a game against Florida in Oxford, Miss., on Nov. 15, 2025.

(Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)

Kiffin’s ex-wife Layla — they are on friendly terms — and 17-year-old son Knox recently were flown on private jets to Gainesville, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La., presumably to check out the livability and vibes of the potential next entry on Kiffin’s resume.

Ole Miss is well aware of Kiffin’s impending decision and clearly want to know the answer ahead of the Rebels’ regular-season finale Nov. 28 against Mississippi State. Kiffin, however, denied rumors that Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter had given him an ultimatum to decide before then.

“Yeah, that’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin told “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN on Tuesday. “There has been no ultimatum, anything like that at all. And so I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there. Like I said, man, we’re having a blast. I love it here.”

In fairness to Kiffin, the urgency to decide now rather than at season’s end is a function of today’s college football recruiting calendar and transfer portal. The high school signing period begins Dec. 3 and the transfer portal opens Jan. 2.

The first round of the CFP will be Dec. 19 and 20. The quarterfinals are on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Florida and LSU can’t wait that long to hire a coach.

What should he do? Most seasoned pundits believe he should not budge.

“Kiffin should stay and see the season out; attempt to win, try to reach the Final Four or beyond, make the memories, and forge the deep bonds that coaching is supposed to be about,” longtime columnist Dan Wetzel wrote for ESPN.

Reasons to jump to LSU or Florida are that both schools are in talent-rich states with massive fan bases and deep tradition. The ceiling is higher and the stands fuller than in Oxford, Miss. Also, coaches at those established SEC powers tend to dig in for years. Who knows when a similar opportunity will present itself?

Kiffin’s quandary is understandable. Old Miss administrators, however, vividly recall 2022 when Kiffin was courted by Auburn and allowed the issue to linger and sabotage a potentially great season. The Rebels were 8-1 when the rumors began and then lost four in a row.

Nobody at Ole Miss wants another collapse because Kiffin — again — had a wandering eye. His decision is difficult, and won’t wait.

EUROPE

Robert Browning’s Florence apartment

The Casa Guidi in central Florence dates from the 15th century and was divided into graceful, high-ceilinged apartments in the early 1800s. In July 1847, it was rented, initially for three months, by Elizabeth and Robert Browning – but the couple carried on living there until Elizabeth’s death in 1861. The apartment has been restored as closely as possible to the Brownings’ family home, based on a painting Robert commissioned, family letters and an inventory of their son Pen’s belongings. The furnishings include the works of art the couple collected around Europe, the original drawing room mirror and a copy of the brocade curtains described by Elizabeth.
Three nights from £870, sleeps five, landmarktrust.org.uk

An interwar hotel in Kraków

Puro, a small Polish group of hotels, reopened its branch in Kraków’s old town in 2021 after a renovation by a local design office. The revamp was intended to capture the spirit of bygone Kraków, especially the cafes and restaurants that proliferated between the first and second world wars. The aesthetic is also inspired by two legendary midcentury hotels, Cracovia and Forum, and Kino Kijów, a cinema that is still open today. There is lots of pale oak panelling, natural stone, handmade glass and ceramics, and local art. Rooms have retro radios and Bauhaus-inspired furniture. Trams rattling past and chatter from cafes in the nearby square complete the illusion.
Doubles from €95 B&B, purohotel.pl

A 1970s hotel in Sweden

Billengehus opened in 1970 on the top of a hill in Skövde, western Sweden. The entrepreneur Arne Sandberg and his wife Maja wanted to build a hotel that combined relaxation and exercise: as well as a swimming pool and tennis courts, it had football pitches, trails for running, cycling and cross-country skiing, and a ski slope and lift. The hotel was recently refurbished and now has a new spa; it still offers hiking, biking and skiing packages. The 70s style has been preserved (lots of brown velvet!), and some rooms have record players and disco balls for a private boogie – to Abba, of course.
Doubles from £110 B&B, billingehus.com

A medieval palazzo in Sicily

Palazzo Previtera, in Linguaglossa on the slopes of Mount Etna, tells the story of 500 years of Sicilian history. It was built in 1649 and has been restored by descendants of the original owners. There is a 12-room museum, a library of rare books, including limited editions by Thomas Aquinas and John Milton, and a restaurant under the old arches. Four rooms and two cottages cater to overnight guests – three of the rooms are in the oldest part of the palazzo. They combine ornate painted ceilings, original floor tiles and antique furniture with designs inspired by different people and periods: the composer Vincenzo Bellini, 1930s Italian art deco, contemporary cinema. Members of the Previtera family are on hand to give guests guided tours.
Doubles from about €130 room-only, palazzoprevitera.com

A swinging 60s hotel in Prague

The four-star Vintage Design Sax in central Prague is full of retro furniture classics by designers including Verner Panton, Luigi Colani, Eero Saarinen, and Charles and Ray Eames. It has 25 rooms (some have a view of Prague Castle) with original pieces and accessories, psychedelic wallpaper and orange, 60s-style bedding. The hotel’s central atrium is something of an art gallery, showcasing statement pendant lights, chairs and mirrors. It is part of LH Hotels, a small Czech group of seven stylish but affordable hotels.
Doubles from €78 B&B, hotelsax.cz

UK

Georgian cottages in County Durham

An opulent stay in Venice

My husband and I stayed in a beautiful 500-year-old Venetian palazzo for just €100 for a double room. The exterior of Palazzo Abadessa, tucked away in the sleepy backstreets of the Cannaregio district, is low key enough, but the grandeur and opulence begin to hit your senses as you explore. First we strolled through the lush ornamental garden, then the huge entrance hall decorated with frescoes and Renaissance paintings going back to the golden age of Venice, lit by glittering Murano chandeliers. The reception area is furnished with an antique velvet armchair, perfect for sipping a prosecco or Venetian spritz. Back in the 16th century, the original owners provided Venice with two of its doges, and today the stone corridors and high-ceilinged rooms have a classy, noble air, as if the ghosts of Caravaggio or Tintoretto might appear any moment and begin painting. Breakfast of cappuccino and croissants in the courtyard served by the friendly owners was a delightful way to start the day.
April

An Italian cookery school in an old castle

Castello di Montalero, east of Turin in the heart of the Monferrato region of Piemont, is a beautiful building with history going back to the 11th century, though much of the present structure was built ​on the old castle foundations around 1700. It has been lovingly restored by the family who provide a fantastic residential cookery school, plus interesting outings and adventures. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Christine Mason

A beautifully restored manor in Romania

Sitting above the Romanian village of Mâlâncrav in Transylvania, the 18th-century Apafi Manor is a beautifully restored manor house next to one of the region’s most exquisite Saxon fortified churches. At the end of a lush forested valley, the grand but comfortable interiors by the British designer David Mlinaric feature historic local art and furniture, making you feel as if you have stepped into a 19th-century historical novel. Enjoy candlelit dinners on the veranda made by a cook from the village, and while away afternoons in the magnificent library. It sleeps up to nine, and reasonable prices make for an affordable and magical retreat.
Benjamin

A castle above the Danube in Germany

If you fancy going medieval, then this 13th-century castle perched on a cliff overlooking the Danube in Baden-Württemberg should satisfy. We arrived at Wildenstein Castle youth hostel via a punishing zigzag cycle up the near-vertical outcrop, having ridden from the grand old river’s source in the Black Forest. The whitewashed walls conceal a large courtyard with comfy rooms and a great tavern in a crypt. The panoramic setting provides brilliant views across the Upper Danube nature park and wonderful sunsets. It is reputedly haunted, and exploring the passages and alleyways for ghosts is great fun for all. The abundant breakfast had plenty of delicious pastries, fuel for the next leg of our cycle.
Matt Lunt

Stay in a pineapple in Scotland

It is hard to explain the Pineapple. Stay to appreciate this 18th-century tribute to a fruit and the rise and fall of an estate. It is perched on the Dunmore Estate near Stirling, and was the location of our first Landmark Trust holiday. One wing contains two bedrooms and a bathroom, separated from the simple kitchen and comfortable living room by the Pineapple tower. It’s certainly quirky – walking across the lawn to the loo was a novelty for four nights. It’s dog-friendly and sleeps four, with historic reading and logbooks dating back to 1970s offering entertainment in the absence of TV and wifi.
Berenice

First world war history in Belgium

In the city of Poperinge, one of the few Belgian towns that did not fall to the Germans in the first world war, Talbot House was transformed into a club to offer relief to British soldiers. The house has been very well preserved by knowledgeable volunteers, and the chapel in the attic is a very special place of remembrance. The rooms and breakfast are lovely and very much in the spirit of the original club.
Zoe Leonard

Courtyard apartments in Seville

Seville is steeped in historic hotels, but most were more than my budget. Corral del Conde was surprisingly affordable and near the city centre. It’s a 16th-century corral (although it has Mudéjar origins in the medieval period) – a traditional community of apartments around a courtyard, with shared ovens and laundry sinks – and it’s incredibly pretty. It is a particularly evocative place for any fans of Spanish golden age theatre, because stages would be built in these corrales and locals would watch performances from the wooden balconies. For contrast, it’s a short walk from the giant mushrooms of Las Setas, a very different (and more modern) structure made of wood.
Sarah Collings

An old station in Staffordshire

Our stay with children and older relatives at Alton station, a Landmark trust property in Staffordshire, was both exciting and relaxing. It has glorious Victorian features, including stunning Minton tiles, and one of the bedrooms was the ticket office. It is incredibly interesting for railway enthusiasts, and leisurely bike rides down the disused railway were enjoyed by all.
Esme

Fishers’ cabins in Norway

Touring the Lofoten and Vesteralen islands of Norway, we stayed in several historic fishers’ cabins, but the best place was a little wooden house in Andenes. It is traditionally furnished in 19th-century style and forms part of a small private museum. Alma House is redolent of a time when life for fishing communities was isolated and dangerous, but time at home was precious. Like many holiday rentals in Norway, you may have to share with other holidaymakers, but that only adds to the unique experience.
Noelle

Winning tip: Parador paradise in Spain

Sri Lanka governing body instructs national team to continue tour in Pakistan despite several players wanting to leave.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has told its players to remain in Pakistan or risk facing a “formal review” after members of the squad declared their intention to depart early from their tour of the country due to security concerns.

The players expressed fears for their safety after Tuesday’s suicide bombing in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, which killed 12 people and wounded 27 outside a court.

The SLC issued a statement on Wednesday saying it instructed the team to go ahead with their ongoing tour of Pakistan as scheduled despite an unspecified number of players asking to return home.

“If any player, players, or member of the support staff return despite SLC’s directives, a formal review will be conducted … and an appropriate decision will be made,” the board said.

It added that replacements would be sent to ensure the tour continues without interruption.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the second one-day international (ODI) scheduled for Thursday has been moved back by one day while Saturday’s third match will now be played on Sunday. Both will be in Rawalpindi.

“Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on social media. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright.”

Six Sri Lankan players were wounded in March 2009 when gunmen opened fire on their team bus as it was driving to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for a Test match.

The incident led to international teams staying away from Pakistan for nearly a decade.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six runs in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, a game that went ahead despite the suicide attack in adjacent Islamabad.

The PCB said security around the visiting team has been tightened since the attack.

Naqvi met Sri Lankan players at their Islamabad hotel on Wednesday and assured them of their safety, Pakistani officials said.

Sri Lanka are playing in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan before taking part in a T20 tri-series tournament against the hosts and Zimbabwe November 17-29.

Nov. 11 (UPI) — Asylum seekers will be permitted to stay at hotel in Essex following a British high court ruling against a local council to remove them.

The Bell Hotel in Epping Forest, less than 20 miles northeast of London, has housed roughly 140 migrants in the process of seeking British asylum. But the local Epping Forest District Council sought to block their temporarily living conditions after a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and a man living in the hotel accused of the attack.

On Tuesday, Justice Tim Mould dismissed the council’s claims and ruled that an injunction was “not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control.”

Epping Forest’s councillors argued the Bell Hotel owner flouted local planning and zoning rules.

“What we saw in court was an unholy alliance of lawyers for government and big business intent on protecting huge profits and an indefensible asylum policy,”Ken Williamson, a member on Epping Forest District Council, told the BBC.

In August, a temporary injunction was awarded that banned asylum but later overturned by an appeal court following intervention by Britain’s Home Office.

Protests near the hotel turned violent in July when hijacked by far-right supporters after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national and resident of the hotel, was charged with the teen girl’s sexual assault.

But Mould on Tuesday rejected the prospect that hotel owner Somani Hotels demonstrated a “flagrant or persistent abuse” of planning control with a growing number of immigrants and other foreign asylum seekers.

“Taking a broad view, the degree of planning and environmental harm resulting from the current use of the Bell is limited,” he wrote in a 87-page ruling.

The judge acknowledged the “criminal behavior of a small number of individual asylum seekers” housed at the hotel had “raised the fear of crime” in the local community.

It was noted there was a “continuing need” to house asylum seekers with a looming asylum hearing. And so that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood “can fulfill her statutory duties.”

Tuesday’s ruling continued that statutory procedures under British law provided for the “local planning authority, or on appeal the Secretary of State, to determine conclusively whether an existing use of land is lawful because it does not involve development.”

Proposition 50 has passed, and with it goes the warm spotlight of never-ending press coverage that aspiring presidential contender Gavin Newsom has enjoyed. What’s an ambitious governor to do?

My vote? Take inspiration from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who not only pulled America through the Depression, but rebuilt trust in democracy with a truly big-tent government that offered concrete benefits to a wide and diverse swath of society.

It’s time to once again embrace the values — inclusiveness, equity, dignity for all — that too many Democrats have expeditiously dropped to appease MAGA.

Not only did FDR make good on helping the average person, he put a sign on it (literally — think of all those Work Projects Administration logos that still grace our manhole covers and sidewalks) to make sure everyone knew that big, bold government wasn’t the problem, but the solution — despite what rich men wanted the public to believe.

As he was sworn in for his second term (of four, take that President Trump!), FDR said he was “determined to make every American citizen the subject of his country’s interest and concern,” because the “test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Roosevelt created jobs paid for by government; he created Social Security; he created a coalition that improbably managed to include both Black Americans everywhere and white Southerners, northern industrialists and rural farmers. In the end, he created a United States where people could try, fail and have the helping hand to get back up again — the real underpinning of the American dream.

The similarities between Roosevelt’s day and now aren’t perfect, but they share a shoe size. FDR took office in 1933, when the Great Depression was in full swing. Then, like now, right-wing authoritarianism was cuddled up with the oligarchs. Income inequality was undeniable (and worse, unemployment was around 25%) and daily life was just plain hard.

That discontent, then and now, led to political polarization as need sowed division, and leaders with selfish agendas channeled fear into anger and anger into power.

Like then, the public today is desperate for security, and unselfish, service leadership — not that of “economic royalists,” as FDR described them. He warned then, in words sadly timeless, that “new kingdoms” were being “built upon concentration of control over material things.”

“They created a new despotism and wrapped it in the robes of legal sanction,” FDR said when accepting the presidential nomination for the second time.

“We’re in a similar moment now,” said New Deal expert Eric Rauchway, a distinguished professor of history at UC Davis.

But Roosevelt wasn’t just fighting what was wrong, he pointed out. He “wanted to show people that he was going to not put things back the way they were, but actually make things better.”

Like then, America today isn’t just looking to overcome.

Despite the relentless focus on cost of living, there is also hunger for a return to fairness. Even cowed by our personal needs, there is still in most of us that belief that Ronald Reagan articulated well: We aspire to be the “shining city upon a hill … teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace.”

Washington, D.C., resident Sean Dunn distilled that sentiment for the modern moment recently, standing outside a courthouse after being found not guilty of a misdemeanor for throwing a turkey sandwich at an immigration officer.

“Every life matters, no matter where you came from, no matter how you got here, no matter how you identify,” Dunn said. “You have the right to live a life that is free.”

But America needs to pay the bills and affordability is fairly the top concern for many. Voters want a concrete plan for personal financial stability — like FDR offered with the New Deal — grounded in tangible benefits such as healthcare, housing, jobs and affordable Thanksgiving turkeys that do not require lining up at a food bank.

The Republicans understand only part of this complicated mix — the affordability angle. Though, like the robber barons of the Roaring ‘20s, MAGA elite are finding it increasingly difficult to dismantle government and strip the American people of their wealth while simultaneously pretending they care.

Trump made a big to-do about the price of Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal this year, about $40 to serve 10 people (though it comes with fewer items than last year, and mostly Walmart house brand instead of name brands).

Walmart “came out and they said Trump’s Thanksgiving dinner, same things, is 25% less than Biden’s,” he said. “But we just lost an election, they said, based on affordability.”

Billionaire-adjacent Vice President JD Vance summed up that Republican frustration on social media after Democrats won not just Proposition 50, but elections in New Jersey, Virginia and even Mississippi.

“We need to focus on the home front,” Vance said, using weirdly coded right-wing nationalist language. “We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond.”

Vance is partially right, but FDR ultimately succeeded because he understood that the stability of American democracy depends not just on paying the bills, but on equality and equity — of everyone having a fair shake at paying them.

Despite all the up-by-the-bootstraps rhetoric of our rich, the truth is healthy capitalist societies require “automatic stabilizers,” such as unemployment insurance, access to medical care and that Social Security FDR invented, said Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor of economics at the New School and another expert on the New Deal.

Left or right, Republican or Democrat, Americans want to know that they won’t be left out in the cold, literally, if life deals them a bad hand.

Of course, Newsom isn’t president so all he can do is give us a vision of what that would look like, the way FDR did as governor of New York in the early years of the Great Depression, before moving to the Oval Office.

There’s the evergreen refrain that as governor Newsom should stay in his lane and focus on the state, instead of his ambitions. To which I say, that’s like shaking your fist at the rear of a bolting horse. Newsom is running for president like Secretariat for the Triple Crown. And since we do in fact need a president, why shouldn’t he?

Next is the equally tired, “Republicans can’t wait for him to run because everyone hates California. Wait until Newsom hits Iowa!” But regular people hate despair, poverty and Nazis far more than they hate California. And the people who actually hate California more than they hate despair, poverty and Nazis are never going to vote for any Democrat.

For once, thanks to MAGA’s fascination with California as the symbol of failure and evil, the Golden State is the perfect place to make an argument for a new vision of America, FDR-style. In fact, we already are.

At a time of increasing hunger in our country, California is one of a handful of states that provides no-questions-asked free school lunches to all children, a proven way to combat food insecurity.

With Trump not only destroying the scientific institutions that study and control environmental and health safety, California is setting its own standards to protect people and the planet.

California has fought to expand access to affordable healthcare; stop the military on our streets and push back against masked police; and it leads our country in livable wages, safety nets, social equality and opportunities for social mobility. The state is doing as much as one state can to offer a new deal to solve old problems.

What if Newsom built off those successes with plans for Day One executive orders? Expansion of trade apprenticeships into every high school? A pathway for “Dreamers” to become citizens?

How about an order requiring nonpartisan election maps? Or declaring firearm violence a public health emergency? Heck, I’d love an executive order releasing the Epstein files, which may be America’s most bipartisan issue.

But, Rauchway warns, Newsom needs to be more like FDR and “put a sign on it” when he puts values into action.

“That investment has to be conspicuous, positive and very clear where it came from,” he said.

We are not a nation of subtlety or patience.

If Newsom wants to stay relevant, he has to do more than fight against Trump. He needs to make all Americans believe he’s fighting for them as FDR did — loudly and boldly — and that if he wins, they will, too, on Day One.

HOLLYWOOD royalty Ariana Grande has arrived in the UK on a whirlwind stay fit for a princess.

The singer and actress flew in from Paris yesterday by private jet ready for the Wicked: For Good premiere in Leicester Square tomorrow.

The pint-sized pop queen touched down at Farnborough airport in Hampshire and was whisked away with her entourage to the five-star Raffles London at the OWO hotel.

I’m told the star, who plays Glinda, has hired six suites at £5,000 each a night for her trip — and chose the stunning building in Whitehall because she can easily enter and exit via the underground car park.

A source said: “Ariana’s team and the production crew from Wicked put their heads together to ensure Ariana is in luxury and comfort and has plenty of privacy.

“She will need plenty of time and space to prepare for her big red-carpet moment with her glamour squad.”

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Ariana is believed to be attending the movie premiere with her boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, having ignored rumours that they have split.

But she will be mostly joined at the hip with British actress Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba.

Production company Universal has splashed out £100,000 on hiring art deco French restaurant Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly for the after-party, where Ari will let her hair down.

On Friday night, Ariana showed off her hand tattoos at the film’s Paris premiere, and many fans believe the inkings are linked to the movie and her friendship with Cynthia.

She was joined by another co-star, Michelle Yeoh, as she greeted the crowds.

In just over a week’s time, Ariana is due back in America for the film’s premiere in New York.

Ariana was last week forced to miss the Wicked premiere in Brazil due to flight issues.

She had been expecting to walk the red carpet at the Sao Paulo event on Tuesday evening but was forced to get off the plane because of safety issues.

Taking to Instagram to share her disappointment, Ariana said that her team failed to find an alternative arrangement to get her to Sao Paolo in time.

Hopefully her stay in Blighty will be much smoother.

LILY TO CLEAN UP WITH GIRL BRAND

LILY ALLEN is certainly soaking up the success of her latest album, West End Girl.

She released the 14-track record last month following her split from husband David Harbour, who appears in supernatural TV series Stranger Things.

I can reveal Lily, pictured here in her bra enjoying a bubble bath and pulling a funny face for a magazine shoot, has now applied to trademark the name West End Girl ahead of a tour that kicks off in March.

The trademark covers beauty items including cosmetics, fragrances, perfumery, sun cream and shampoo.

It also includes sunglasses, jewellery, bags, clothing, footwear and headgear.

Her album jumped to No2 in the Official Albums Chart this week.

Lily was left devastated when her four-year marriage to American actor David broke down last December.

The couple met on celebrity dating app Raya and moved to New York after tying the knot in 2020.

However, she has since moved back to London with her two daughters from her first marriage.

It comes as the Not Fair singer is gearing up for her 14-date tour in March, which starts at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.

Fans are begging for more dates after the tour sold out in minutes this week.

If I can’t pin down a ticket, at least I’ll be able to get my hands on some Lily Allen bubble bath instead.

AFRICA A WINTER WONDER LAND

FORMER Love Islander Faye Winter is swapping her beach bag for a backpack to do community and conservation work in Africa.

The reality star, left, who found fame on the ITV2 dating show in 2021, is running a volunteer trip to Zimbabwe this month.

She has already given up the party lifestyle in London to return to her roots in Devon, where she lives with her golden retriever Bonnie and two rescue ponies, Keith and Kevin.

Faye told me: “I was out of my comfort zone living away from the countryside.

“The only thing that kept me going was my guide dog volunteer work. I find it so fulfilling, I’m not a party girl at all.”

Looking back on her life after the show, Faye admits that she wasn’t happy.

She said: “I struggled with the fact it was all about where you were seen.

“It felt materialistic. Giving back is so much more meaningful.”

HOLLY’S HAPPY MEALS

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY is a woman after my own heart when it comes to hangover cures.

The TV presenter said only a McDonald’s can soothe her after too many drinks the night before.

Asked what her go-to recovery meal is, Holly told a magazine: “I want a McDonald’s quarter pounder with cheese and if it hasn’t got a pickle on it, I’m gonna throw it back at you.

“I order extra pickles every time. Then I want skinny fries that are as salty as possible.

“I know some people think McDonald’s makes you feel rotten, but I just love it.

“You can tell how often I go because there are so many selfies of me sat in my car, taken by the drive-thru staff.”

Sounds like Holly is lovin’ it.

SLIMLINE JEN KIDS AROUND

HOLLYOAKS’ Jennifer Metcalfe has revealed the secret to her trim figure – she orders child portions.

The actress, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, said smaller helpings mean she can have more of what she fancies.

During the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, she said: “I eat what I want, when I want – small portions.

“Yesterday, me and my friend were out for five hours.

“We wanted a roast dinner, so I got a child’s portion, then we went to our local Indian and had poppadoms and all of the chutney.

“I have been eating loads recently, but my motto is ‘eat small amounts of everything you want’.”

Jennifer said she has just signed a year’s contract with Hollyoaks, adding: “We are making this 30th year count.”

PARTY OF THE WEEK

Tangle Teezer Festive pop-up, Vinyl Studios, Soho, Tuesday

WHAT WE ATE: Mini burgers, pigs in blankets and pick ’n’ mix sweets.

WHAT WE DRANK: Aperol spritz, Moscow mule and appletini cocktails.

WHO WAS THERE: Molly-Mae Hague’s hairdresser Jack Luckhurst, model Amanda Chrishell, influencer Tyra Baylis and our Emily, pictured with a handsome Santa.

TAYLOR & SABRINA’S HEIGHT ON THE TOWN

IT was the little and large show as chart superstars Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift went on a night out in New York.

Sabrina, who is 5ft, looked glamorous in a white roll-neck jumper and trench coat for the evening in SoHo restaurant.

Meanwhile, 5ft 9in Taylor showed off her long legs in a pleated mini-skirt and polo shirt.

It comes after Sabrina recently collaborated with Taylor on The Life Of A Showgirl track from her album of the same name.

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The Oasis singer, who is normally known for wearing a bucket hat, was on stage in Melbourne, complete with maracas, as part of the Live ’25 tour with brother Noel.

The band played in Sydney last night and will head to Buenos Aires in Argentina for a show next Saturday.

A PUB chain in the UK has been named the best for hotels in the UK – beating some very big names.

A new study conducted by Which? looked at both large and small hotel chains across the UK.

The research – which spoke to 1,776 people – looked at eight categories such as customer service and cleanliness as well as breakfast, bed comfort and value for money.

And coming in first place was Coaching Inn Group, which scored 81 per cent.

While you may not have heard of the pub/hotel chain, there are 35 inn-style hotels in the UK.

Dating back to 1996, this includes ones such as The Kings Arms & Royal in Surrey, The Pheasant Hotel in Norfolk and The Swan Hotel in Somerset.

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They recently closed The Warwick Arms ahead of a huge £1million renovation.

It was even named the ‘Best Accommodation Operator’ at The 2025 Publican Awards earlier this year.

When it comes to the Which? study, it scored a full five stars for customer service, as well as it matching the description online.

Despite the average room price being around £128, it still was given four out of five stars for value for money.

One person said it was a “very good mid-price range chain that does all the basic things well”.

Yet a surprising entry for the top five large hotel chains was Wetherspoons, who have a number of hotels across the country.

It was also the only hotel chain to be given the Which? Great Value badge, the first time for Wetherspoons.

With 50 hotels to choose from across the UK, rooms start from just £69 – most likely why it was given four stars for value for money.

Breakfast can be found for as little as £2.99 as well, with free tea and coffee refills.

Previous guests raved about it, calling it “clean, comfortable and good value”.

Other winners included Intercontinental, (80 per cent) and Hotel Indigo (79 per cent).

Sofitel followed suit with 78 per cent.

Premier Inn dropped in the survey with a score of 73 per cent, with one saying “prices are no longer budget level”.

Coming in last place once again was Britannia, which is often named the UK’s worst hotel chain (and the 12th year in a row for Which).

With a score of 44 per cent, it scored one star for bedroom quality.

The study also looked at small hotel chains, with the top going to both Andrew Brownsword and Brend Hotels, scoring 83 per cent.

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LAST Christmas, Gavin and Stacey was the TV show everyone was waiting for, and now there’s another autumn treat to delight fans.

But rather than just standing outside of Trinity Street when you head to Barry Island to take a look around the filming locations, you can actually book to stay inside one of the famous houses used on the show.

The home in question is called ‘Lush House’ (of course), which fans will recognise as Doris’ home used in the original series and last year’s finale.

You can now book out the entire house on Trinity Street with Sykes Cottages.

Inside you’ll find a kitchen fitted with everything you need for your stay – including a hob for whipping up one of Gwen’s signature omelettes.

There’s a cosy lounge with bright orange chairs and a squishy-looking sofa with a working fireplace.

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The lounge is open plan connecting to the dining room which has room for family meals or even a curry night.

Upstairs are two bedrooms, one with a double bed, and another with twin beds and a bunk – which has room for three, along with a bathroom.

During the summertime, take advantage of the great weather by heading out onto the deck in the garden.

The house sleeps up to five guests, in November, the house can be booked out for £631 for seven nights – which works out as £18 per person.

If you really want to hit all the Gavin and Stacey spots, make sure to head to all the local gems.

Spend some time on Whitmore Bay, in the arcade on the slots, or grab a coffee from Marco’s Cafe.

Barry Island Pleasure Park is bound to be a hit with the kids – take a ride on the Giant Wheel, zip down the Log Flume, and head onto the spooky Ghost Train.

For another filming location, stop in at The Tadross Hotel which doubles as Uncle Bryn’s local, The Dolphin.

Along with a drink, you can watch live music performances, have a game of pool and enjoy plenty of screened football matches.

Head into Barry town centre to explore its independent shops, cafés and the Goodsheds urban market.

Goodsheds is a new development on an old dockyard with street food and bars and lots of independent shops.

Another spot nearby is Porthkerry Country Park which has 220 acres of woodland and meadowland, and is crossed by a huge Victorian-era viaduct.

There’s also a children’s play area, a café and a number of picnic tables.

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Dominant football win moves defending La Liga champions to second place in the standings, five adrift of archrivals Madrid.

Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford struck for Barcelona as they earned a 3-1 win over Elche in La Liga to bounce back from last weekend’s El Clasico defeat and move back into second place to trail leaders Real Madrid by five points.

Barca continued to struggle in defence and Elche had chances to cause an upset on Sunday, scoring through Rafa Mir, with the striker also twice hitting the woodwork.

Hansi Flick’s Barca have failed to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive league games, in the midst of an injury crisis.

The champions were missing Pedri, Gavi, and Joan Garcia among others, but were able to bring on Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo following spells out of action.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal underwhelmed in last week’s defeat by Real Madrid after coming back from a groin issue, but looked more spritely against Elche.

Coached by Eder Sarabia, a former Barcelona assistant coach under Quique Setien, the ninth-placed visitors came to play and impressed.

Barca took the lead after nine minutes when Alejandro Balde drove forward and fed Yamal in the area.

The winger took a touch to set himself and then whipped a clinical finish past former Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena, a teammate of his last season.

Three minutes later, Torres doubled the hosts’ advantage, tapping home after Fermin Lopez broke into space down the left and provided an inch-perfect cross.

The striker revealed a T-shirt paying tribute to Valencia, his home region, a year on from the deadly flooding that hit Spain’s east coast.

Lopez and Rashford fired narrowly off-target while Pena saved from Torres as Barca squandered some presentable chances.

Mir pulled a goal back shortly before half-time. Barca tried to catch the forward offside, but he was in his own half when he was played in. Mir bent a shot past Ronald Araujo and Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and in at the far post.

Torres might have scored again before the interval, but Pena produced a superb save to tip his strike to safety.

Early in the second half, Mir clipped the top of the crossbar with a curling effort as Elche battled well.

Rashford sealed Barca’s victory with a superb finish after Lopez picked him out with a cross, for his second league goal of the campaign.

Veteran goalkeeper Szczesny pushed a Mir effort onto the post to save Barca sweating over their advantage in the final stages.

“It was very important to start strong and intense. From there, we could take the game where we wanted it to go,” Torres told DAZN.

“We knew the type of game they were going to play, and we started very strong. We were a bit off afterwards, but we found our spirit and our intensity again in the second half.”