Roomzzz, Manchester

Aparthotel Roomzzz has now opened in Manchester, occupying the building previously known as the Yang Sing Oriental Boutique Hotel which went bust earlier in 2009 (I previously reviewed it here). Roomzzz is in essence an "Aparthotel", that is, it caters more for the traveller that wants to be self-sufficient during their stay, for example, by cooking their own meals. In my view, that tends to be the family market, which this hotel - by nature of it's design/decoration - isn't suited to. As with the previous Yang Sing, reception is located in the basement and if you're dropping bags off in your car, it is difficult with the hotel being located by a major set of traffic lights with double yellow lines on and no pull in bay of any kind. Reception is nicely decorated, very contemporary and gives a good opening account of the hotel along with the pleasant reception staff. Rooms are spread across five floors, we stayed in room 406 (a Grande Studio) on the fourth floor overlooking Princess Street, with the advantage being it's a bit quieter for the traffic noise, which can be substantial given the hotels location. The room was well laid out, had a lovely bathroom (albeit with leaking bath and a shower curtain - rather than screen) with an integrated TV which you could watch whilst having a soak in the bath . With the hotel previously being a top of the range boutique hotel, you quickly notice that some of the fixtures and fittings are of top quality (like the bath TV) and others aren't, with the new owners re-fitting it to their spec which is more cost conscious (desks and wardrobes). Also worthy of note is that most rooms only have a shower, bath's are by special request. Each room has it's own mini-kitchen, which did feel rather strange in a boutique style hotel and the units looked quite out of place in the rooms. Nevertheless, if you want to cook your own food, you'll find they have everything you need. For the business traveller, you get free wireless, a work station (which was too small in my view) and i-mac in each room, a couple of bottles of small mineral water I think would be a good addition. The LG LCD TV took some figuring out, only by having the same model at home was I able to get some channels going, so I'm sure this will mean quite a few calls to reception by guests staying. Staying on the subject of being a business traveller, for me, when I stay at a hotel on business I generally like to sit in a bar during the evening and do a bit of work or eat in the hotel restaurant in order to feel not quite as isolated. Roomzzz has neither, so if you prefer that things yourself, Roomzzz won't be for you. They sell food at reception, but not alcohol if you fancy a beer in your room whilst working, which seems really strange. Breakfast is a concept called "grab and go" which basically means some croissants, fruit and pastries in reception with a coffee machine (pastries I grabbed were stale). It won't suit everyone, especially if you need to set yourself up for the day and it was missing some carry bags or other method - other than a napkin - of getting it back to your room. I think they'd be better to just deliver this to the room in bags hung on your door, like other hotels I've stayed in. Bed was comfortable. The room had a free safe (albeit it was right at the bottom of the wardrobe, which means hands and feet to lock it) and the quality of the room overall was to expectation with high ceilings and some exposed beams, which makes it stand out from the lifeless chain hotels that you often stay in. The standard rooms called Smart Studios seemed comfortable, although some seemed quite basic and a little cold. One other thing not to forget is that you will be charged car parking, the closest car park is the Q-park a couple of streets up from Roomzzz, overnight will cost you around £18, so it's important to factor this into your budget, they do offer at 25% discount at NCP but the staff seemed a little unsure on how to get this. On the plus side, most other hotels in Manchester don't have parking and the wireless internet is free, which you can offset the parking cost against. The key thing to remember is that it is more about renting an apartment for the night and there are very few "hotel facilities", so if you want a bar and a restaurant, stay somewhere else such as The Radisson Edwardian. I would always pay the difference and go for a Grande Studio if it were me which you can get for around £99 per night, midweek. The hotel doesn't have an official star rating, so I'd put the rooms around 4P and the facilities at 3P, given that they don't really offer much. Overall, I think the Roomzzz aparthotel will be good value if you can get the right rate, breakfast is unimportant and you're eating out or don't mind preparing your own food.

Hoxton Hotel, London E1.

Sat in the heart of Hoxton, the uber cool area of E1, the Hoxton Hotel has been open around 3 years. It was my first stay. Public areas are lovely, really cool, nicely designed and a real feeling of spaciousness. At night, it came alive with lots of diners, people having drinks and talking. Checking in, I felt the front desk could have done better, all my attempts at starting a conversation were cut pretty well dead. It felt very cold and matter of fact, one of the basics that so many hotels get wrong. Everyone is dressed very casually, part of the overall "image" of the hotel and that contributes to the look/feel the hotel is trying to create. My room (number 624) was at the end of a corridor and looked out onto the back of an office block where they could see right into the room (I pulled the curtains over most of the time). Overall it was comfortable enough, however I felt it lacked a bit of character. Classic concrete coloured wall, wenge coloured furniture and fittings. Bathroom was modern, with shower (no bath) and Aveda toiletries, my shower leaked which flooded the bathroom floor (I reported it the following morning, so will no doubt be sorted). Plus points are free wireless, free safe and the cute breakfast bag that you hang outside your door for the morning. I hired a meeting room too, which I found to be really good. No noise. Good facilities and plenty of refreshments on hand whenever you want them. Parking is a bit of a challenge, outside the hotel is a red zone, so you'll need to go round the back if dropping off. Tube wise, Old Street is only a short walk away. There are plenty of nice restaurants around the hotel, I booked a table at The Rivington Grill round the corner, which was really nice, no real complaints other than the "non personality" staff, that's London for you. Overall the Hoxton Hotel is a nice hotel, they've thought through conceptually what they stand for, the public areas are lovely and the rooms comfortable. I liked their quirky signs in the room, the bills that said "here's the damage" at the top. If they sort the welcome out, I'd go back.

Official Rating 5*

My Rating 4P

De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton

Stayed in an executive room here for a conference, I wouldn't go back. The hotel is tired and the room was hot. On the positive side it was reasonably close for the ships/shops and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast was OK and the food during the conference was of a good standard.

Official Rating 4*

My rating - 3P

Crowne Plaza, Marlow

Hidden where nobody would find it, The Crowne Plaza, Marlow is a hidden gem. Set on the banks of Thames and accessed via an industrial park, it's hard to predict your expectations on the drive to it. A typical business traveller hotel, it's tastefully decorated in a modern/contemporary design throughout the hotel which lifted it above competitor hotels in the area. Public areas are clean and modern. The rooms are very comfortable with the picture inset being a realistic reputation of the style of the rooms (the bathrooms let it down a bit, however on balance it's comfortable). There's a good size desk in the room for work, which I think is a good shout. My usual bugbear of the cost of internet access is repeated here, £14.95 for 24 hours I think is excessive, my Vodafone wireless dongle couldn't get a signal here, so you have to put up or shut up. Drinks and food are a little on the high side, typical of a big chain. A pint will set you back just short of a fiver and dinner was around £25 for two courses, although I will say that the food quality was good for a chain. Service overall was also good. Good welcome on reception, enthusiastic waiters in the bar, attentive in the restaurant. They have a nice gym, pool, mini-spa with outside hot tub, which was a nice bonus after a long day. As a regular traveller down this neck of the woods, I normally stay at The Holiday Inn at High Wycombe. If you can get a comparable rate, I would recommend you stay here instead. Official rating 4*, My rating 4P.

The Shendish Manor Hotel, Hemel Hempstead

If you're heading Hemel Hempstead way and want an alternative hotel to the well know business hotels like Holiday Inn, you could think about this place, The Shendish Manor.

First things first, it's not the easiest of places to find. It's entrance is tucked away from the main road. First time I stayed there, my SatNav couldn't find the place and I spent forever trying to track the place down. However, second time was easier. Also, don't be tricked by the room photos that you see here. Most bookings on the web are actually for the 52 hotel rooms which are in the new wing, they are more contemporary but not nearly as lush or grand. They've had a go at making them "boutique style" but they do fall well short of the standard, nevertheless they are comfortable enough.

The mobile phone network is very poor. Most of the hotel has no signal. Last time I stayed I had one of the few "signal hotspots" right outside my bedroom window and was interrupted by people talking loudly on mobiles all the time. The in-room broadband, although free, isn't particularly good either. So, comms could be a lot better.

The building itself is very pretty and the gardens at the rear are really lovely to sit and have a drink in on a warm summers evening. The main reception has been tastefully decorated and the welcome was warm. The hotel is quiet, not many people in the public areas so it's good if you want to get stuff done. Hemel Hempstead is only a short taxi ride away £5 or £6 and it's worth a ride out for something to eat at one of the restaurants in the Old Village.

In summary, if you want something different than a sanitised chain hotel, give it a try. It cost me £90 on the web (via one of the major room discounters), this included breakfast, so the value isn't bad. A hotel photo gallery can be seen here.

Official Rating: Not rated.

My Rating: 4P - (just). Broadband needs to be better. Rooms are OK but lack a bit of personality. Nevertheless, it's got bags more character than a normal business chain hotel.

Hotel Indigo, London

Decent London hotels, that don't charge the earth are hard to find, this one's a cracker. Hotel Indigo, in Paddington hasn't been open that long and it's a real find.

Bang smack in the centre of London Street, in busy downtown Paddington, you'll find The Indigo. Nestling in amongst a number of bars, restaurants and shops, this is a far more interesting part of London to stay in as a tourist or visitor as there are lots of places to walk out to and the West End is only a short taxi ride away, max £8. My advice is stay here and pay the taxi fare as some of the West End Hotels are way too expensive for what they are.

The rooms are compact, but really comfy, nicely decorated, with all the mod cons and free w-fi, (which is worth fifteen quid on its own, however I do have to comment that the wi-fi and the ethernet was unreliable, regularly dropping out. Rooms don't have baths if you want a good soak after a long day, but they do have walk in showers which are spacious with big shower heads. Room design is contemporary and modern (see picture), with free room safes, plasma TV, i-Pod dock stereo, nice towels and tea/coffee making facilities, Hotel Indigo is great value for money. The room I have stayed in (106) even has a small terrace, which would be nice for a warm day.

The staff have been really welcoming, which is really nice for a London hotel (a smile goes such a long way after a long day) and if this continues, then Hotel Indigo will be seeing me again.

Official Rating - Unknown

My Rating - 4P. Doesn't make 5P, as it's not a 5* hotel, however I would recommend you stay here if visiting London.

Maritim Hotel, Frankfurt

Another one of those "stay here only if you're going to the conference centre next door" hotels. The Maritim Hotel, Frankfurt is aimed at the business market in the financial district of Frankfurt. Lacking atmosphere or distinctness, it stands out for its mediocrity. Rooms are comfortable, yet uninspiring. I'm in a superior room which has cost €255 for the night, not particularly cheap, decor looks like it was last updated around 10 years ago. Internet is €15.00 for 24 hours. The centre is about ten minutes walk up a straight road where you'll find plenty of bars and restaurants. Taxi transfer is around €25 from the airport. Starbucks is around 10 mins walk, on one of the streets opposite the main station.

Official Rating - 4*

My Rating - 3P