Boutique on a budget
Good hotel design is becoming more affordable, and it’s about time. As someone who spends more than their fair share of time living out of a suitcase, finding an affordable hotel (eg, within expense account limits) with a boutique feel is a nice change from the carbon-copy hotels that exist across the country.
This week I faced a conundrum. My client was in Basingstoke, about 45 minutes from central London by train. Basingstoke, for those who don’t know it, is a relatively industrial town with lots of mid-tier companies calling it their home. Consequently, there are quite a few business travellers spending the night on any given day.
There are two major chain hotels in Basingstoke – a Hilton and a Holiday Inn. Both wanted over £150 per night for a room, and according to most of the web reports I could find, both were absolute dumps – 1960s motels which had been franchised in the 80s, with little improvement since then. Anecdotal reports from my client confirmed my suspicions: I knew exactly what to expect before I’d even set foot inside the door.
I’ve stayed in hotels like these across the world.
By chance, we’d had a management team away day the previous week, held at the new Park Plaza hotel just opposite Parliament and right on the river. We’d selected the hotel because they’d offered us a good conference rate, and the hotel itself was lovely.
A cunning Plan B emerged. Stay at the Park Plaza, just beside Waterloo, and catch the train each morning. Room rates at this 4-star hotel were only £119 per night. The rooms are all very modern, spotlessly clean, and very well designed with all the toys. I had a mini bar, flat-screen TV, DVD player, and a river view to top it all off. There was a great cocktail bar downstairs and a Latin-Japanese fusion restaurant off the lobby. They served sushi from a Nobu-trained chef.
Is it the greatest hotel I’ve ever stayed in? No. Customer service could use a little work, and the location isn’t the most convenient for public transportation. But for £119 per night in Central London, it must represent one of the biggest bargains around. And a welcome change for a weary business traveller.
