What makes a good hotel? It's a question I have to answer every year when searching for new entries for the Good Hotel Guide. As this selection for the 2010 edition demonstrates, there is no overriding ingredient, rather a series of factors that combine to create a happy experience. The answer is as varied as the places I have chosen for this list. You might ask why there are only five actual hotels; the others are inns, restaurants-with-rooms or B&Bs. This is a reflection of changing patterns in British hospitality. A closer look shows that what these places have in common is excellence in these key categories…
FOOD The quality of the cooking in British hotels has improved dramatically in the last decade. Look in particular at the inns and restaurants below. Increasingly today when young chefs open their own ventures, they are choosing to run inns or affordable restaurants, rather than pretentious Michelin-star seeking expense-account places.
BREAKFAST Who cooks bacon and eggs for themselves? But who can resist the full monty when staying at a hotel. Breakfast is the most underrated meal. It is frequently better at a B&B than in a more expensive hotel, which is just one reason we include the better B&Bs.
STYLE This is a personal choice: I might like minimalism while you like chintz. It is not necessarily the chosen style that matters, rather that the design theme has been thought through and is coherent. You can always tell when someone with flair has decorated a hotel.
RULES Bossy little notices telling guests what they can and can't do are a turn-off, suggesting that a place is being run for the benefit of the owner rather than the guests. Limited breakfast times are a particular irritation. I prefer the hotelier who was asked about the hours for breakfast. "What time would you like breakfast?" he replied.
THE LITTLE THINGS The small gestures make all the difference. The warmth of the welcome; fresh flowers at reception and in the bedroom; a receptionist who carries your bag to your room; decent bedside lights (do hoteliers ever try out their own rooms?); fresh milk and home-made biscuits with the room tea tray.
LOCATION You can change most things about a hotel except its location, which does matter. Look how many of the hotels in this list are in attractive villages or wonderful rural or seaside settings. Coaching inns are an honourable exception as, by definition, they are on main roads or routes.
INNS
1. The Fox Inn, Lower Oddington, Gloucestershire
In a quiet Cotswold village, this creeper-clad old pub has flagstone floors, beams and old fireplaces. Service is informal but standards are high, with local ingredients in well-presented modern dishes. There are three bedrooms: the Garden Room, the largest, has a double aspect, sloping ceilings, wallpaper in winter berry tones and checked tweedy curtains. Breakfast is continental with delicious croissants.
• 01451 870555; foxinn.net. B&B from £34; dinner £30
2. The Anchor Inn, Lower Froyle, Hampshire
Nostalgia is to the fore at this handsome old inn. Imperial memorabilia (rifle cases, helmets, bugles) in the bar, lounge and dining room; period books and photographs in bedrooms named after first world war poets. Unpretentious modern dishes are served in the dining room. Breakfast is an informal affair in the bar, with good local bacon, sausage and black pudding.
• 01420 23261; anchorinnatlowerfroyle.co.uk. B&B from £45; dinner £35
3. Charles Cotton Hotel, Derbyshire
There's a happy buzz in this 17th-century coaching inn in the attractive Peak District village of Hartington. The large bar is busy with locals; imaginative meals are served in the simple dining room with generous portions (just the thing after a day's walking). The bedrooms, in the main house and a converted stable block, have beams, white-painted walls, pine furnishings. Children are welcome (family rooms have bunk beds), as are dogs.
• 01298 84229; charlescotton.co.uk. B&B from £30; dinner, B&B (minimum two nights) from £49. (All room prices in this article are per person per night)
4. The Elephant, Pangbourne, Berkshire
The elephant theme is played up in the public rooms of this hotel in a village by the Thames. The decor and furnishings have oriental references; the public bar is like a village local. The staff are warm, the bedrooms are attractive, and the cooking is good without pretension.
• 0118 984 2244; elephanthotel.co.uk. B&B from £70; dinner, B&B from £100
5. The Black Swan, Ravenstonedale, Cumbria
This once run-down Victorian inn in the village of Ravenstonedale has been renovated by Alan and Louise Dinnes, who have reopened the village shop in a downstairs room. There are real ales in the bar and traditional dishes using local produce. Bedrooms are well-equipped; two are in a ground-floor annexe with outdoor access (dogs are welcome here). There are family rooms, and games and DVDs for children. Breakfast is English kippers, chorizo and Serrano ham.
• 01539 623204; blackswanhotel.com. B&B from £37.50; dinner £27
Restaurants with rooms
6. The Marquis at Alkham, Kent
This white-painted 200-year-old inn with Kentish clapboard additions has been given a makeover as a restaurant-with-rooms. The inviting interiors are contemporary: wide-beam oak flooring, dark wood tables, exposed brickwork, pale grey walls. Charles Lakin's three-course menu is a well-balanced celebration of English produce, with local wines.
• 01304 873410; themarquisatalkham.co.uk. B&B from £37.50; dinner, B&B from £55
7. The New Angel, Dartmouth, Devon
John Burton Race's superb cooking is the draw to this restaurant facing the estuary. Six smart, modern bedrooms have been added in a house on a nearby side street. Each has its own character: Mill Pool has pastel colours and softwood furnishings; Old Mill Creek has a high ceiling and is bright by day, quiet at night. The unpretentious atmosphere in the restaurant matches the quality of the food.
• 01803 839425; thenewangel.co.uk. B&B from £37.50; dinner from £24.50
8. Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire
The view from the restaurant on the Three Choirs Estate has a hint of Tuscany, looking over vines to the Malvern hills. On weeknights hotel guests can join a visit to the winery (£5) with tastings. Good fresh ingredients are served with interesting garnishings. Eight of the rooms are in a single-storey building with French windows. Three newer, Scandinavian-style lodge rooms stand among vines.
• 01531 890223; three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk. B&B from £42.50; dinner, B&B from £92.50
9. Castle Cottage, Harlech, Gwynedd
Glyn and Jacqueline Roberts are friendly hosts at this historic restaurant-with-rooms. The restaurant, a converted 17th-century coaching inn, is the centrepiece: Glyn champions local and Welsh producers for his menu of modern dishes. Three of the bedrooms are in the main building, the others in a Grade II-listed stone cottage next door.
• 01766 780479; castlecottageharlech.co.uk. B&B from £55; dinner, B&B from £88
10. Llys Meddyg, Newport, Pembrokeshire
In a seaside town within the Pembrokeshire national park, this Georgian townhouse, once a coaching inn, is now a restaurant-with-rooms. Scott Davies's cooking is inventive but not over-elaborate: fish and meat are locally sourced, herbs and vegetables come from a garden at the back.
• 01239 820008; llysmeddyg.com. B&B from £50; dinner, B&B from £75
Cool B&Bs
11. Shakespeare House, Buckinghamshire
William Shakespeare is said to have stayed at this Elizabethan coaching inn in the village of Grendon Underwood. It has been renovated in theatrical style: the dining room has opulent black-and-white curtains and coordinated tableware; the drawing room has huge patterned sofas and a log fire in the inglenook. The bedrooms vary in size; some have a private bathroom across the hall (robes supplied). A good set dinner is cooked on request.
• 01296 770776; shakespeare-house.co.uk. B&B from £42.50; dinner, B&B from £77.50
12. Swan House, Hastings, East Sussex
This 15th-century cottage has been given an elegant look by Brendan McDonagh and Lionel Copley, who have furnished it with items from their online emporium. The bedrooms have beams, white walls and floorboards, and simple furnishings. Breakfast is freshly squeezed orange juice, superb bacon, and local bread.
• 01424 430014; swanhousehastings.co.uk. B&B from £57.50
13. A Corner of Eden, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
This charming Grade II-listed farmhouse is surrounded by dramatic countryside between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. There is a fire in the lounge, and lots of books and magazines; a butler's pantry has homemade cakes; bread, crackers, cheese and fruit are included. Because of planning restrictions, none of the four bedrooms has facilities en suite.
• 015396 23370; acornerofeden.co.uk B&B from £65; dinner £30
14. Trafford Bank Guest House, Inverness
A former bishop's house in mature gardens a short walk from the city centre has been turned into a B&B by interior designer Lorraine Freel. She has furnished it with a mix of antiques and contemporary furniture. The luxurious bedrooms have hospitality tray, decanter of sherry, silent fridge and flat-screen television.
• 01463 241414; traffordbankguesthouse.co.uk. B&B from £40
15. Bryniau Golau Bala, Gwynedd
Sunsets are breathtaking at this Victorian house on the edge of Snowdonia National Park with views over Bala Lake. There is plenty of space in the sitting room and study, and the garden has lots of hidden corners Bedrooms are impeccable: two have four-posters. Breakfast, served at a long table in a room with a grand piano, has freshly squeezed orange juice, local sausages and bacon. A three-course dinner will be cooked by arrangement.
• 01678 521782; bryniau-golau.co.uk. B&B £40; dinner £25
Hotels
16. Whitehouse, Chillington, Devon
Backed by a delightful garden, this Georgian house has been given a contemporary feel with wooden floors, leather sofas, log fires, books and games. The service is informal and unfussy. The bedrooms have big handmade beds, plasma TV, DVD player and Wi-Fi. Local and organic ingredients are sourced for the modern cooking.
• 01548 580505; whitehousedevon.com. B&B from £90; dinner £45
17. Verzon House, Ledbury, Herefordshire
This handsome Georgian farmhouse has been renovated in classic style. The building has original cornices, an inlaid staircase and open fires. Bedrooms have fruit, sweets and a fridge with water, apple juice and fresh milk. Modern American and European dishes are served in the dining room.
• 01531 670381; verzonhouse.com. B&B from £57.50; dinner £39.50
18. Dunvalanree, Carradale, Argyll
Alan and Alyson Milstead's hotel/restaurant has splendid views across Kilbrannan Sound. Bedrooms are comfortable and well presented. She is a superb cook, using local seafood for her short table d'hôte menus. Breakfast includes organic porridge.
• 01583 431226; dunvalanree.com. B&B from £51; dinner, B&B from £71
19. The Lovat, Fort Augustus, Highland
On the shore of Loch Ness, this hotel has been renovated with a judicious mix of traditional and modern. A biomass burner provides heating and hot water; eco-friendly cleaning products are used. There is a brasserie and a more formal restaurant.
• 01456 459250; thelovat.com. B&B from £40; dinner from £26
20. Langass Lodge, North Uist
In an isolated setting above Locheport in the Western Isles, this former hunting lodge has been renovated and extended as an elegant modern hotel. The bedrooms are in the main house and in a hillside extension with a fabulous outlook over Langass sea loch to Skye. Visitors can dine in the bar or more formally in the restaurant. John Buchanan's short menus specialise in seafood (sometimes gathered from his own boat and pots).
• 01876 580285; langasslodge.co.uk. B&B from £45; dinner from £28. One-night bookings occasionally refused
• The Good Hotel Guide 2010: Great Britain & Ireland costs £17.50 including p&p from The Good Hotel Guide, 50 Addison Avenue, London W11 4QP, or contact 020 7602 4182; goodhotelguide.com
