O'ANNE AND O'DAVE HOTEL RATINGS in the UK

How we rate restaurants and hotels:		General total score :
We walk in with zero points and an open mind. If an aspect is not remarkable, it gets zero points. If any aspect is remarkable, it gets one point, either way. Add up the points. Simple.		- = we will not return 0 = We won't return unless we are desperate 1 = We will return if in the area 2 = We will go out of our way to return 3 = We plan entire trips to return

Back to the Travel Index

Arrochar Hotel
Road A83, Arrochar, Argyll, Scotland PA65 6BB

Located at the head of Loch Long, right next to Loch Lomond. Older, lovely large hotel, an ancient wooden staircase begs for photos, an elevator whose actions and groans can give you heart palpitations. The room are pinched, no nonsense, basic but clean. The dining room downstairs supplies you with a large, elegant menu with impeccable service, the food is the same. Strange electronic noises kept us awake, alas, and the lounge lizard sang way past ten. We would stay there again, I think, knowing it is slightly pretentious, but perhaps we would stay on Loch Lomond instead. I didn't keep any of the notes from dinner, but it was good food, a teensy bit formal for our tastes.

Cara House
44 Castlegate, Berwick Upon Tweed, England TD15 1JT - website

Thank goodness for Pam Thompson at Cara House. We were stuck without a room in Berwick, David Whyteside called Pam and saved her last, unprepared room for us.Lovely homey rooms and baths, although quite small. Add a few extra 'guests' and it was a delight.

The Cocked Hat
Rugby Road (A428) at A46, Coventry, England CV3 2AW

This looks like a building out of a Charles Dickins novel, the original building now the pub, the hotel has 25 single, double and family rooms. Hair dryer can be borrowed from the friendly front desk. The shower is a step-up bathtub, quite difficult for the oldsters. £50/$75 a night. Some rooms are tiny, some quite spacious. The suite (room#5) opens into the back grass and patio area. Free wifi (rare) and within walking distance to Morrison's Super Store. The pub's food was good standard faire, reasonable prices, friendly staff, always delicious and reliable. Highly recommended!

Elizabethian Town House
8 Sidey Court, Berwick Upon Tweed, England TD15 1DR

We made reservations over a month in advance, received confirmation in email with a request to call when we left Chillingham so the owner, David McLean, would have some idea of the hour of our arrival. True to my word, we called once we left Wooler, and there was no answer, nor was there an answering machine. The address we were given ends up to be the Whyteside House, where I met David Whyteside, a very kind gentleman who calls David McClean to advise we were around the corner. We walked around to the Elizabethian, and waited, and waited. A blonde passing by, noticing us standing by the front door told us getting a hold of the proprietor was night unto impossible, and staying there was not the best idea. We waited a while longer, and finally David answered the door. He had no record of the reservation, we followed him back to his office where he roamed through endless scarps of paper, and informed us he still had no record of the reservations, and had only a family room open, and it would be twice the quoted price. We left without a word. Thank goodness for Mr Whyteside, I returned there, he made a few calls and we took the one last, unprepared room at the Cara House, thankfuly, again, around the corner. We do NOT recommend the Elizabethian under ANY circumstance.

Galloway Arms
Crocketford, Dumfries, Scotland DG2 8RA - website

This is remembered as one of our best stays. Graceful detail and ageless elegance. It is an older building, which we love, that has been updated, which we love even more, and the owners were nothing short of fantastic. We were one of the few guests just after the end of season, and as we needed wifi to maintain our business, they gave us one of the most lovely rooms at the top of the stairs. It was a huge room with a desk and couch, lovely walk-in shower, incredible space for your belongings, a good bed and a heavy duvet. The Arms offers two bars, a dining room with food that will please even the pickiest of eaters. The menu is endless, the lasagna, the salmon and the chicken were outstanding. the chef, Peter Forster, was wonderful. Thank you, James, Jodie and Pat. If ever we should be in the area, we will return without a doubt.

Hadrian Hotel
Hadrian's Wall, Hadrian, England NE46 4EE- website

This was a delightful surprise. The building is old but delightful, the room was quite large and comfy, the bath was equally large and enjoyable. Two chairs, two nightstands and a desk receive extra smiles and points. The downstairs dining room had a full bar and excellent food. The staff are as nice and as friendly as can be. Again, we were the only Americans.

Hall Park Hotel & Spa
23 Carlton Road, Workington, Cumbria, England CA14 4BX - website

The proprietor, Susan, was delightful and made us feel like we were at home. We talked about ghosts at length and when we left, she presented me with a book, Cumbria Ghost Stories. She gave us a great room with the old original skeleton key on the second floor. The bath was teensy, but all ours. Very nicely done, extremely clean and luxurious feeling, private parking,  lovely house. The bed, location, bar, owner and decor received positive points. the shower, toilet, bath space and towel bar, no place to put things and loud pipes received negative points.

Hotel 53
53 Picadilly, York, North Yorkshire, England YO1 9PL - website

Interesting. Very stuffy, glass and brass and seriously upper crust, and one of the few rooms left in York. Yet, when I discovered the couple next door were having a good time, quite loudly, in the middle of the afternoon, the manager changed my room without batting an eyelash. A bit futuristic for us, but a good stay. Wild menu. I still want to know where there are no electical plugs for the hair dryer in the bathrooms. One of the few places that had a small threshold for the shower, opposed to a tub height (where the instant water heater lives).

Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa
Road A849, Craignure, Isle of Mull, Scotland PA65 6BB

We had high hopes based on their name, but we were bitterly disappointed. The room was standard, the bed simply un-usable. They did replace the bed at our request, but they never rid the bathroom of the mold between the tiles, claiming they never saw any despite my post it notes and arrows. The location is stunning, the views stunning, the attitude not anything I could relate to. Possibly they have been reading their own brochures too often. The menu was octopus or venison or duck, far too rich for my simpler tastes. Thank goodness they stocked Drambuie and an thirty five year scotch. Most San Francisco establishments offer a far better holiday. We would be much happeir at the Craignure Inn despite it's tiny rooms and will go there next year.

Premier Inn Camelon
Main Street, Camelon, Falkirk, Scotland FK1 4DS

A good standard place, reliable and in almost every large town. And they always have a restaurant attached. However, some of these hotels lack any extras at all. At least they are reliable, the handicaps rooms are spacious. This particular one lacked towel racks, note paper, an iron, phone or any extras.

Premier Inn Queensferry
Builyeon Road, Queensferry, Scotland EH30 9YJ

A another reliable stay, but with a more international flavor considering they are near the Edinburgh airport. Baggage weighs, very busy and bustling, but no alarm clocks. At least they had room phones! You have to pay for wifi by the half hour and the food at the attached Brewer's Faire was just that, fair, but I tire of the food by now. The waiter was an idiot.

The Spread Eagle Hotel
20 High Street, Jedburgh, Scotland TD8 6AG

This was our last stop before a night near the airport and the return flight home. Thanks to good fortune, the Spread Eagle was able to put us up for an additional night due to an idiot losing our reservations at the hotel before this one! John Campbell is a total sweetheart. When we could not find a laundry, he volunteered his hotel services for us! The room was excellent, with a fake fireplace that just warmed the room with its appearance, two end tables (a major plus for us) an iron bed and two chairs next to a bar table. The bathroom was superb with radiant heating in the floor. Dinner was downstairs in the hotel, a quiet dining room for clients only, a tad uncomfy in that there was only two couples and we could hear each other's conversations, opposed to a bustling, noisy restaurant, but the food was excellent and service was impeccable.

Back to the Travel Index