Sheesh - seems like ages since I've been here. So many changes, business up and running - bred my f...
Sheesh - seems like ages since I've been here. So many changes, business up and running - bred my first litter of labs - moved house - guess I had better work on catching up now!
Member since:20.03.2001
Reviews:275
Members who trust:170
Coventry is a city I lived in for a number of years, and during my student nurse days I used to drive past the Royal Court (at that point independently owned) and wonder what exactly lay behind those high walls and bushes, most certainly at that point in time some 20 years ago I never thought I would be lucky enough to find out.
However thanks to some business links in Coventry with my then new job, I found myself needing to make numerous visits to the city. On social visits I nearly always used to stay with a friend just around the corner from the Royal Court, but as her family continued to grow, and I just kept on growing - it no longer became an option. I was due to attend a conference at the Royal Court, but working in the public sector cost is of the essence – although further investigation got us a very reasonable conference rate of £42.50 B&B and free parking – something that continues to become a rare commodity in many hotels.
SETTING & LOCATION The Royal Court is situated in the Keresley area of Coventry, about 3 miles from this vibrant city. The hotel is set in roughly 11 acres of parkland, with the traditional manor house having
restored to its former glory, with modern accommodation tastefully added on. The Royal Court is close to the M42, NEC and Birmingham Airport and motorway network linking North with South, making it the ideal location for onward travel to a variety of locations throughout the UK.
RECEPTION Reception is a very grand affair, reminiscent of the splendour more often associated with the more up-market Spanish hotels. The hotel has a number of grand conference rooms (accommodating about 600 people in total) and offers excellent overnight rates to participants. In common with the other Britannia hotels I have stayed in, and unlike any other hotel chain, a swipe will be taken from your credit card for the cost of the room, plus an extra amount for add-ons and you will be expected to SIGN for it – most hotel just take an authorisation, no signature you will then be expected to go through the whole process again when you check out. You will be issued with a card that allows you to charge expenses to your room
The hotel does list rack rates in reception, but like many other hotels, charges appear to vary dependent on the day of the week, demand and the reason for your stay. To check out the prices check the Internet site at www.britanniahotels.com. If you are attending a conference at the hotel you may do better contacting the hotel directly to establish if any deals have been struck.
BEDROOMS The bedrooms were fairly standard fare although somewhat larger than many other hotels I have stayed in; rather old-fashioned with a with portable colour TV, including limited Sky channels (no remote control), wardrobe, trouser press (in wardrobe), seats, desk area and telephones. They are all en-suite, mine had a rather distasteful brown, bathroom suite; some rooms have a shower, others a bath, but it appears from our experiences not the two combined which didn’t make for easy hair washing. All rooms appeared to allow smoking, quite unusual in these health conscious times.
BARS There are two bars on site, one overlooking the swimming pool (closed during our visit) and another overlooking the splendid gardens with plenty of nice comfy seating areas a pool table and a couple of gaming machines. Drinks are not too cheap, we paid around £2.40 for a pint of Fosters, £5.50 for a double G&T.
RESTAURANTS There is a Carvery restaurant on site that we did not visit, electing to try out Pizza hut in the city, one of the few remaining outlets of theirs you can actually smoke in, therefore prices unknown, sorry.
BREAKFAST This was an interesting feast on a serve yourself buffet basis consisting of a wide range of cereals, juices and fresh fruit, followed by self service full English, offering, o Hash browns, o Sausages, o Bacon, o Fried or scrambled egg o Black pudding o Fried bread, o Fried potatoes, o Mushrooms, o Beans, o Tomatoes
Accompanied by toast and coffee or tea.
The breakfast room appeared rather small and we had to wait for a good few minutes because of the apparent absence of available staff.
PARKING The hotel offers extensive free parking facilities within its grounds.
LESIURE FACILITIES There is a good size swimming pool and gymnasium at the hotel, although unusually the use of these does not come free, even for guests.
The charges for overnight guests is £2.50/day, for day guests is £10/day and there are hefty membership registration fees and monthly charges for locals. I guess with some of the fantastic overnight rates offered by Britannia in their outlets they have to make their money somehow.
SUMMARY A nice hotel in a pleasant location, but if you want lots of pubs and nightclubs within walking distance you may well do better to check out the Britannia Hotel in the town centre.
Would I stay there again? You bet – in fact I was actually booked in here the weekend of the Ciao Meet, Double room B&B for £50 per room per night, booked via the internet. Unfortunately as I was ill I had to cancel, and this is where the fun started – the hotel still charged both nights cancellation charges to my credit card as a no show – despite the fact that I had actually cancelled as per their Terms and Conditions in good time, two days before with the night manager. Cancellation without penalty is supposedly allowed up 4pm on the day of planned arrival.
To say I was not impressed was an understatement – it took about 2 weeks for me to get my money back after they had launched an investigation. So if you do have to cancel, I would make sure you get a name and confirm by e-mail/in writing. Still it is a nice hotel with good (if pricey) facilities, close to my friends house and easy to get to.
CONTACT DETAILS Royal Court Hotel Tamworth Road Keresley Coventry CV7 8JG Tel : 02476 334171 Fax : 02476 333478
The Britannia Coventry Hotel is a newly refurbished hotel located right in the heart of ... more
the city, adjacent to the historically famous Coventry Cathedral. A former De Vere hotel, the hotel remains a major Midlands conference and banqueting place. The Fl...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Britannia Coventry Hotel is a newly refurbished hotel located right in the heart of ... more
the city, adjacent to the historically famous Coventry Cathedral. A former De Vere hotel, the hotel remains a major Midlands conference and banqueting place. The Fl...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
excl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: 5,92/10 - The Britannia Coventry is located right in the ... more
heart of Coventry city centre and department stores are just on the doorstep. Birmingham Int'l Airport BHX 20 mi, Coventry Airport CVT 6 mi, Coventry Cathedral 0.1 m...
Right in the heart of the city the hotel adjoins the historically famous Coventry ... more
Cathedral The pleasant reception area with its marbled floors gives this hotel a modern and professional welcome All 192 en suite bedrooms are furnished and decorated to...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Next to the famous cathedral, with the city’s shopping centre and department stores on its ... more
doorstep, a mere 20-minute drive from the NEC, NIA, ICC and Birmingham Symphony Hall.Enjoying a superb location in central Coventry, the Britannia Hotel offers f...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Advantages: Nice rooms, good rates (even rack), good service, convenient location Disadvantages: Food could be better, no leisure facilities, out of town
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