Macdonald Castle Hotel, Windsor

Old Macdonald had a 5-star Hotel - eee ai eee ai oh

Advantages: It's spectacular and surprisingly quiet and the best location in the city
Disadvantages: Parking, high prices.

As a student at Oxford University in the late 1980s, the Randolph seemed like the physical embodiment of the class divide that afflicted poor kids like me who came from state schools from the much wealthier students who took the affluence and grandeur of the city's finest hotel entirely in their stride. I'd never been in such a grand hotel and the closest thing to a grand building in my home city was the local branch of Lloyds Bank. My flat mates' parents would arrive each term and take us out to the Randolph for rather staid Sunday lunches in the spectacular high ceilinged dining room where we'd sit and watch the world cycle by through the tall windows. By contrast my parents would visit bringing a bag full of fish and chips or a Chinese take-away. I can't really say that we enjoyed the Randolph that much more than a take ...

koshkha 11.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Norbreck Castle Hotel

Advantages: Out of the town
Disadvantages: Too many people!

I'm glad that I did not get to read any of the reviews before I went to this hotel, or see the Holidays from Hell programme the night before! The hotel can be found along the seafront, about three miles from the main centre of Blackpool, heading out towards Fleetwood. It is now under the Britannia hotels group and it is easily accessible by tram and bus. We used the trams the whole time instead of me driving all the time. My husband, my two youngest children and myself went last week for a couple of nights, after finding an advert which gave a special price of £35 per person dinner bed and breakfast per night. The two children were included free of charge, including their meals. The advert did state that the hotel was ungoing a £7million pound upgrade, and that some services may not be available. This did not deter us as we ...

sarah110 18.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool

Norbreck Castle Hotel - Armish Paradise

Advantages: It has 18 wheeler in the arcade!
Disadvantages: It has secret communes of people hidden away...

I'm laughing as I'm writing this, because I simply cannot believe what we've just experienced! We booked with National Holidays and were given The Norbreck Castle as a dwelling place! I got onto the net and couldn't believe my luck when I was presented with beautiful pictures of a fantastic castle with amazing facilities! We travelled down on the coach looking forward to our stay at this amazing castle! The coach arrived and my jaw quite simply hit the floor. It looks like an eastern european prison. The driver on the coach then announced, "Oh, and by the way folks, you can't check into your rooms untill 3pm!" Which was great, considering it was 10am. We entered the hotel and were greeted with a wonderful 1970s reception with lovely wooden revolving doors which felt as if they were about to fall off. Everything from the reception ...

Dave1976 19.08.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool