...
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS TO THE HOTEL
Ramada Bradford/ Bingley Hotel
Bradford Road
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 1TU
Tel: +44 (0) 1274 567 123
Fax: +44 (0) 1274 551 331
BY ROAD
From M1 Northbound
Take the M1 to junction 42 and join the M62 signposted Bradford. Leave the M62 ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Take the M1 to junction 42 and join the M62 signposted Bradford. Leave the M62 at junction 26 joining the M606 and follow to the end (2 miles approx). At the roundabout, turn right following ... ...hotel.
THE RAMADA BRADFORD AND BINGLEY HOTEL
I phoned reservations and was put through to a very helpful lady called Emily. I explained that the event people at our venue had recommended the hotel and that I was after an advance block booking of several double and single bedrooms for a wedding. Emily explained that we were entitled to the group booking discount, which would include breakfast (as we had already been informed) ... more
Since our wedding venue did not have accommodation on site, we needed to find a budget hotel nearby for our guests and ourselves. Thankfully, our Event Manager suggested a 3 star hotel which was situated about four miles from the venue, with which they had a discount agreement provided they continued to send all newlyweds in their general direction.
We were told we could expect to be charged £65 for a double room and £40 for a single, both including breakfast, which seemed pretty reasonable to us.
Take the M1 to junction 42 and join the M62 signposted Bradford. Leave the M62 at junction 26 joining the M606 and follow to the end (2 miles approx). At the roundabout, turn right following the signs for the A650 (Skipton/Keighley). At the next roundabout go straight over (with Asda on the left). Turn left at next roundabout, past Hollywood Bowl. Continue on A650 until you approach T-junction (approx 5 miles of M606) and turn left towards Shipley and Bingley. Turn right at The Branch Pub and continue for next 2 miles (just before A650 roundabout). The hotel is located on your right-hand side.
From A650 southbound
Follow signs for A650 passing Keighley and Bingley. After passing Bingley on the way to Shipley take first exit off roundabout and turn immediately left. Hotel is located on your left-hand side.
BY TRAIN
Bingley is the nearest mainline station and is situated 2 miles from the hotel.
BY AIR
Leeds/Bradford airport is 7 miles from the hotel.
THE RAMADA BRADFORD AND BINGLEY HOTEL
I phoned reservations and was put through to a very helpful lady called Emily. I explained that the event people at our venue had recommended the hotel and that I was after an advance block booking of several double and single bedrooms for a wedding. Emily explained that we were entitled to the group booking discount, which would include breakfast (as we had already been informed) and that the rooms would be reserved up to a month before the wedding. She told me that if anyone left it until the last minute, they would have a few rooms on standby just in case and that our guests would still be able to use the booking discount to reserve their rooms.
She asked how many guests we were expecting and then booked about 30 mixed double and single rooms. She suggested it might be an idea to ring back in a few weeks to check the status of our booking, as we were not able to increase the number of reserved rooms until a certain number of people had booked.
She then gave me her direct line number and told me to ask for her personally if I had any questions or needed any advice before the big day. So in terms of service, so far, so good.
I didn't actually go to the hotel before the big day because, frankly, it was the least of my concerns. Since we were not holding either the ceremony or the reception at the place, both Mr Tadders and myself saw it as nothing more than a place to lay our heads. We reasoned that even if it was a bit grim, none of our guests would be overly bothered after a day of drinking both at our venue and the hotel bar!
However, I did have a nosey at the directions and facilities, so that I could check that our guests would be looked after, even though they would only be there for a short time.
FACILITIES
The hotel used to be a large country house, set in private grounds, which has been modernised as a hotel. With 103 rooms and set over 3 floors, it offers access to all as well as meeting rooms, bars, a restaurant and 24 hour room service. Parking is free of charge and there are non-smoking rooms available. Basically, it seemed to have everything we needed.
About a month before the wedding I phoned Emily to check on the status of our booking and to double-check that the residents bar would be open when we arrived. Given the alcohol-friendly nature of our family and friends, I naturally assumed that it would be most unlikely that people would want to scuttle off to bed at 12am! And, to be fair, Mr Tadders and myself wanted to stay up too as we'd had a late ceremony and wanted to get the most out of the day. She assured me that it would stay open for as long as we stayed upright and offered to send me a list of all the names of people who had booked along with what we had left. She told me that my room reservation was now closed, but that they still had plenty of available rooms should anyone want to make a last minute booking.
Mr Tadders had decided to stay at the hotel a further night on the day before the wedding, so he had no fears about not getting to the venue on time. I booked a twin bedroom for him and his Best Man at the same time, which Emily added to the original bill with the same discount.
I was quite impressed that I received the room list the following day, as I had neither requested it nor expected it to arrive so quickly. I was equally impressed that notes had been applied to certain rooms, as we were paying for the bridal party and didn't want them to be charged if they attempted to pay on departure. Next to the names of the bridesmaids and Best Man there was a little note to say 'payment covered by bride and groom'. Next to our names it said, 'bride and groom - please ensure they get a nice room', which I thought was quite sweet considering we hadn't asked them to do that. Frankly, we weren't overly bothered because we knew we weren't likely to appreciate it anyway!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I have to admit that my first impressions of the hotel weren't that great and, if I had been staying there on any other day (when I hadn't been so giddy and ever so slightly tipsy), I probably would have been quite unimpressed. The place itself is very grand although it does seem to be in need of renovation. The décor is pretty tatty and old-fashioned and I couldn't decide if this was due to the fact that they were trying to retain the original, traditional feel of the place, or if they were in need of funds to do it. Nevertheless, it wasn't particularly dirty. It just seemed old and in need of a lick of paint and some new wallpaper here and there.
In terms of noise, we came to the right place, because we were far noisier than the other guests and, if any complaints were made that night, I'm 100% certain they would have been aimed at us. We did wonder what the bar staff must have thought when Mr Tadders got out his guitar and his bride wandered in, glass of red wine in hand and launched into song, along with our collective families! The video evidence would suggest that the other residents found it all quite amusing and entertaining and I got the feeling that they were being kind, given that it was clearly our wedding day, but it would have been pretty annoying for anyone wanting a quiet drink in the bar! The bar itself was everything you could need in a bar. There was plenty of seating and, as promised, it stayed open as long as we remained conscious, which was pretty late, or should I say early!!!
THE ROOMS
The hotel claims that each of the 103 rooms comes equipped with an en-suite bathroom, satellite TV, hairdryer, trouser press and direct dial telephone (many with internet access) as well as tea and coffee making facilities.
Given that we went to bed at stupid o'clock, I only got the chance to see our room, although we had to wander the corridors of the hotel for a while to find it. It is by far the strangest place I have stayed with random, narrow corridors leading onto out of place extensions. On the way to our room, we had to cross a narrow bridge, which had clearly not been attached to the original building and which was made of glass, so we could see the garden outside. It didn't particularly bother us, but a 60's style extension on what looks like a gothic mansion doesn't really do it any favours in terms of aesthetic appeal.
When we eventually found it, the room itself was massive and got my approval for decent wheelchair access. There was also a lift leading to most rooms, so I would have to agree with the hotel when it claims to offer access for all. It was equipped with all of the above things, although we didn't use the majority of them.
I did find myself wondering what constituted a 'nice' room, given the note Emily had taken the pains to write next to our names on the room list, because if our room was nice, I felt the standard of the other rooms must have been god awful! I know it was only a 3 star hotel, but if the pictures of the rooms on offer (on the website) were anything to go by, we clearly hadn't been given a nice room. In short, the room did offer everything we had been told it would, but even in my fairly drunken state, it was not exactly pleasing on the eye. It was in deep and dire need of redecoration, not because it was old-fashioned, but because the carpet and flooring looked so worn that it came across as dirty. The bathroom floor was covered with, what can only be described as dirty pink lino, which didn't look as though it had been cleaned properly in years, although the colour didn't help the issue. Having said that, the bathroom itself was clean, but was very much past due a spot of modernisation, as I've stayed in 2 star hotels which have more impressive facilities.
I woke the following morning with make-up all over my face and bad hair, so I decided to test the shower before unleashing my rather wild appearance on any of our guests who might be having breakfast at the same time as us. There's something mildly disappointing about waking up the day after your wedding to realise that the artificial beauty you had managed to muster the day before has disappeared, unlikely to ever return again! I very much doubted the Ramada shower could rectify the Kate Bush hair and eyeliner problem I was experiencing, but decided not to judge a book by its cover and was pleasantly surprised by the heat and power of it. I certainly felt more able to face the day after it, so I take back my snobby comments about the look of the place. It really could do with a makeover, but everything does seem to work and I'd have to agree with the old, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' concept on this one.
BREAKFAST
I wasn't firing on all cylinders that morning, so I wasn't exactly being a fussy Tadders. I think anything coated with lots of grease would have gone down very well, but I was alive enough to realise that there was a wide variety of breakfast choices on offer, even though we only managed to get to breakfast at 10am, which is pretty late.
The fare on offer was pretty bog standard hotel buffet food. However, there was a selection of cereals as well as a continental option, toast, bagels and croissants (with or without jam/butter) and the usual fry up including sausages, eggs, beans, bacon, hash browns and mushrooms, which was obviously the option for me! There was a choice of sauces and, in terms of drinks, there was a selection of fruit juices along with tea, coffee and milk. Basically, there was everything you really needed and the staff were friendly and helpful if there was anything you couldn't find, so it got the thumbs up from me.
FINAL OPINION
I would recommend this hotel for a flying visit. It's a good place to stay over if you are meeting anyone in the immediate area, or if you fancy taking in the sights of Haworth or Keighley and want somewhere cheap and cheerful to stay.
I have read reviews on this hotel which state some people had difficulty sleeping due to the noise of the old boiler situated directly under their room, or who had temperature issues (either too hot or too cold) due to broken thermostats, or bad seals on the old windows. We may have been under the influence, but we didn't experience a problem here. The bed was comfy and we were warm enough without being overheated.
The final point I have picked up on in other reviews is that the stocks on tea/coffee making facilities are not always topped up, so if you are staying for more than one night, you may need to remind the staff that you need extra supplies. Ours was such a quick visit that we didn't even make use of our kettle, but I can't imagine the staff would have a problem in terms of rectifying this problem. The hotel may need a bit of a makeover, but I have no hesitation in recommending the service provided by the staff, which was probably the best I have ever known in any hotel. I was most impressed by the service we received, both in terms of the booking process and the level of attentiveness during our stay, which was helpful but not overbearing.
