* Thistle St Albans has 14 meeting rooms, the largest of which seats 50-theatre style. All meeting rooms have air-conditioning. The hotel also has a summer and winter marquee that accommodates up to 150 people.
As my boyfriend and I have just moved back to our respective parents homes to save for our own place, we decided that we needed some much needed alone time from the hard slog that is London life. As some of our most beloved memories have been spent in Bristol whilst staying at the Thistle hotel,
we thought we’d combine a weekend away with a trip to Watford FC and give the thistle hotel in St Albans a shot. Judging by the pictures it looked ideal, comfortable and affordable! After staying in the thistle Bristol, I had high expectations.
****The History of Thistle Hotels**** Thistle Hotels is a full service hotel group with 49 hotels of individual character and style situated in throughout the UK, including 20 properties in London. It is a chain perhaps more commonly associated with business people hosting top class business functions with it’s many conference rooms. However, the hotels provide a range of bedrooms, restaurants and leisure facilities, to suite everyone, but most importantly, it prides itself on its customer service, ensuring it’s staff will go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. They have a great website, where I researched Thistle St Albans, with some great offers for the different hotels.
****The Deal**** As we’re trying to save for our own place together, we wanted to spend as little money as possible. So we opted for the auction site www.thistleauctions.com where rooms are put up for auction for a week, for the following weekend. The rooms are for 2 nights, with breakfast, and are usually executive rooms with minibars, trouser press etc. Some have health and fitness places that are included in the price. Bids start from 1, and increase by 10. It’s very easy to use. You register at the site and are given a member number. You need to use this to login and place a bid. There’s an automated bidding option where you can put a maximum bid, and so someone outbids you, it will go up to the minimum amount it is that will keep you a winning bidder, but it will not exceed the maximum bid stated.
Thistle St Albans went up for auction the previous Monday, and needless to say I spent the entire week watching the bids like a hawk. Bids increased slowly but surely over the week, and when it got down to the last 10 minutes, everyone seemed to want the room! The great feature about the auction (depending on whether or not you are a winning bidder!) is that if someone places a bid in the last 5 minutes, the auction is extended by 5 minutes. Luckily there were three rooms available, but it was still a nail-biting finish! The auction was extended 4 times! Being a dominant woman that hates loosing, I just upped my bid and eventually got the room for £121, which is not bad seeing as the room was worth £368!
****Location**** Thistle St Albans is located close to St Albans town centre and with easy access of the M25, M1 and M10. Even if you don’t have a car, like ourselves, there is a bus stop about 2 minutes walk away, which can take you to St Albans town centre (about 10 minutes away) or to Watford (about 25 minutes away). It doesn’t come cheap though-nearly £4 per person return journey! And prepare to wait up to an hour! Unfortunately, because it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, it’s about 10 mins walk to a pub (unless you want to got to the hotel bar or restaurant) and eatery. Or there is a petrol station opposite the hotel offering ham and pickle sarnies!
****Rooms**** The hotel has 111 bedrooms including 54 executive bedrooms and suites. This hotel itself dates back to Victorian times, and maintains a distinct Victorian feel. As you walk along the corridor there are 2 huge regal like thrones overlooking the well kept grounds. It’s enough to make Posh and Becks look like Kat and Alfie! The room was just the same; we had an executive suite number 134. It was very tastefully decorated with a maroon and floral motif, complemented by cheerful paintings, and a distinct floral smell rising from the pot puree! Most importantly it was comfortable, with a huge queen sized bed, and lovely neutral coloured bathroom, and even a heated towel rack! The room was equipped with mini bar (very expensive) complementary tea and coffee making facilities (with biscuits and hot chocolate too!) trouser press, hairdryer, and Satellite TV (sky sports, news channels, and terrestrial) Pay movies of the adult nature were also available, but I cannot comment on those :) We also had a separate table and two chair area, and dressing table with telephone and modem connection. Other services included a wake up call, and a newspaper delivered outside your door every morning which I though was a really nice touch. Room service was also available but was very expensive; a continental breakfast would set you back £7.50, nice if you really want to spoil yourself. The room was cleaned to perfection every morning; sheets and towels changed, more tea and coffee (and biscuits!). Most importantly, there was very little noise. Our room overlooked the gardens, near the main road. But there was no noise at all.
****Otium-Health and leisure club**** The hotel also boasts a small leisure club (called Otium) free of charge for hotel guests located in the building, with swimming pool, small gym, hot tub, steam room and sauna. Because it’s very small, I would imagine this can be very crowded during peak season, but luckily we had the place to ourselves! Massages and other treatments are available at an extra cost, around £30 for a 30 min massage, which is pretty standard pricing. Towels are provided so you don’t have to take them with you, and there are excellent changing and showering facilities. I had a great time at the club. I could spend all day there!
****Breakfast**** My favourite part of the weekend! Breakfast is served between 8am and 10am on weekends and 7am to 9am weekdays in the Noke restaurant. You are seated at the beautiful tables where you are offered tea and coffee, and are instructed to help yourself to the mouthwatering delicacies. It has everything you could possibly want for breakfast! The traditional eggs, bacon, sausage kind, or continental with a selection of breads and cheeses, or there are 5 kinds of cereal followed by yogurts, and a yummy selection of fresh fruits such as strawberries and figs. There is also a bakery table full of bagels, rolls, pastries cut slices of bread ready of toasting. The perfect way to start a day! Needless to say I stuffed my face! It was never very busy, so there was no need to rush down to breakfast. But during peak season it would get very busy. Although it’s quite posh, it felt very relaxed, no need for dressing up at the breakfast table like some hotels.
****Lunch and Evening meals**** This thistle hotel has 2 restaurants and bars. Noke is for more formal dining by candlelight, offering the likes of smoked salmon etc, expensive at 15-20 per main course. And the other is Oak and Avocado, upper class pub feel, more relaxed and more reasonably priced at 10 per main course. Both have bars. I preferred the Oak and Avocado, just because it was a little more relaxed and friendly. Unfortunately, we didn’t eat at either, but I can highly recommend the pub down the road!
Overall, it was not as nice as Thistle Bristol, but we had a great time, and would definitely go back. We got a great deal on the room, the food was great, the service was superb, and the rooms were clean. The only downside for us was the waiting for buses to take us into town. Still, that will not stop me giving the thumbs up for St Albans!
Fantastic will keep an eye out on www.thistleauctions.com. Hadn't heard of that before.
Thanks. x
elnino667 22.06.2005 18:25
I've stayed at the Bristol hotel, and loved it! Nice read. Si
djdarko 13.04.2005 15:03
A very detailed and captivating review.... I'm actually considering the option of going to a Thistle Hotel. Quite remarkable. Basically I'm just trying to say that I'm giving you an E and that I think you deserve it. So there you go. Be happy now, Martin.
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