Hotel Recommendations

[Cathryn]

It occured to me that we all do a lot of travelling - either on bikes or off 'em - and between us, we should know some very good hotels. Therefore I'm starting a Hotel Recommendation thread and the lovely Admin is going to make it a sticky!

Know any good hotels??

 

[Cathryn]

I'll start!

For all you Mt Ventouxers....if you stay in Sault, do stay at the Hotel Le Louvre. It's on the main square and is very pretty. Lovely owners, spotlessly clean and we had a great room. We ate there as well...fantastic food and our table decoration was a goldfish in a bowl which cheered us up! I think it cost about £50 per person including dinner and a nice bottle of wine!

Any Paris recommendations as I'm off there in November.

 

[Percy]

If you happen to be cycling North of Sofia (Bulgaria) in the (wonderful) Iskar valley, it's worth the push on to Vraca (sometimes called Vratsa), if only for the Hotel Hemus. I think it's listed as 3*, which in Bulgaria normally means you would be sharing your room with all sorts of beasties, but the Hotel Hemus is closer to 5* English standards - I had a king sized bed, lounge area, view over the town and the mountains I'd just cycled through and huge bathroom - all spotless and recently refurbished - for around 15-20 GBP per night. After 80 miles and 5 punctures that day the place was like heaven to me! So good I stayed two nights ;o)

 

[PaulB]

Anyone travelling in the Italian Dolomites can do a lot worse than stay at the glorious Sport Hotel in Arraba. It's a bit luxurious but worth every penny. I'd especially recommend this for anyone doing the Maratona next year.

 

[Cathryn]

Just spent a few nights at a B&B in Rome and would very much recommend it.

www.laterano. it

Cost us 140 euros per night for a double room. Located on a main road about 10 mins walk from the Colosseum but well sound proofed so we slept well. Very handsome owner (!) who was v friendly. Breakfast at the bar on the corner. Very much recommended.

Next time, we'll stay at the Albergo Abruzzi on Piazza del Pantheon but I have no idea what it's like...the location is phenomenal though.

 

[inaperfectworld]

touring hotel in grenoble were more than welcoming when i asked to leave a hard case there for a week and they were happy for me to take the bike up to my room. not luxury but helpful and friendly staff.

 

[mrfacetious]

Sagres on the Algarve (Portugal) - Hotel Memmo Baleeira is the best i've stayed in so far. Verrrryyy windy in Sagres however.

 

[Kirstie]

Here are all the places we stayed in on our recent LEJOG
Lands End YHA - very good. Generous breakfast!
Bodmin - Roscrea, 18 St Nicholas Street. Very welcoming and excellent standard
North Tawton - Nichols Nymet House. Extremely weird. Avoid
Street YHA - Absolutely horrible. Avoid
Cirencester, The Old Brewhouse - double booked us. Sent us across the road to another place which was pretty good.
East Haddon Lodge, East Haddon - Run by a batty old posh woman. Meagre breakfasts, amazing setting. Don't let her wash your clothes, she'll ruin them. My assos shorts were never the same again
The Old Bakery, Lincoln - absolutely brilliant place, fantastic breakfasts, coffee to die for, owners are cyclists (and lovers of folk music)
York YHA - OK ish. Full of youths. Good facilities - bike store and laundry. Also has a bar on site.
West Auckland, The Otter Hotel - Friendly, helpful, good food. Bit dated but OK.
Stannersburn, The Pheasant Inn - Lovely lovely lovely. Very cosy
Eskbank, The Guesthouse at Eskbank - very comfortable, but breakfast only at 8.45 and communal. It was too late for us.
Perth, The Pitcullen Guest House - lovely proprietors and great breakfast.
Kingussie, Allt Gynack Guest House - fantastic, warm, welcoming, and a bath!
Alness, Westmore B&B - Alness is a dump; weird accommodation too.
Lybster, Croft House - run by a lovely older couple, very welcoming.

 

[aqaleigh]

At the risk of stating the obvious TRAVELODGE although not very plush offer rooms in most of the U.K. for £19 if you book early
I've just returned from a short tour using Travelodge and they were great - family room - bath - shower - tv - coffee - tea and secure bike storage for £9.50 each per night

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Kirstie will second this one, I'm sure: the Kylesku Hotel, in Sutherland.

 

[Kirstie]

Kirstie will second this one, I'm sure: the Kylesku Hotel, in Sutherland.

Yarp!
Actually there are a few others:
Carbisdale Castle YHA, Lairg.
Lazy Crofter bunkhouse, Durness.
Tongue YHA, Sutherland
Cregan Cottage B&B, Reiff, Assynt.
The Gatliff Trust Hostels on the outer hebrides
Brae Lea B&B Lochboisdale, South Uist
Oban YHA
Red House B&B Lochmaddy, North Uist

After this weekend I'll have a few more recommendations from the borders region. I'll try and note down all of the other places I've stayed in the last year or so.

 

[Merval]

Have "warm showers" been mentioned? It is a hospitality organisation for cyclists see: www.warmshowers.org.
This is for the folk who don't want to part with their money but prefer to meet like-minded people either as hosts or travellers. It's world wide.

 

[Kirstie]

So here are some more recommendations:

The County, Hexham; Hare and Hounds, Bonchester Bridge; Golf View B&B, Tain; Dunroamin Hotel, Bonar Bridge; Tigh Lios B&B, Lochinver; Rhiconich Hotel, Rhiconich; Overscaig Hotel, near Lairg...

 

[HJ]

Kirstie will second this one, I'm sure: the Kylesku Hotel, in Sutherland.

Thirded.

A wee bit further south, after last weekend I would like to recommend Haymount House B&B in Coldstream, very cycle friendly...

 

[inaperfectworld]

hotel bernard at st jean de maurienne for madeleine iseran galibier etc. comfy and cost abut 65 euros bed, breakfast and evening meal with aperitif, glass of wine and coffee.
also in france worth looking for chambre d'hote/b&b. not particularly cheap (some are some much the same as hotels, some relly pricey but they are luxury rooms in chateaux etc.) but comfortable and welcoming and meals are hearty fare with wine etc. included. make sure they do table d'hote or you'll be pedalling off in the evening to find a restaurant. i've found the "gite de france" most useful for finding these