Best places to stay
a communal effort (I hope)
Hello! A quickie for paid subscribers only: inspired by a DM chat about where to stay in West Cork and a text from a friend who is staying in an insanely great hotel in Jaipur, I’m about to start a thread about the best places (hotels, holiday rentals, Airb&bs, shepherds’ huts, caravans, tree houses, lavish palaces, campsites, anything) you’ve ever stayed in. They can be anywhere in the world. The thread is here, though see the gold-dust Comments below too. If you’re new to threads, they’re like a big group chat - just click on that link.
Do come and share yours - I think it might be quite a useful resource because so often these places are word-of-mouth. (Plus I know from personal experience that press freebies can make it difficult to then report back as candidly as one might like).
Also although I am extremely fussy about certain things, quite often my definition of ‘best’ isn’t necessarily other people’s - like, hotel-wise I don’t go a massive hog on anodyne ultra-luxury and I don’t really care about spas or 24-hour room service. I always prefer small places that are big on charm, even if they’re mildly eccentric. But ultra-luxe welcome too - really anything you’ve absolutely loved, from the modest to the not, and in any location at all.
Do please kindly show your workings so we can all get a SENSE of the place, and do say if you’ve personally stayed or whether it’s somewhere you have bookmarked and like the look of (I have loads of these - will share them).
I’ll be kicking the thread off with the utterly idyllic spot I stay in in Ireland, plus a couple of grander alternatives, but give me a couple of hours because I need to book it for myself for this year first and this involves emailing back and forth.
Back in a couple of days when I’ve hit my book word count. Have a lovely Tuesday!
Right. This is a subject on which I have almost infinite views.
In New York if I possibly can I stay at the Greenwich Hotel, which is the TriBeCa Film Festival hotel and quite starry, also has a fantastic pool and spa, and the rooms feel like you are staying in the spare room of your chic New York friend who knows about books.
I am a great devotee of the Abama resort Tenerife for when you really just NEED to offload all responsibilities and just swim, eat tapas and read in the sun.
Other end of the scale: Ballymultimber cottages in Northern Ireland are the perfect place to stay, comfortable and cosy and wake up in the morning with cows placidly looking in at the window. Tell Gillian I sent you.
Oxford: The Old Bank Hotel every time.
Cambridge: The University Arms
Bath: The Gainsborough
Norwich: No. 38 St Giles
London staycations: I agree about Covent Garden Hotel, also Ham Yard and Charlotte St Hotel. I had a lovely time recently at L’Oscar.
Hong Kong: my goodness the Ritz Carlton was nice
Delhi: I really do like The Imperial but I’m prepared to be told I shouldn’t. (It’s so good for the feeling of “I barely even need to leave the hotel!” which either makes you feel wonderfully cared-for and safe or trapped and awful like a cat in a box. If the latter, don’t do it.)
Tel Aviv: The Norman
Go to Orkney and stay at The Foveran, a restaurant with rooms
La Mare aux Oiseaux in Brittany: an incredibly atmospheric hotel which is mostly little cabins around the town that they walk you to. It’s a village in the middle of a marsh, you walk in after dark to the Michelin star restaurant with the mist rising up around you. In the morning they bring an incredible breakfast with malted butter to your cabin. We asked for extra of the butter. Mmmm I want some right now.
You might find it odd for a hotelier to say she hates hotels, but I do. They are either bijou and charming but with cronky showers and too small, crap beds or corporate and bland with giant beds, excellent bathrooms and incomprehensible lighting. And don’t get me started on the utter dreariness of most budget hotels. I’d honestly rather sleep in a tent — and I hate camping.
Apart from the shin-skinning table at the foot of the bed, I did like Olga Polizzi's Star at Alfriston, though. Not least because the food is simple and Italian-ish and they take dogs. (And it’s near Charleston.)