The Diary Room

[Beate]

About 5 weeks ago, somewhat unexpectedly, an invitation to "A Weekend of Indulgence at the Oxford Belfry" dropped into my office email inbox. These things are clever corporate marketing tools to introduce you to someone's venues or services by means of inviting PA's to an evening gathering with canapes, only on a grander scale this time. It would have been churlish to refuse free dinner, hotel stay and breakfast, so I RSVP'd and took Friday afternoon off for a leisurely drive down to Oxford with the OH.

We arrived at 4.30pm and discovered that they had put us up in a Deluxe room on the top floor with views onto the courtyard - clearly out to impress us! The room was huge and came with bathrobes, complimentary mineral water and an enormous TV with Sky channels. We also found some iced muffins with compliments of the organisers in the room.

It was a lovely sunny evening, and drinks with canapes started at 7pm. Thank God for the canapes, as they decided to send us in teams on a kind of treasure hunt through the vast hotel complex before giving us dinner. It was actually very good fun, we did a round of mini golf (where the OH did a hole in one for which he later won a bottle of Merlot), biscuit decorating and a drum session which was really entertaining. And our team won overall, of course!

Dinner was scrumptious, duck liver pate, Beef Wellington (yum) and meringue with fresh fruit on top for desert. Lots of booze was available and the OH got a bit tiddly! There were about 40 of us at 4 tables (6 of which were from the PR company). I met some interesting people on the night, and after dinner we all performed a session on the drums to show what we had learned, which was hilarious! We decided to call it a day around midnight and retired to our big quiet room with the comfy beds!

Breakfast was served between 8 and 11am and check out for us apparently at 1pm although it usually is at 11am. Sadly, the self-service breakfast let the place down a bit, you had to do your own toast on a weird toaster that only browned one side at a time, the fruit salad and the fried eggs were gone when I looked and we had to beg for a cup of tea! Also, when we checked out at 10.30am there was only one girl at the counter even though there was a queue forming, and she tried to charge us for the Guardian newspaper that had been dropped in front of our door in the morning. We hadn't ordered it though and as soon as I said so and said I thought it was complimentary, she dropped the charge. Total to p*y: zero. The couple in front of us who were checking in were quoted £130 for the room! We had been given a preferential rate offer of £70 for Saturday night, but by the time I had made my mind up the hotel was fully booked up. Never mind!

We went on to visit Blenheim Palace which offers annual passes for no additional cost, and as it was a gloriously sunny day, we spent 5 hours walking through the gardens. The palace itself is great but you can't walk for people! As soon as you go outside and take the Lakeside Walk though, you are almost on your own, which is wonderful. Is there anything better than sitting beside a lake on a sunny autumn day with the leaves turning golden and red?

Back now feeling happy but tired, and I never had time for the spa!

[Ms Thrifty]

Sounds wonderful! I was wondering where your review was, but it must have taken you some time to write all that. And that's the secret of how to get invited - I am definitely in the wrong job.

[a_person]

Wow Beate, that sounds really cool. Certainly I am in the wrong job.

[Ms Thrifty]

If Beate were to post even half so favourable a review of this hotel on Tripadvisor, it would boost its ratings. But then, as she says, she did get special treatment!

[a_person]

Yeh, she does right really good reviews. I would definitely ask for her recommendation if I were to go anywhere on holiday (fat chance ).

[Ms Thrifty]

Yes, but you would need to know whether she had gone incognito or as someone whom the establishment wished to butter up in hope of future business!

[Beate]

The Tripadvisor reviews are very mixed, some absolutely loved it! So many people there complain about it being 14 miles from Oxford - I thought that was the best thing about it, and if you come by car, what difference does it make? Of course, if you are not p*ying for service you don't notice how expensive it might be, and I have mentioned a few points I didn't like, but all in all the room was spacious, clean and comfy, and I could not hear any noise from the motorway or other guests, so it was a winner. I was wondering about some wasted space in the room though, there was a huge area with only a desk in it, I would have put a couple of leather sofas and chairs there. The bathroom also had an unused corner where you could have easily fitted a separate shower in it. I take it from tripadvisor that the bedrooms can be quite different in size, decor and modern feel.

[Beate]

Ah, you think I have a career as hotel critic waiting?
I usually stay in B&B's only as you get much more personal service, and there is one 4 star B&B in Halland near Lewes that can still easily beat the Oxford Belfry!

[Ms Thrifty]

They obviously did want to impress you and succeeded, but it's good to know they can rise to the occasion. I have stayed in some places for special occasions and have mentioned this when booking, but without it being acknowledged during the actual stay, which to me is not only a lost opportunity to make a guest feel like an individual, but also poor business practice. Last year OH and I stayed in a hotel for our anniversary and this year my sister and I went away for her birthday and in neither case did anyone on reception mention this. In B & Bs you get much more personal attention (though sometimes too much at times - I still prefer hotels for the anonymity), but I never review them on Tripadvisor as I want to be truthful and might hurt the owners by criticising their home. Hotels, however, are fair game as they are solely in the hospitality business.

[Ms Thrifty]

Halland is too close to home for me to stay there - but recommendations further afield welcome.