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The Hampton’s – Review, Luxury B&B accommodation, Kaikoura, New Zealand

The Hampton’s – Review, Luxury B&B accommodation, Kaikoura, New Zealand

The Hampton’s Kaikoura – Review

 

This is a B&B review of the Hampton’s Kaikoura – A luxury B&B in Kaikoura, New Zealand
Kaikoura was the first stop after visiting the very friendly city of Christchurch. We spotted The Hampton’s Kaikoura on the Booking.com app which is one of my first-calls when booking accommodation online. The pictures looked amazing and the reviews were very positive. It’s quite a drive from Christchurch to Kaikoura but it is worth it when you have good accommodation.

 

On arriving we met Patrick the owner and he showed us to our room. Wow…. When I saw the room and view on checking in I was blown away. Patrick brought us through the features of the room plus advised us on the route for the local peninsula walk (see below).

 

The Hampton’s Kaikoura overlooks the coastal front of Kaikoura village, and you have amazing sea views.

 

The room was amazingly comfortable with cable TV, free WiFi, tea and coffee making facilities plus fresh home-made cookies. The view as mentioned was amazing and there was a small terrace/veranda​ outside if you wanted to enjoy the sun. We were there in New Zealand’s winter, so that was not always an option.

 

The bathroom included a very nice power shower and was well appointed. There was also underfloor heating in the shower which was a very nice feature.

 

About KaiKoura

 

Kaikoura is a few hours from Christchurch and is a small scenic town right on the coast. Kaikoura has so much to offer, and with the Hampton’s Kaikoura being so central, you are spoiled for choice. I recommend doing the Kaikoura peninsula walkway, where you can see a huge seal colony. The looped walk along the peninsula is about 13-14km and will take you about 3 hours to complete taking it at a steady pace. There is also a very good tourist information centre in the middle of the town which has information on the many whale-watching​ excursions you can enjoy from Kaikoura. Unfortunately we visited Kaikoura in the Winter so the trips to watch whales were not really an option.

 

It seems to be a town with a real homely feel, and if I was thinking of moving anywhere in the world it would be either to Kaikoura or Te Anau on the other coast. Both towns just captivated me when I visited them.

 

If you are looking for somewhere to eat in Kaikoura I would certainly recommend The Whaler which is at 49 The West End and only a few minutes walk from the Hamptons. The fish and chips were​​ excellent and we enjoyed watching the live Rugby League.

 

The breakfast at the Hamilton’s was delicious and more than enough for me. Overall a wonderful place to stay and worthy of such praise. Thank you again to our hosts Patrick and Marie Claire.

 

Address:
The Hampton’s
138 Esplanade
KAIKOURA
New Zealand

 

The Hampton’s, Kaikoura – Location Map:

 

The Hampton’s, 138 Esplanade, KAIKOURA, New Zealand

The Hampton’s Kaikoura, 138 Esplanade, KAIKOURA, New Zealand

The Kaikoura Peninsula Walk

The Kaikoura Peninsula Walk

Things to do in Kaikoura

We were only in Kaikoura for one day but there is a lot to enjoy. If you are here during the summer you can enjoy a lot more, including whale watching. In the winter, the nicest thing to do is the Kaikoura Peninsula Walk (see the more southerly marker on the map below).

The walking trail crosses the peninsula south of Kaikoura. You can walk along the clifftop, with excellent views of the Seaward Kaikoura Range. You also get stunning views of the ocean and coastline, towards South Bay. The Peninsula walkway then returns to the township via South Bay and a section called ‘Toms Track’.

Near Point Kean car park, there are signs warning that seals may be in the area. Most of the seals which are in the car park are males. These seals may appear to be harmless but may become aggressive if disturbed. These are wild animals and should be left alone, A male seal, especially an irritated one, can inflict a nasty, infectious bite. Observe from a distance and respect their territory.

Be advised that the Marine Mammals Protection Act states that you MUST NOT disturb the seals. Stay at least 20m away!

There are many more seals on the rocks and these are normally the females and their pups. As you know, female animals will defend their young so again, remain a distance back.

Photography on the Kaikoura Peninsula Walk

As you get further into the talk you will come to a section which gives you a vista of the sea from the cliff top. I recommend that you look down onto the rocks. The major seal colony is here – there are hundreds of seals on those rocks. If you are a photographer, a 300mm lens will get you some great shots of the seal activity.

There are also some great birds in the area. Again, photographers, get the camera ready! You can enjoy a very large shearwater colony which is protected. There are also albatross, shags and gulls.

I got a photo of what I think is a rare ‘Cirl Bunting’. Apparently this is one of the rarest of New Zealand’s introduced species. They can be elusive on the peninsula walk but it might have been a Yellowhammer which I saw!

The Kaikoura peninsula walkways is denoted by distinctive marker posts and interpretation signs. This walk is a decent walk and you should really set aside a few hours, perhaps 3 hours, to fully enjoy the complete walk.

The Hampton’s Kaikoura, Overall Review

Based on the shanemcdonald.ie rating scale which reviews 10 categories and scoring 10 points per category.

Overall Score : 95%

%

Overall Score for The Hampton's, Kaikoura

Getting to Kaikoura

Kaikoura lies around midway between the towns of Picton (154 km) and Christchurch (183 km). This is off SH1 on the east coast of the South Island. Regular bus and train services pass through Kaikoura.

Kaikoura Tourist Information

For more information on Kaikoura and the activities you can enjoy in the area, please see the tourist information details below.

Kaikoura i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
Phone: +64 3 319 5641
Email: info@kaikoura.co.nz
Address: West End, Kaikoura

Bishopstrow House – Hotel Review

Bishopstrow House – Hotel Review

About Bishopstrow House Hotel & Spa

Bishopstrow House Hotel & Spa is a luxury hotel near Warminster in Wiltshire. The hotel is set on 27 acres of beautifully set grounds alongside the River Wyle. Bishopstrow Hotel also boasts a boutique spa with an indoor and an outdoor heated swimming pool. There are 32 rooms available and you can dine at the 2 Rosette restaurant. Bishopstrow House actually dates back to 1736 when George II was the monarch of England.

Apparently, the original house was destroyed by a fire in 1817. It was rebuilt and completed in 1821. In 1950, Bishopstrow house was bought by a firearms collector and in 1976 was then converted into a ten-bedroom hotel. In 2011 it was bought by the well known Longleat Hotel Group. The grounds of Bishopstrow House even contain two ancient burial mounds.

As mentioned, Bishopstrow House Hotel is a part of Longleat Hotels and this is only a short drive from Longleat Safari Park (a great day out). Other areas close by including the historic Stonehenge, Salisbury and Stourhead House and Gardens. You are also within driving distance of the spa town, Bath. The town of Bath is a great destination and I recommend taking to 20-mile trip if you are in this area.

My Stay at Bishopstrow House Hotel

Bishopstrow Hotel and Spa is easy to find with well-marked road signage, as well as being listed on SatNav. You can find the hotel about a mile east of the town of Warminster.

We departed the Glastonbury festival at 9 am we arrived at the hotel well ahead of check-in. Our early arrival was not a problem for the staff. Bishopstrow House has great staff and our check-in was processed quickly. We were advised by the staff that the nearby town of Salisbury was good to visit. With that recommendation, we set off for the afternoon to explore the area.

When we returned to Bishopstrow our bags had been brought to our room… and what a room it was. A beautifully decorated and plushly appointed room. The room had a  flat screen TV with multichannel cable and tea/coffee facilities. It also included a lovely and spacious bathroom which has Elmsis products which I really like.

Within this wonderful hotel, there are 32 bedrooms and suites. Bishopstrow boasts a luxury feel with the elegance expected from a country house hotel of this style. The views from the rooms and the guest areas give stunning vistas of the countryside. The rooms are very comfortable rooms and you get a restful night’s sleep.

Dining at Bishopstrow House Hotel 

The breakfast is normally included in the rate and is very good with fruit, cereals, juices and a cooked option. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you can get a very hearty breakfast here. The grounds are really nice to walk around and the estate has an old-world feel yet being very much classic contemporary in reality. Free WiFi is included and again this is a real plus. I will rarely stay in a hotel if they have paid Wifi.

We ate at the Bishopstrow House restaurant and on arrival, we were shown to our table. For a change, I tried a beef dish which is something I would rarely try, but it was excellent and very well presented. The dish had a red wine jus which complimented the rest of the dish very well.

Spa & Relaxation

At the hotel, there is also a spa. We did not get the time to enjoy the many relaxing treatments which were on offer but it does look tempting. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance either to enjoy the indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools. You might get a chance to take in the relaxation suite, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, monsoon shower, tennis courts, four therapy rooms plus a Life Fitness exercise suite…. so much I didn’t have time to do!

The Bishopstrow Hotel Suites

While staying our 3 nights at Bishopstrow we also had to opportunity to stay in one of the luxurious private suites. These suites are on two levels with a living & TV area downstairs and bedroom with very extensive bathroom upstairs. These suites are true luxury and if I was coming back I would stay here ahead of the main house. These suites would be ideal for either families looking for more room, or as a romantic break – a home away from home. However, I am very happy to have stayed at both accommodation options.

Bishopstrow House - Suite

Bishopstrow House – Suite

If you are looking for a luxurious stay in the heart of Wiltshire then staying at Bishopstrow House Hotel in Warminster is well worth it.
Since we reviewed the hotel I was told that it has been taken over by new management. So it might be time to revisit and see what has changed.

Hotel Address: Bishopstrow House, Boreham Road, Warminster BA12 9HH, England

Hotel Website: www.bishopstrow.co.uk

Hotel Map Location:

Bishopstrow House

Bishopstrow House, Boreham Road, Warminster BA12 9HH, England

Back in 2015, I booked a 3 night stay at Bishopstrow House as a touch of luxury following 4 days at the Pop-Up Hotel at the Glastonbury Festival… This is the resulting review. This review of Bishopstrow Hotel and spa was originally hosted on my Travel Reviews website but was moved from shanestravelreviews.com to it’s new home here on shanemcdonald.ie. This is my opinion of my stay at Bishopstrow House and I was not compensated or paid to provide this online hotel review. 
Hotel Review – Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, UK

Hotel Review – Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, UK

Hyatt Regency Birmingham – Hotel Review

In October 2012 Joe Bonamassa played Birmingham, UK and we travelled from Ireland to the UK to attend the concert. Having booked the tickets I needed to get some quality accommodation near the NIA venue. I did a quick search and the Hyatt Regency Hotel Birmingham came up a few times in the results with good hotel reviews also. I recognized it as I had seen it a few years previous on TV, with some reality TV VIPs exiting limos. Anyway, we were not disappointed … as it turned out we ended up being treated like VIPs. (We actually saw a few Celebs when we were there – one was quite a famous comedian)

We were checked in by Mohamed on reception. We were welcomed and he told us he was giving us a nice room and also assisted me in setting me up to the Hyatt Loyalty scheme. From the start, this was a very good check-in and we were impressed already.

The hotel room was really nice with a great view of the city looking towards the very funky Birmingham City library. Our room was on the 7th floor and within close proximity to the lifts (but there was no sound from them which was great).

The next morning we availed of breakfast, although this was not included in our rate, we added it on when we arrived as there was an incentive to do so. The breakfast service and layout was excellent and there was a wide selection of hot, cold and if you wish you can have some food prepared to order food. There are also a variety of fruits, bread, juices and cereals.

The Hyatt Regency Birmingham is a very central, well run and very comfortable hotel. It was perfect for us as we were visiting the NIA which is about a five-minute walk away.

Many thanks to the Hyatt Regency Hotel team for a great stay – we will be back!!

If you are looking for a Hotel in Birmingham check out the Hyatt Regency Hotel Birmingham.

 

Hyatt Regency Hotel, Birmingham – Hotel Location

Hotel Review – Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, UK

Hotel Review – Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, UK

This post was moved from shanestravelreviews.com and now resides here at shanemcdonald.ie

The Blakemore Hotel, Hyde Park, London – Hotel Review

The Blakemore Hotel, Hyde Park, London – Hotel Review

Blakemore Hotel Hyde Park London, Hotel Review

One of the hardest things to do it get a decent hotel when you don’t know the area. I was searching for a good hotel in London. After looking at the usual hotel chains I found and booked the Blakemore Hotel Hyde Park London. This hotel booking was done purely on the basis of the Booking.com ratings. At the time of going to post with this review, it was 8.1/10 which is very good.

We arrived in London in really bad traffic and ended up getting a tube to Lancaster Gate, and walking the 7 or 8 minutes to the Blakemore. The Blakemore hotel is really nice in a great location on a quiet street.

Having arrived tired at the hotel, we found the check-in to be very efficient and handled well by a very friendly receptionist.

The Blakemore Hotel Rooms

We got rooms 311 and 312 as we were there as a group of 4. The rooms are very nice, bright, airy, clean (I personally preferred 311, street view) and had excellent air conditioning. The rooms are serviced daily and are done so to a great standard. One point to note – one of the main things we noticed was that the beds are so comfortable you will want to stay there.

The rooms have TV, internet points, a room safe, ironing facilities as well as tea and coffee making facilities.

The Bathrooms in the club rooms are very nice with great products in bathrooms.

Another great point about the Blakemore Hotel is the Free WiFi which is accessible in the rooms also – many hotels have Free WiFi but only in the public areas and not in the rooms. The free WiFi allowed us to plan our day without incurring hefty 3G roaming charges.

The Blakemore Hotel Food

We tried the food in the restaurant and it proved to be very good, from curries to burgers and Caesar salads. The service was excellent and done so with a smile. We then enjoyed the Euro 2012 playoffs in the lounge which is very nice and relaxing.

The Blakemore Hotel, Hyde Park, London: Review Conclusion

I was very impressed by the Blakemore Hotel, the rooms are a perfect size for those looking for a great city break

The location is very good, just opposite Hyde Park and within a 10-minute walk of Bayswater, Queensway and Lancaster Gate tube stations.

I will certainly consider it on my next trip to London and it will be a hotel I will revisit again in the future.

 

Blakemore Hyde Park Hotel Location

Address: 30 Leinster Gardens, London W2 3AN, UK

Blakemore Hotel Hyde Park, London Hotel, UK

The Oxfordshire Golf Hotel and Spa – Hotel Review

The Oxfordshire Golf Hotel and Spa – Hotel Review

A while back I went to the UK and stayed at the The Oxfordshire Hotel and Spa, which as you guessed is situated in the heart of Oxfordshire (so it’s not just a clever name)

The Oxfordshire Hotel, Golf Hotel and Spa

The Oxfordshire Golf Hotel and Spa is situated in the heart of the Chilterns. It is located about a 1 hour drive from Luton airport. This vast Estate / Resort Hotel is a luxury 50 bedroom Hotel and Spa. It also boasts a Championship Golf Course if you are so inclined. This course has hosted some high profile golf tournaments; including the Benson & Hedges International, Andersen Consulting World Championship and Ladies English Open.

The Oxfordshire Hotel : Review

Approaching the Oxfordshire Hotel you drive along a well maintained entrance with the golf course on either side. There is plenty of free car parking and a handy drop off area which should suit everyone. Checking in at the hotel is very quick and done with a smile. We were offered spa and pool times as well as an option to book a time at the restaurant.

The food in the restaurant is superb, very well cooked and plenty to choose from. Whether you are a steak lover or a lover of fruits-de-mer the menu will suit your needs. The restaurant offers fantastic views over the golf course and is lovely at sunset. Service was friendly and efficient. I was very impressed with the depth of flavours in the food.

The rooms were comfortable, spacious and had very good air conditioning. The rooms also had a nice terrace / veranda which was accessed via sliding doors. In room hair dryer and safe for your valuables was good to have also.

Oxfordshire Hotel, Golf and Spa, Oxfordshire, UK - Hotel Review

Room photo at The Oxfordshire Hotel

The Breakfast next morning was varied, hot food was tasty and was actually hot (which some hotels can learn from). I also availed of the delicious fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereals and muesli which were also on offer.

The hotel is an ideal base for visiting places like the university town of Oxford and the Oxfordshire countryside. You could also enjoy punting on the Thames in Oxford or a visit to the Harry Potter Studios in Watford. If you are interested the village where the Vicar of Dibley was filmed (a small town called Turville) is located near by. There are many other great places, gardens and country houses to visit nearby also.

The Oxfordshire Hotel : Accolades

The Oxfordshire has had some recent accolades including the top 50 places to Stay & Play voted by Golf Monthly magazine, Top Golf Course in the county voted by the Top 100 Golf Courses in England and awarded 4 Bubbles by The Good Spa Guide.

The Oxfordshire Hotel : Conclusion

I did not know what to expect on booking (via booking.com) but was more than happy in the first minute inside the doors. The Oxfordshire is a well serviced, clean and friendly hotel which I have bookmarked and will certainly return to in the future. I had a very enjoyable stay and look forward to returning to the The Oxfordshire Hotel and Spa at some point in the future.

The Oxfordshire Hotel : Contact Details & Map

The Oxfordshire Hotel, Rycote Lane  Milton Common, Oxfordshire OX9 2PU, United Kingdom

The Oxfordshire Golf Hotel and Spa