Great Fosters

Date of Visit: 27/05/2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

What’s on Offer: Hotel, Restaurant, Bar & Function Rooms, Egham, Surrey.

What we found: We’ve been a few times, buildings and grounds amazing – beautiful flowers, a pond, atmospheric wood panelling and relaxed grandeur. However modern artworks in the garden are a bit bizarre and the service varies, as does the food, from stiflingly traditional French over-abrubtness to friendly professionalism, depending on the level of stress of staff! Conference and events co-ordinator lovely.

More info: http://www.greatfosters.co.uk/

Four Pillars Oxford Thames Hotel

Date of Visit: 21/01/2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

What’s on Offer: Four star Hotel, restaurant, swimming pool, grounds and rooms overlooking the river. Sandford on Thames, nr Oxford, Oxfordshire.

What we found: An absolute surprise that such a reasonably priced hotel had such lovely rooms (overlooking the river), such perfectly managed grounds and such fabulous and attentive staff! We hadn’t realised how close Oxford was, we walked leisurely along the river, from the back of the hotel to a pub on the edge of the city in about an hour. Even in the cold rain of January it was a nice walk for any ability. Only let-downs were the perfectly nice, but not particularly inspirational evening meal and the takeover of the hotel by a rugby team on the second morning! The pool was tiny and could easily be taken-over by kids – but fine for an early morning or late evening dip.

More info: http://oxford-thames-hotel.four-pillars.co.uk/