The week before last, I lay my head at The Bristol Hotel for the night. It came about as a means to an end, to tide me over between work (I starting a consulting job with a new digital brand in the spring, so spend 1-2 days a week in Bristol) and a day foraging in Somerset, the following day. It made no sense to drive the 1.5 hours home, only to drive back again the next morning, so I found myself foot-loose and toddler free, with a reservation at The Bristol Hotel.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a Clifton/Whiteladies Road girl when it comes to Bristol postcodes. Having lived briefly with the OH in the former, 8 years ago. In my working day I never quite make it down to the riverside either, so The Bristol Hotel was a bit of an unknown to me.
It has, rather handily, a multi-storey car park attached to the side of it, that residents get free parking at. In central Bristol you have no idea what a plus this is. I zipped straight in, grabbed my bags and trusty laptop and checked in mid-afternoon. While the hotel will win no beauty prizes from the outside, inside is a different matter… I decided to post a pic heavy review to show you around.
Checked in, I headed straight up to the sixth floor and my spacious river-view room. I quickly holed myself here in my makeshift office (there is free wifi throughout the hotel, as a nod towards the predominantly business crowd during the week) and watched the sunset over the city.
Skipping lunch, I was fuelled solely on the in-room Nespresso machine and the welcome gift from the hotel: buttery shortbread and strawberries with chocolate sauce. Much appreciated.
Work done, and high on caffeine and sugar, I took a wander downstairs to the cosy lounge and read the papers for a while, enjoying the phenomenal people watching potential that only a hotel lobby can bring.
Then took a look at the River Grille restaurant – a beautiful double-height space overlooking the river. I bowed out of dinner a seul, but on the Bristol foodie grapevine I have heard GREAT things about this place…
Back in my room, I thought a bath by myself might only exacerbate my Country Bebe pangs (CB and I still share the tub every night), but it was HEAVENLY. Mainly due to the generous sized Temple Spa products in the bathroom.
Luxuriating in the bubbles, and the silence of not having to sing every maritime related nursery rhyme ever written, I wallowed for a good hour applying every hair and face lotion and potion I could lay my hands on. Bliss.
Squeaky clean, I slipped into the obligatory fluffy robe, padded around in my slippers and worked my way through a list of very overdue phone calls to my best friends. Not the quick mid-week ‘check-in’ when you’re both knackered, but proper hour-long talks.
Suitably brought up to speed on new babies, engagements and work moves I ordered dinner to my room. Namely the ‘naked’ burger with fries and a bucket of Malbec. After a false start (a chicken burger and cold chips) a great sweet and juicy patty arrived, smothered in Monterey Jack cheese and piping hot, crispy matchstick fries. I nursed my Malbec alongside a couple of episodes of Breaking Bad and fell into a deep, restful slumber (note: there is secondary glazing in the hotel and I didn’t hear a PEEP, despite it being a central city-based hotel – impressive).
Up with the lark I opted again for breakfast in-room (I’m not a hermit, honest) and this time I went LARGE:
Not purely out of gluttony I might add, but I was fuelling up for my day’s adventure – foraging in Somerset…
TO BE CONTINUED…