A most enjoyable, if fleeting, visit to the Old Ship!
Written: Oct 27 '05 (Updated Oct 27 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Absolutely outstanding staff, and a comfortable hotel.
Cons: Always strikes me as a little jaded from the outside.
The Bottom Line: This hotel has exceptional staff and is very child-friendly, without being child-centred. Faces stiff competition, to be fair!
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| andymcf's Full Review: Old Ship Hotel |
Pardon the somewhat feeble pun in the title, but we've just returned from another trip to Brighton and although we spent two nights at the Hilton Metropole, where I always feel pampered (and earn valuable Hilton Hhonors points), we decided to precede this with a quick one-night stay at the Old Ship Hotel in Brighton which, apparently dating back from 1559 in parts, claims to be the oldest hotel in town.
There were several reasons for choosing to stay at the Old Ship.
Price was certainly a consideration, I admit, and I'd managed to book a room through Laterooms for just UKP 69 per night, per room, including breakfast. Not an unreasonable price, by any stretch of the imagination, for an hotel with an official 4-star rating.
Also, I did it simply because it's there! I've walked past this hotel on its enviable, and extremely convenient, seafront location many times before and have always wondered what it's really like inside; it has always looked a little jaded from the outside and, on looks alone, would probably struggle to compete with the likes of the Metropole, the Hotel du Vin, or the five star De Vere Grand if one were arriving without a booking and making a rushed decision from the variety of seafront hotels on offer, at least in my opinion.
Curiosity may well have killed the proverbial cat, but in this case, I am completely satisfied that it paid off. Big time! I've no wounds to lick and young Josh (who is now 4 years old) had a fantastic time. For this hotel is far friendlier than I could have imagined. Certainly far friendlier than the inclement weather that greeted us on our arrival in Brighton.
And thus it was that we arrived at the Old Ship, almost jettisoned in through the doors by the howling gale outside and yet once inside, there was a delightful air of calm. Until, of course, young Josh got blown in too!
Reception was to the left and, as I checked in, quickly and efficiently with the very helpful staff, I winced as Josh decided to run round and round the gentleman behind me in the queue. Fortunately, he didn't seem to mind too much about the repeated circumnavigation but, even more fortunately, the receptionist's smiling face appeared over the counter offering a kids activity pack. This instantly channeled his attention elsewhere and made him feel really special. I can't begin to describe how happy it made his parents. Card games, colouring books and crayons and - and here's the absolute masterstroke - a kids' passport; there are lots of pictures on the walls of the hotel and the receptionist explained that dotted about the place are five pictures of teddy bears. If Josh could locate them and report back (with the help of the staff - more later), he'd get a special treat. How simple, but Hey! - 11 marks out of 10! Happy children make happy parents - and, it's probably fair to say, happy fellow guests, too.
We were allocated to room 504 on the fifth floor and were given clear directions to the lift. Help was offered with our baggage, but we chose, as ever, to make our own way - across the very smart and spacious lobby, through "Redz" bar, past the restaurant and into the lift.
It's at this point that I should point out that I reckon that the hotel combines an excellent mix of old and modern. As I've said, it's almost 450 years old - and yet it has a modern feel to it. The bar is fresh and modern, and in fact all of the public areas feel far more upbeat than I'd imagined from walking past the exterior. The lift, however, is old and quirky in a nice sort of way and reminds you that you are in a traditional, old seaside hotel.
We arrived at our bedroom and went in. "Compact and bijou" and "Cosy" are traditional euphemisms for "fairly small" and this room was, indeed, fairly small. It was, however, comfortable and cosy and had character, even down to what appeared to be a small damp patch on one of the walls. But this is to be expected in buildings which pre-date the States, and we were quite happy. The bathroom was clean and adequate, the seating was comfortable, and the usual accessories such as colour TV with pay movies and the ubiquitous Corby trouser press (Where on earth would we be without them?) were all in attendance. The bed was comfortable. All in all, the room was fine. Nothing, possibly to 'phone home about (I'm stepping into the 21st century there, you'll notice!), but comfortable and more than adequate. The view was dreadful but, for a higher price, you can get a room with a view of the sea, if that's what floats your boat. Or, indeed, your Old Ship.
The point is, the room was not what made the hotel. It was, without a doubt, the staff. Without exception, they were exceptional. Helpful, charming and ever-so child-friendly. Amanda decided to take Josh on a bear hunt. Receptionists, bar staff, restaurant staff, porters, you name it - nobody batted an eyelid when asked where Josh might find a bear picture and, with their little hints, he was soon at reception with his completed card. Gawd Bless His Cottons - and he was rewarded with a load of stickers and a complimentary ice-cream.
Note that this hotel is not kid-centred; it offers decent, adult, 4-star hotel accommodation in a seaside town which specialises in hosting large scale conferences at the nearby Brighton Centre. The point I'm trying to make is that it evidently takes great care to look after all of its guests - and it does so superbly. I'm gushing about the level of care, I know - but the staff were, without exception, quite exceptional.
Breakfast in the restaurant was very good - Amanda went for Traditional English, I went for Continental, and Josh went with the waitress to locate the last bear, cunningly hidden behind a flipchart, left by some conference delegate!
We checked out efficiently with the same courteous and friendly treatment with which we'd checked in and headed off to the Hilton. The Hhonors card and the ambience of the Hilton draw me back time after time. If the hilton were out of the equation, however, I'd have absolutely no hesitation about returning to the Old Ship. Well done to the crew!
Incidentally, we went by train this time. Had we taken the car, parking costs UKP 20 per night. That is too expensive - especially when the Hilton only charges UKP 12. Irrelevant to this trip, but worth noting.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andymcf
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Member: Andrew McFall
Location: Canterbury, Kent, England
Reviews written: 74
Trusted by: 132 members
About Me:
Maths teacher. Father of young Josh. See below!
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