Hastings Direct - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Advantages: None if you have to claim
Disadvantages: Appalling service outside of FSA guidelines

...On returning from my recent trip to France, I came home to find to find two nasty surprises. The first was in my haste to leave I had forgotten to do the washing up and there was a good smelly pile of decaying plates and cups just waiting for an industrial hose. No one else to blame but myself on that one. The second nasty surprise was that my car had been stolen. Like any insurance policy be it home, personal or car the true worth of the policy is only measurable once you have to make a claim on it. You can have the cheapest premiums in the world but if when you come to need the insurance company and they fail spectacularly to deliver, what price those discounts now. I never asked to be Hastings Direct. In the same way we never asked to be under Gordon Brown, my policy was transferred from Budget Choice. I do not know the ins...

Funzo 22.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Hastings Direct

The worst hotel in the UK? Possibly.

Advantages: A bed and a roof.
Disadvantages: Where do I start?

...degrees sun, carrying our heavy bags, so walked straight up to the next place with a vacancy sign. This was the private Tyrella hotel, a three storey Georgian white house, 5 minutes from the beach. The basement was an Indian restaurant which looked quite trendy. After ringing the bell several times, we were greeted by an unenthusiastic man with no shoes on who carried a distinctive whiff of curry and sweat about him. Several small children scurried at his feet. He appeared to have a very poor grasp of the English language and the displayed prices mysteriously increased. Any normal person would have major alarm bells ringing by now and would have politely declined, but who said we were normal, and besides, we were desperate. So up we went to view our room, which he told us was "family room. Very nice. See sea". On going up the stairs...

MissDirect 19.08.2002 (30.10.2007) · Read review
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Review of Tyrella Hotel, Margate

The UK's '4th coolest boutique hotel'

Advantages: Cental location, friendly service, individualistic
Disadvantages: A little cramped, grubby carpets, a little inflexible on breakfast times

...I travel a lot with work and it's a trifle sad but I have become blasé regarding the same luxury hotel chains-Renaissance, Holiday Inn, Hilton etc It was nice to stay at a boutique hotel for once-and one right slap bang in the middle of Newcastle city centre. Prestige Events Magazine voted it the 4th coolest boutique hotel in the UK last year. The Lowry in Manchester (I love it) was number 10. It's a cute little hotel with a mere 49 bedrooms. I'm not sure why we stay here rather than one of the hotel chains but I am not complaining! Apparently it used to be a bank. It's also Newcastle's first pet friendly hotel. I travelled with my dear deceased little dog in the past and we both enjoyed dog friendly hotels. First impressions: You could almost miss the hotel, as it's very discreet. And small! As soon as you walk through the door...

Katieshaz 26.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Grey Street Hotel, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Hastings Town is the best

Advantages: Lots to do and Lots to See
Disadvantages: Read the review

...I have been living in Hastings since I have been living here that’s coming up 19 years and boy has it change alot in that time. Hastings is a busy town just on the outside of St. Leonard’s-on-sea and near Fairlight. ***Activities*** Hastings has many activities for all ages for example: The Mini Golf on the seafront. The Adventure Golf, which has only just been finished, is superb for people wanting to find out if they are going to be the next Tiger Woods. A fairground called Flamingo Park (I used to work there seasonally) which has very little ride for people of all ages to go on. What they do have are the Most ever Popular BUMPER CARS, 007 which is not for the faint hearted. Hastings is a big place for all those gamblers out there who want to put money in those dreadful slot machines. You can find most of these...

Sexy_Young_God 30.03.2004 · Read review
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Review of Hastings (England)

Hastings Castle - Its not up North!!

Advantages: Beautiful views, so much history
Disadvantages: Wont take you long to look!

...Boy, did I make my family laugh last week, did I ever keep them amused for hours. I was the subject of ridicule for at least 36 hours. Why? It was a simple honest enough mistake. It was whilst we were driving on a trip our, we'd been holidaying near Rye. I just happened to mention that I had always though Hastings was 'up North' and that the famous battle of 1066, you know the one that virtually changed the face of England had also happened up there. My daughter had, by some ill chance been studying the Normans at school last year and she thought it was hysterical. Alan just thought it one of those daft-ass blonde moments I've been having lately. So being only 12 miles from Rye, we travelled to the seaside town of Hastings, ( I didn't even know it was on the coast!), which turned out to be a lovely place. But we weren't there to...

Emma1973 05.09.2003 · Read review
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Review of Hastings (England)

Day Trip To Hastings

Advantages: Cheap and Cheerful
Disadvantages: Some areas are scruffy

...This is my favorite sea side destination come here and you wont be disappointed. First things first every one knows about the battle of Hastings 1066 well that actually happened up the road, but what else do you know? You may of heard of Hastings reputation for being tatty and univiting but don't listen to that, sure it may be a little rough around the edges but that just adds to the charm. If you visit Hastings head to the Old Town first, framed between the East and West Hills the old Town has nearly every type of architecture you can imagine, it resembles a Cornish fishing village without the crowds! For Architecture be sure to walk down All saints Street, High Street and Croft Road, Tackleway. There are Medieval, Georgian and Victorian buildings all trying to grab your attention. Also if you walk down to the stade there are...

monkeykong1 03.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Hastings (England)

Hastings for 1066 And All That

Advantages: Good hotels. History 1066
Disadvantages: A bit tacky in parts. Rising crime

...modern,brash, part. In the High Street check out Starr's Cottages-one of them is painted to look like a wedge of cheese! This is where you will find most of the hotels,seafront guest houses and the bed and breakfast establishments. Hastings is quite well endowed as regards accommodations for visitors with several quite high class hotels and a number of well furnished small hotels and guest houses. There are amusement centres, bingo, candy floss kiosks and all the other establishments one associates with the English seaside. There are several one stop shopping centres in the town and a vast number of souvenir and holiday gift shops lining the sea front. Parts of the town are rather tacky and some older residents feel Hastings has deteriorated badly. There is mention of a drugs trade and on my visits several local residents indicated that...

ashford 21.10.2000 (29.08.2001) · Read review
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Review of Hastings (England)

Hotel International

Advantages: Location, breakfasts
Disadvantages: Poor rooms

...including breakfast. Breakfast is not automatically included, it is an extra Euro7.50 per day per person. THE EXPERIENCE: We arrived at the hotel at about 8pm. The reception area is small. We assumed that they would speak English but tried out our limited French anyway, along with our hilarious 'Allo 'Allo style accents. Thankfully our French was not tested too greatly - although some of the reception staff at other times were less proficient in English so a vague idea of hotel French may be beneficial. We were given the enormous key after paying the remainder of the balance (I had paid one night's deposit before we left the UK) and directed to the lift. It was absolutely tiny, although I know we were lucky to have one at all in Paris! It would just about fit the two of us in and we're both fairly slim. Its claim to hold a maximum...

tartlette83 17.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel International, Paris

Brilliant reviews for Boutique hotels

Advantages: Lots of honest reviews on interesting hotels
Disadvantages: Hotels can be quite expensive to stay at

...** Please note that this review is on volume 2, which is not the book in the picture** Mr and Mrs Smith is essentially a travel guide, but not in the same way the AA is a travel guide. This book only looks at a handful of hotels and they must be 4 or 5 * or boutique hotels. It is a very stylish book and can be picked up at most book shops for about £20 ? £25. You may think this is quite expensive, but an added benefit is that in every book you receive a Mr and Mrs Smith card. All you have to do is register the card on the website and it allows you to receive free gifts and discounts at the hotels they feature, both in the book and on their website www.mrandmrssmith.com. The book starts with an introduction from the people at Mr and Mr Smith and explain that is has been going for nearly 5 years now. On the second page is where...

wolfey59 20.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Mr. and Mrs. Smith - UK & Ireland Hotel Collection - Juliet Kinsman

The Strand Palace Hotel

Advantages: Central location, clean
Disadvantages: Food, rooms

...We stayed at this hotel in London a little over a month ago now for two nights, we chose this hotel mainly because of the central location and because it was only a ten minuite walk from the show we had booked to go too. Check in was very quick - About ten minuites and the staff at the reception seemed very friendly. My first thoughts on the hotel was that it looked really clean and that it was nicely decorated and it looked modern. I was a little dissapointed with our room as it was very small and basic, our room had a double bed, tea and coffee making facilities, a tv with satellite and a small, basic en suite bathroom with a shower. The views from our room very very poor - A block of offices which made our room dark as they were so close. The hotel has two bars and two resturaunts, the bars were again nicely decorated...

kate44 03.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Strand Palace Hotel, London