What Sophie Said

Last weekend, my dad came to London for our trip to Funny Girl, and we stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton London Excel. The weekend started with confusion as we actually went to the wrong hotel first (DoubleTree by Hilton London Docklands) - apparently the two hotels are often confused as they both have Docklands in the name or address. After a cab ride with a pretty rude driver, we made it to the right hotel, in the Docklands area near the Excel exhibition centre. It's a pretty handy location tube-wise, taking about 30 minutes to get into central London. However, I've stayed in this area a couple of times and it's worth being aware that although the area is 'accessible' time-wise, you actually are a bit out on a limb. When we got back from the theatre at gone 11pm, the short route back to our hotel from Prince Regent DLR station was closed, so we had to walk all the way around the Excel which is extremely poorly lit and doesn't feel safe. At night, the ...

Last weekend I headed off on a little escape from London, to Ashford in Kent. The Ashford International Hotel was my home for the weekend, and what a beautiful home it was. Part of the Q Hotels group, it's situated just off the motorway and a perfect hub for business or for relaxation. Everything looks brand new and clean, and the reception area is huge and nicely furnished, complete with a warm welcome from the staff. The room was hidden down a maze of corridors, but although the hotel is pretty huge you certainly don't feel like it's busy. It's not often you bump into anyone in the corridors, and the shared areas such as all the seating in the lobby were always comfortable and quiet. The room was far more spacious than I had expected, and the red and pink decor felt plush and luxurious. Everything was spotlessly clean and the bed was unbelievably comfortable. The bedding was also really soft, and didn't have that starchy feel you get at some hotels. ...