The Avon Gorge Hotel
What's so special
If you are planning a trip to Bristol then you'll undoubtedly be hoping to get a glimpse of the famous suspension bridge. You won't get better views than the ones available from this hotel's terrace and balconies, all of which look out across the gorge and the bridge.
How they rate it
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The hotel has an unrivalled position in Bristol in the upmarket Clifton area and the views are indeed fantastic. The trouble is, it seems content with trading off the view and has invested little in the rooms. My room was spacious, clean and comfortable, but in need of a facelift (one of the legs on my bedside table was broken and the age of the wallpaper was only highlighted by the fresh lick of white paint on the coving). The walls are also paper thin so any late-night corridor wanderings will wake a light sleeper. If I were revisiting Bristol, I'd dine here and enjoy the view, but sleep elsewhere.
The menu
The hotel's restaurant has a glass wall looking out over the bridge. The menu holds no surprises, but the food is tasty: I can heartily recommend the crab cakes.
The cost
A double room costs from £123 for bed and breakfast. For more information, visit www.theavongorge.com, or call 0117-9738 955.
Hotel du Vin
What's so special
While the Hotel du Vin can't compete with The Avon Gorge Hotel when it comes to location, it certainly trumps it in the style stakes. Situated in a group of 16th-century, Grade II-listed warehouses, the hotel features a wealth of original features such as exposed brickwork and girders alongside stylish modern fixtures and fittings. You'll sleep in Egyptian cotton sheets and bathe in enormous, roll-top baths.
How they rate it
As boutique British hotels go, you'll struggle to find better than Hotel du Vin. My room was enormous the patio alone could have held 30 people and very comfortable. I also experienced my first walk-through shower, one of those utterly pointless but thoroughly fun things that boutique hotels seem to do so well. My only complaint would be the iron pillars around the room, which give any late-night trips to the bathroom an added element of danger.
The menu
The hotel restaurant offers the usual British take on bistro-style fare, but it's done very well, and with a seasonal twist: I enjoyed the tenderloin of pork with butternut squash pure. There is also, as you'd expect, an extensive wine list.
The cost
Rates start from £99 I stayed in the Harvey's Suite, which costs from £175. Find out more at www.hotelduvin.com, or call 0117-9255 577.
What the travel writers are saying
Where are the hotspots that celebrities choose when they go on holiday? Aoife O'Riordan in The Independent looks at favoured A-list retreats.
The tiny island of Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos (pictured above) is a celebrity hotspot, with Jennifer Aniston and Bruce Willis holidaying here the latter even owns a home on the island. The villas are clustered away from the main resort in a corner known as Rocky Point. You can rent Donna Karan's 11-bedroom villa, The Sanctuary, which offers top-end luxury and views of Parrot Cay's white sandy beaches. Rental starts from $30,000 per night; it sleeps 22 (Parrotcay.como.bz).
The summer retreat of Luciano Pavarotti in Le Marche, Italy, has recently been turned into a holiday rental. Villa Giulia is "a sprawling escape" in the relatively undiscovered Le Marche region", close to the resort of Pesaro. There is an outdoor swimming pool and a beach nearby. An annexe contains a music room where Pavarotti used to practise. A week's rental costs from £6,795 and the villa sleeps 23 (Villeinitalia.com).
Twin Palms in Palm Springs, California, is the former estate of Frank Sinatra. "The haunt of Ol' Blue Eyes is a mid-century masterpiece designed by E Stewart Williams, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a piano-shaped swimming pool." The house is located in "this desert outpost's Movie Colony neighbourhood" and also featured in Joan Crawford's 1950s film The Damned Don't Cry! The villa sleeps eight and rates start from $2,600 per night (Beaumondevillas.com).
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