Was visiting the UK from the US in April, and through a strange series of events, I ended up in Brighouse one day without my paramour, an Englishman, who had been anticipating staying with me. Discombobulated and close to tears, I wandered into the Lane Head Hotel...
... and immediately all was well. The landlord, John, who has just taken over the Lane Head, seemed to literally spring into action. His kindness and easygoing attitude immediately put me at ease, and his words were even better-- "We will take care of you." Have you ever checked into a Premier Inn and had someone basically guarantee that they will watch out for you? Probably not. I know I certainly haven't.
The quoted price was insanely reasonable and included a full English the next morning. He carried my bags up to the second floor and turned on the heater for me, and made sure I had everything needed. After giving me his mobile number in case I ran into a problem, he left me to get acquainted with the room.
To be honest, the room obviously had not be renovated in some time. It was clean, fastidiously so, and stocked well with tea and towels, but the decor and furniture were quite dated. John had just told me that they were beginning major renovations, and the facilities were more than adequate and, as stated, very clean (which, to me, is more important than really anything else in a hotel) so it was not something that bothered me. Sandy, the other gentleman who works there, came up in the mid afternoon to make sure I had everything I needed.
Later that evening, after getting my bearings and going out for a long walk, I returned to the hotel with an enormous order or Yorkshire fish and chips takeaway. The landlord and his wife Jane, and Sandy, were seated in the restaurant and invited me to join them. It was an exceptionally nice thing for them to offer, and I enjoyed the lovely, cosy atmosphere of the restaurant and tiny bar and woodburning stove.
The next morning, I had my first Full English, cooked by John, and it was exquisite. I could barely eat half of it, but every bit was amazing, I would move to England if I could eat that bacon every day. Upon finishing, he drove me down to the train station so I could continue on my journey and meet up with my partner, for free. He refused a tip, and seemed honestly surprised that I was surprised by the attentiveness that the staff of the Lane Head had shown me.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. I cannot wait to come back and see the renovations made-- they had talked about updating the rooms, and building another, smaller room across the hall from the restaurant with a more modern style, while also keeping the rustic, homey original restaurant. If you are ever in Brighouse, stop in to eat, or even better, stay the night. It's lovely and historic and charming, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet are running it. read more
