Welcome to the Castle Hotel at Taunton. This historic Norman fortress has witnessed over 9…read morecenturies of turbulent history. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth's officers gathered here on the eve of the Battle of Sedgemoor, where they were defeated by the forces of King James II. The infamous Judge Jeffries held his Bloody Assize in the Great Hall of the castle shortly afterwards. Over 200 rebels from the Monmouth Rebellion were tried, convicted and then hanged, drawn and quartered. A further 800 were transported to the West Indies to work on the sugar plantations. The building we see today is a Grade II listed, 18th century reconstruction of the original Norman castle, but does incorporate the original east gate, Castle Bow, which boasts 13th century features.

Where to begin! Staying here was a highlight of my recent, and first trip to England. I was coming…read moreto do some family history work at the archives in Taunton, as well as visit Glastonbury Tor. When I read this was an actual castle with medieval beginnings, I was immediately drawn in. Then I visited their website and read a few reviews and I booked it! It's a unique experience to say the least. Coming through the front, revolving door had an old world charm that was very welcoming (even though I snagged my luggage). The front desk staff were all super friendly, accommodating, and professional. The room was huge! I don't know how I ended up with a suite but I certainly did not book it nor pay extra so, the only conclusion is they upgraded me because it was available? No matter, I was in awe! I cannot recommend this place enough, it's a castle! Unforgettable.

We recently visited the UK and were fortunate enough to spend an overnight at The Old Parsonage…read moreHouse in Beckington. Having discovered their website during a Google search, and booking our accommodation from our home in the Chicago area, we could only hope that the inn would measure up to the lovely photos and descriptions on their homepage. We and our 2 daughters occupied the family suite and found it to exceed our expectations in every way. The rooms were exceptionally clean, comfortable and tastefully decorated with every attention paid to the details so appreciated by the traveler. We were made to feel truly welcome and enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the sunny dining room. We highly recommend The Old Parsonage House and look forward to many future visits.

Better known as Glencot House this is a quirky, fascinating and unique hotel in a wonderful…read morepicturesque location. The building is Jacobean in style and was completed in 1887 for a local paper mill owner. It was bought in 2006 by Martin Miller, the founder of Miller's antiques guides, and hosts an incredibly quirky and fascinating collection of antiques and curiosities. The grounds are equally fascinating with a small river, two bridges, a waterfall, statues, mirrors and numerous hidey-holes. In the evening there are lots of candles and other spot-lighting which all add to the effect. I was attending a wedding, so the food was all pre-ordered and cooked in bulk, so probably not the best way to sample the quality that I would hope would normally be available. The function food was only fairly good: a seafood cocktail looked fine, but needed a good squeeze of lemon to liven it up. The main of beef was extremely fatty, and the vegetables seem to have been sat around for way too long and had dried up. The pudding too was disappointing: the tarte tatin was overcooked and tasted bitter. The standard cooked breakfast was much better, well prepared and tasty, and on the second day I tried scrambled eggs with salmon and this too was good. The standard rate for the rooms is £165-265 depending on view and number of posts the bed has. Ours was at the bottom end of the price range and was quite nice, but was on the top floor and the plumbing to the shower really wasn't up to it. There was even a printed note on the wash stand explaining that you need to fiddle with the controls to get it to work, but the only shower you could have in our room was a scalding hot dribble. I visited several other rooms on the lower floors and these were generally to a high standard. Overall this is looking like a good place to stay, with some minor cautions about the food, but there is something I haven't yet mentioned, and that is the service. The service was friendly, but almost universally poor. The service during the meal took forever. A sign in the room says to ring reception for milk so you can make a hot drink. After 20 minutes we gave up and instead went downstairs for a drink - the milk never arrived. At breakfast a table for two had only one knife, one glass, one serviette, no spoons and no butter. On the help yourself buffet there were no croissants, pain au chocolate, cheese, ham or bread. As people left their tables having eaten breakfast tables were left un-cleared until people were standing around in the restaurant waiting for somewhere to sit. If the service was top-notch, this would be a five star venue with loads of Wow Factor, as it is I reluctantly can only give it the rating I have, a real shame.

Wow what a beautiful hotel. We had dinner here in the summer and it was an amazing experience…read more Right out in the countryside, almost in the middle of nowhere, but actually quite near Wells and near Wookey Hole caves. I wouldnt go so far as to say family friendly, but our 3 kids were welcomed and had their own menu but I did worry about them making a lot of noise as it is quite a posh place. Delicious food - but the prices definitely match. It is a really unusual place, stuffed full of all kinds of weird stuff. On the trip to the toilets, we passed a cinema room full of scary porcelain dolls and the even the staircases were crammed with memorabilia including carved wooden birds and antique kids toys. The hotel looks very impressive - beautiful grounds and even a small pool. A lovely place in the Somerset countryside

Situated on the Welshback and overlooking Bristol Harbour, this hotel is a litlle slice of luxury…read morein the heart of Bristol. Minutes away from the city centre and popular bars and nightclubs, the Brigstow is well situated for a night on the tiles in Bristol. On the one occasion that I stayed here I was on the top floor with a balcony facing the water, which I didn't have to pay any extra for. The room was beautifully decorated and very modern, with rich wood and turquoise wall art. The bed was angled diagonally which is a little unconventional for a hotel but only enhanced my stay. The staff we efficient, professional and helpful when we wanted to book breakfast and needed some extra towels in our room. Breakfast in the downstairs restaurant was delicious and plentiful, though if there are mini muffins and a fry up on offer then I'm generally happy! If you are planning on visiting Bristol and want to relax in luxury then this is the place to be.

I stayed in the Mercure Brigstow last December, and thought it was a great place to stay. Its very…read morecentral, so fantastic if you are going out and want to explore the city. The hotel is described as a boutique style, which was nice enough. The room wasn't especially clean (the obvious things were clean, but things like shelves in the wardrobe, on the floor near the bed, etc were not) The bathroom had a (very) small TV built into the wall above the taps in the bath. I was far too excited. The price was reasonable if booked in advance and through one of their usual deals - I think it was £59 for one night and £69 for the second.

This country hotel is based in a grand style building (with extension) but looks really pretty from…read morethe front with the nice grounds and lake out front. Although the 'spa' next door which was more of a quiet small lesuire centre did bring it down abit. The hotel is a Hilton but not like any Hilton ive been in before maybe due to the ruralness of the location. Me and my partner went here the day before we were to go on our honeymoon. So we did select honeymoon as the occassion when booking online, but we didnt notice any difference from selectin that option. When asking at the reception no one knew what we were talking about. Even though it stated on our confirmation it was a honeymoon booking. Reception staff we're friendly had were given a hot cookie on arrival which was a nice touch, we got into our room but noticed it hadn't been cleaned properly and looked as if someone had been sat on bed and had a half drank cup of coffee of the side. So went back to reception as changed rooms which was fine. The room was really nice aswell which over looked the front of the house. Although the window did brake slighlty when trying to shut. We had free access the gym and pool next door which we used but as it was open to the public didnt seem so relaxing as it should. Breakfast was Buffett style which was really nice. It was based in the up market resturant linked to the hotel. It was all fresh and good quality. Overall the hotel is really nice just the little things that let it down!

I was slightly disappointed that there was no chocolate in this hotel and gym. I reckon my…read moreimagination must have got the better of me and I imagined chocolate fountains and water slides made out of Cadbury's chocolate. But in all reality, it's beautiful here. Half of the hotel is the original building and the other is a modern extension, which is a bit of a shame as it looks a bit odd. Rooms are spacious and have everything you would expect from a high end hotel. But probably the best thing about this hotel is it's wonderful spa. They really have gone all out and provided customers with ultimate luxury and relaxation. Prices are a little high, but for a one off special I reckon it's worth it. There is also a well equipped gym which is worth using as it's included in your hotel stay. The hotel is also situation in stunning grounds. If you are lucky enough to get a nice enough day, it's well worth walk around the hotel's grounds as they have kept the gardens looking very nice.

Located just a few steps away from the famous Wells Cathedral & Bishop's Palace, the 15th century…read moreWhite Hart is the ideal base from which to explore everything that Wells and the surrounding area has to offer. The hotel was a previous winner of the Channel 4 programme, '4 in a bed', and recently renovated by award-winning designers. Traditional Hotel In Wells | The White Hart (whitehartwells.com)

I stayed here over Halloween weekend 2009 and it certainly was a great place for the occasion! The…read morerooms are massive and the decor is traditional but very fitting considering the architecture. The staff were very friendly, and did their up most to help in every way. High recommended.

We had an amazing experience at this hotel and already want to come back to stay longer and use the…read morespa! We didn't realize how spectacular it was. Alex, the doorman, was phenomenal-have you ever received a hand drawn map of the area before with personal recommendations? When we walked into our beautiful room, there was spa music playing and we found the cutest complimentary tote bag, tea, snacks and kombucha. There are plenty of nice sitting areas in the lobby and it is very centrally located near restaurants and shopping as well.

From the moment we walked in the door, the staff treated us like family. After five rushed days in…read moreLondon, this was a respite! The recent refurbishing resulted in an elegant, yet comfortable, atmosphere with all modern conveniences and English country vibe. The restaurant was wonderful, too. We can recommend this hotel to anyone coming to Bath. Delightful!!