I stayed at this budget hotel/historic real ale pub in Beeston for 8 consecutive nights in October…read more2015. My reasons for selecting this hotel were the proximity to Nottingham (the main reason for my visit was the Robin Hood Beer Festival at Nottingham Castle) - without having to pay Nottingham prices or endure lesser quality of accommodation - and the fact that this place is a highly regarded real ale pub. You can see it on Google Earth - even the inside of the pub!
Unfortunately, I was not able to sample all the beers, as on most days I left before the pub opened (at noon) and came back after it had closed (11 p.m. on weeknights, 12 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). The pub is divided into several rooms, of which the front one with the bar is the biggest, but has very limited seating, and the one the left side, which is more comfy with tables and chairs, but smaller. The stairs that lead up to the first floor connect the pub and the hotel - but only when the pub is open. When it's closed, as a hotel guest you have to enter through a narrow alleyway on the side with a separate door, and via a short but rather steep (and when wet, slippery) flight of stairs that leads to the back of the first floor. Not exactly glamorous, but that's the way it is.
I arrived well ahead of check-in time, when the pub was still closed. But the door I found open, so I just entered and met a young, very friendly woman and two dogs inside. She checked me in immediately, which pleased me very much and explained the basics to me. That was the most service I experienced personally at The Star Inn, as from this point on I had hardly any contact with its staff/owners, who also run the pub (AFAIK). Though I must say that on the three occasions I was served by the owner in the pub (I think he's the owner, he was there in the morning when I arrived, too), he was the epitome of indifference and didn't even recognize me the fourth time we met. All female staff I dealt with were welcoming and friendly.
The location is a good one for visits to Nottingham: The tram/bus interchange is just a minute's walk from the hotel, and the train station less than 10 minutes away. Concerning the train connections, suffice to say that they are adequate on weekdays, much less so on a Sunday. The last train from Nottingham to Besston leaves at 20 past 11 p.m. every day (UKP 2.40 single day return, same as tram or bus). But Beeston is so close to Nottingham that if you enjoy the occasional walk or if all else fails, a walk from Nottingham Station to Beeston is a just a little over one hour. E.g. on a Sunday with spotty train service I decided to walk up to Wollaton Hall, which took me about 50 minutes. Such are the glories of Google Maps.
Beeston city centre (such as it is) is just a few minutes away, and since the hotel itself doesn't offer any breakfast, if you're feeling peckish in the morning you can always walk to the nearest J.D. Wetherspoon pub ("The Last Post") and have a filling and inexpensive traditional English breakfast, or eggs royale/Benedict - if you feel so inclined. It's just a five minute walk.
My hotel room was Number 2 at the end of the corridor (there are 8 rooms in total): a double with a king-size bed, en suite shower (and a very good one, with enough water pressure and easily adjustable temperature - although it was leaking a little), toilet, a large wardrobe, two small bedside tables, a small flat screen TV with a remote and a lot of British channels to choose from (how come a Chuck Lorre sitcom is almost always on air at any given time). Alas, no chair! The furniture was simple yet modern and not worn-out.
Unfortunately, the WIFI signal in my room (It's The Cloud, they don't have their own connection!) was so weak that it was practically unusable - I couldn't even download my emails!
The rooms get serviced (bed being made, towels exchanged) ONLY if you hang a "Please service my room" sign on the door handle, and even then it was ignored once. Bedsheets weren't changed during my 8-nights stay.
Too bad I wasn't able to take the full benefit of the pub. But it's a very good one, with 10 fresh beers on hand pumps - and nice (save the indifference of the owner(!?)), especially if you manage to find a place to sit. On a Saturday night it was pretty much packed with locals, mostly older people.
All in all I was happy with the room for the modest asking price. Would book again!
