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.

My recent stay in Taunton was bittersweet, as I was in town for my brother's funeral. Having booked…read moreweeks in advance, my only request was for a quiet room. Unfortunately, I was assigned a room overlooking the parking lot dumpsters with a non-functional heater. Despite reporting the cold radiator, the staff simply told me to turn the dial up--which I had already done to no avail. The dining experience was also a letdown. While the presentation was an attempt at "Michelin-style," the £10 mullet portion was tiny and swimming in excessive herb oil, which was difficult to stomach after a long day of travel. On a positive note, the breakfasts were good, the location is convenient, and it served as a helpful meeting point for my family. If you stay here, I recommend double-checking that any special requests are actually communicated to the staff.

Lovely hotel with accommodating staff. After a long day of travel from Lodnon it was a short 5…read moreminute cab ride from the train station. It had a huge bath to decompress after the long day of travel. The attached pub was great with a good selection and a relaxing patio. The included breakfast was very good and checkout was very easy.

Celtic Manor had folks like Obama and Cameron over for tea this summer so it's well posh. It has…read moremajor games like the Rider cup so you can talk your golf sweetie into going. But that ain't why you'll be going. You'll be going for the spa! OMG, what a freaking awesome foo foo shi shi la te da good time. The pool is to die for. A lovely 31C the day I go. Swim all day. Wear your thick terry cloth bathrobe to lunch. Go for a lovely posh spa treatment. The Herbal Steam Bath is almost as good as getting it on with the pool boy. The lunch included on the spa day is a delightful selection of salads and the day I go, it also has cold steamed salmon and cold steamed chicken. Another spa treatment is a great pedicure. If you go for the pedicure or the nails, be aware that there's an hour drying time on the polish so be sure to book plenty of rest time after the spa treatment.

Stayed in one of the Hunters Lodges. Pricey but a great place to throw a party with sauna and hot…read moretub and open plan layout. Friendly drivers take you between lodges and main resort. Our family made good use of the pool, gym, golf and children's activities. Dined at Olive Tree restaurant but Deliveroo will deliver takeaway to the lodges as an alternative.

This is the second Holiday Inn Express I have stayed in and I am as impressed as I was the first…read moretime. Situated just off the M5, it has an easy access car park, adjacent to a Harvester restaurant. The staff are efficient, friendly and helpful, and the whole hotel has a thoroughly modern feel. Our room had two sizeable twin single beds, with a choice of soft or hard pillows! The bathroom was a decent size, with a power shower, and the whole room was tastefully furnished. The TV was playing classical music as we entered the room and greeted us by name, a nice touch. Our initial reservation about the room being near to the bar was unfounded, the noise was minimal. After a restful nights sleep, we went for breakfast in the lounge area adjacent to the bar. Busy and self service, but with a good variety muffins, croissants, fruit, a variety of cereals, toast and a cooked breakfast selection of scrambled eggs, sausage and baked beans. A complementary I paper for the journey too, a great stay.

Overnight I've become a huge fan of this chain of budget hotels which I only discovered by accident…read morewhen surfing the internet. Vastly superior to Travelodges though sometimes almost as cheap, or even cheaper when they offer special deals (three nights for the price of two, etc). The rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable, with plenty of storage and a superior standard of furniture and fittings. Our room had a telephone, large flat-screen TV, tea and coffee making facilities with lots of teabags, hot chocolate and fresh biscuits each day. In addition to the large bed was a plush two-seater settee. The en-suite had a large power shower and, again, the tiling and fittings were of a high standard for a budget hotel. There's a modern lift to rooms (very good disabled access), beautiful carpets and curtains, and a foyer with local information and a sweets and chocolate machine. Breakfast came free with the room rate and was served across a short walkway in the Jack Rabbit pub. It consisted of a continental-style buffet with an excellent choice of cereals, fruit juices, fresh fruit, yoghurt, breads, toast, preserves and croissants. A machine provided good quality teas or coffees. You can eat as much as you wish and there are helpful staff on hand to assist if need be. A free newspaper (Daily Mail) was also available each day. All in all, a superb value package at only £89 for 3 nights (the special offer this month)! Certainly a chain to watch - there are 200 branches around the country and more planned.

I was in Cardiff for a conference and chose Riverhouse Backpackers as my choice...plus it was cheap…read morefor three days it was £60. It is run by a friendly brother and sister team. When they told me what room I was going in and it was all male....I was like nah! The were prompt to change and gave me an all female room. The did say keep bedrooms clean, so you knew you wasn't going to get a cleaner every day to change your bedding hence why I saw long stringy hair in my bunk bed that I had to pick off. I enjoyed the breakfast especially a paticular Peanut Butter I was raving to the owner about. It was from Costco! Obviously you get all sort of people- but mainly a young crowd. The have a cute small living room with plenty of choice if you wanted to watch a DVD! Also coming into the entrance of Riverhouse their are lots of information on what to do in Cardiff and the rest of Wales. I love the fact Riverhouse is near the River Taff and really close to the city centre . It was a pleasent stay overall.

This is easily one of the best hostels I've ever stated in. Clean, comfortable, affordable,…read morewelcoming, did I mention clean? Because it is hands down the cleanest hostel I've ever experienced. It feels like you're staying in someone's family home, only you are an incredibly welcome guest, rather than a paying customer. The fact that it's run by a brother and sister team may have something to do with it. The building is warm with modern bathrooms and showers, and plenty of them. The rooms have comfy beds, block out curtains and proper doonas, so there's no shivering under a sheet. There's free breakfast each day and it's an excellent spread; toast with every topping you could wish for, cereal, pastries, yoghurt, juice, and endless cups of tea and coffee. And the location couldn't be better. Right on the water, each window looks out at Millennium Stadium, so the city centre is just over the bridge.

Anyone travelling on the A38 between Taunton and Exeter, or on the M5 which is close by, and…read morelooking for a place to stop would be well advised to call in at 'The Poachers Pocket'. This is a really good pub which also has good food and doubles as a small hotel. The beer, food and rooms are all excellent; the landlord and staff are welcoming and the locals friendly. Having stayed there yesterday, I can also vouch for the quality, variety and quantity of the breakfast which was a great starter for the day. There's only very quiet background music and a small television in the bar, but there is free Wi-Fi for those who need it. Residents have access to a small but comfortable lounge if they wish to relax outside of both their rooms and the bar. There's plenty of parking, both in front and at the rear of the pub via an archway, and a small patio and grassy area at the rear. There's a website at http://www.poacherspocket.co.uk for those who are interested in investigating further or arranging a visit. I'll certainly be going back.

On our many trips out of Essex we always have an overnight break in, normally, a Premier Inn. This…read moretime, on our way down to Kernow, we chose Glastonbury. What a fantastic choice it was. Reception was swift and Covid-19 aware. A pleasant surprise was an upgrade to their Premier Plus room. Wow, quite a difference. Larger room, extras such as arm chair, ironing board and iron, extra pillows, good coffee machine as well as tea making facilities, nice toiletries, faster wi-fi available etc etc. A really enjoyable, quiet, overnight stay. TIP. Buy their meal offer when booking. Great breakfast and a nice evening meal at, I believe, about 25% discount.

Might possible be the best Premier Inn across the UK. Newly opened, it is modern, clean, bright…read more Rooms are well I sugared from sound for a good nights sleep. Beds are very comfy. Not sinking soft, and not too hard either. Water pressure in the shower was great and water was hot instantly. All rooms have air conditioning too. Checkin service was very friendly and quick. What more would you want from a Premier Inn?

The Carvery is amazing - the beef is cooked to perfection. Staff are professional. the Bar is cosy…read more I have only had food from the a la carte once and that was equally as good. There is a Side restaurant at the back called Le Roche which does black rock steak where it comes out on a hot rock so you can cook your steak to your own liking - a novelty but fun. I find the Arms good for large groups there are 17 of us there next weekend for a carvery for a birthday meal.