Very much a business orientated hotel this one located in the corner of a business park, whose…read moreresident businesses provide the majority of the custom. The facade is impressively modern, with black shiny cladding, awhooshy, Star Trek stylee automatic doors, and moody modern lighting. Plus points: - clean and tidy - friendly and efficient staff - a pretty serviceable menu in the Bar and Grill Foodwise, the dinner menu is pretty good, with an emphasis on meaty dishes; they advertise that all their beef is from Derbyshire, aged, etc., and I've heard no complaints. The kitchen also does a good line in starters, high points including calamari ( so simple, so easy to screw up), and a very nice game terrine. If I was to sum it up, it's an uncomplicated, and perhaps slightly old fashioned menu, but probably well suited to the clientele and with a serviceable wine list. The rooms seem to be large, reasonably comfortble, and boasting the mod cons one would expect lots of exposed brick and is-it-a-wardrobe shiny wood. On the downside:- my room had a monsoon shower, but no bath- the shower produced a stale-smelling trickle of water, not the gushy tropical downpour one would hope for - the sink appeared to be able to produce hot water, but not cold . Not great for shaving or brushing your teeth - breakfast, some mornings, appear to be not-quite-ready after the restaurant has opened; quite inconvenient if you're looking for an early start - the room service menu is rather staid and changes irregularly; incidentally the menus in the room have only a vague resemblance to what is actually available - the bar is fairly pricey £9.50 for a double G & T seems a bit steep, even to a Londoner. I could also whine about the room being over heated, the sheets over-starched, or noise in the morning, but in my experience these are true of most bigger hotels anywhere in the world, so it would be somewhat unfair.

I think these folks have the luxury of being the only modern hotel in the area…read more Nice building well signposted. BUT... The staff are poorly trained, to say the least. Bar staff didn't have a clue, and even less when it came to serving breakfast. The waitress, who brought me the wrong breakfast order, asked me if I was sure I ordered what I ordered from her... I mean, seriously?? At the bar she really had no idea of any of the spirits or how to pour a drink - the lime slices were brown and manky around the edges and had clearly been cut days earlier. And the music in the bar was so loud we had to ask for it to be turned down, we couldn't hear across the table. The breakfast for 14 pounds was a laugh - the 'buffet table' was a joke. Coffee - o dear, stick to the tea. The rooms are actually quite nicely appointed, if small, but no wardrobe, just a nook, and no fridge, iron or ironing board. I got an ironing board sent up with an iron which promptly ruined the shirt I put it on as the plate was covered in some burnt substance I could not get off my shirt. I know you are thinking I should have checked, but I did puff the steam and wipe it on the board before use, however it seems the cotton was especially good at attracting the debris. [sigh] And then 5 pounds an hour for wifi - really?? And lastly the pillows are truly diabolical - it they cost more than 50p each I would be amazed, they were a shocker. When we went to get a coffee in the reception area we were informed we had checked out and had to pay cash (we hadn't) and I was not offered an itemised bill to check before they took my payment. All in all, you could do worse - but give it a hard think.

I recently booked Santo's Higham Farm for a work Christmas dinner and cannot recommed it highly…read moreenough. The meal was expensive, but the quality reflected this. The service is attentive and polite, the rooms are well-presented and quaint. The Hotel is made up of several buildings converted into one functional area. The grounds are excellent and it is set in a lovely derbyshire village. There are plenty of local beauty spots and tourist venues, as well as a short drive to Chesterfield, if you wanted to do a spot of shopping. There are also fishing lakes within the grounds, and a historic well situated in the reception area.

Travelodge is a cheap and cheerful chain of budget hotels that offers value for money if you take…read moreadvantage of the special offers. The current offer is £19 per room per night if you book at least three weeks in advance. A room sleeps up to four people easily (including using a sofa bed which opens out into a double bed). On the website bookings can be made up to 12 months in advance. The hotel rooms are plain and basic, but you'd be hard pushed to find something else as cheap as this. This hotel is near Derby just off a busy dual carriageway. Make sure you ask for a room on the quieter side of the hotel when checking in, because the early morning rush hour starts very early. I'm a light sleeper so I notice these things!