Best Western Hotels UK 3-for-2 flash sale
Best Western UK has brought back its 3-for-2 sale, which may be worth a look if you are planning a vacation in the UK.
- Book by March 20
- Stay by December 31
- Book three nights and pay for only two (33% discount)
- Breakfast included
- Non-changeable and non-refundable
You can search for availability on the offer page, although it doesn’t seem to function very well. Here are some hotels and their offer rates (3 nights total):
- Queensway Hotel London – £311
- London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel – £173
- New Continental Hotel Plymouth – £214
- Cambridge Bar Hill Hotel – £199
- Birmingham Strathallan Hotel – £185
- Clementine’s Town House Hotel York – £227
- Liverpool Aigburth Hotel – £135
- The Queen at Chester Hotel – £204
- Edinburgh City Centre Bruntsfield Hotel – £161
- Glasgow Argyle Hotel – £240
There are some great deals to be had here, and remember that breakfast is included. However, bookings are non-refundable so be sure you have firm plans.
My review of Cathay Pacific First Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3
After returning to the Qantas Lounge after more than two years, I spent the most of my afternoon in the Cathay Pacific Lounge, since I could only enter the American Express Centurion Lounge from three hours before my flight departure.
Cathay’s Lounge is coded Lounge C, situated to the left of the Qantas Lounge. I have been here quite a few times, and it’s probably my favourite lounge at Heathrow.
Thanks to my BA Gold status, I could access its First Class Lounge. They share the same entrance, but once you are in you either head straight for Business, or turn right for First.
The lounge itself is, to be honest, quite compact.
With a selection of snacks and drinks on the counters.
The actual thing that stands out is its restaurant service, which isn’t available in the Business Class Lounge.
If you fancy sitting down for a proper dinner, it’s a good place to be at. There are a bit more food choices here than in the Business Class Lounge, but not significant.
I’m quite impressed by its wine list, which I forgot to take a photo of.
After lunch, I quickly moved myself to the Business Class Lounge for the rest of the afternoon. To be honest I favour it heavily over the First Class Lounge, as it’s much more spacious, plus has a proper bar and multi-purpose seating areas. If you only have access to the Business Class Lounge – don’t worry, you haven’t missed much.
My review of Qantas Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3
Heathrow Terminal 3 is a great place for lounge hopping if you are flying a Oneworld airline. Prior to trying out to new Amex Centurion Lounge, I spend some time in the good old Qantas Lounge and Cathay Pacific Lounge too.
Qantas Lounge is labelled Lounge B.
The ground floor is closed at the moment, which used to be the beloved restaurant and bar.
There’s also a bar upstairs, although not quite as fancy.
Seats next to the bar are best for runway view.
There’s enough room on the first floor. What I don’t like is they spread out everything across the floor, and there’s no separation between dining area, business centre or relaxation area etc.
It could be tricky to find a private place for making phone calls or working quietly.
Breakfast / Lunch buffet is served at the time.
The chicken tikka masala is pretty good.
The most popular feature of the Qantas Lounge is a-la-carte dining in the ground-floor restaurant, which is missing for now, and I don’t know for how long. Considering this, I don’t really see a reason of choosing Qantas over the Cathay Lounge, although food-wise it seems that Cathay never changes their menu, so Qantas could be a refreshing alternative.
My review of American Express Centurion Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3
Without any specific planning, I came to realise that my BA flight departs from Heathrow Terminal 3 in the booking process. In terms of (Oneworld) lounge situation Terminal 3 is much more preferable than Terminal 5, given the lounge choice between British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. And even better, American Express just opened its new Centurion Lounge in October 2021, so it’s a great opportunity for me to check it out.
Amex has now opened a handful of Centurion lounges globally outside the United States. I’ve visited the one in Hong Kong a couple of times pre-pandemic and really liked it.
I have the whole day to myself at Heathrow so spend some time in the much loved Qantas and Cathay lounges too, which I’ll write about later. T3 feels much smaller than T5 or even T2, but the signage is a bit confusing and it takes me a while to find the Amex Lounge.
It’s nicknamed Lounge A – turn right after security, and you’ll find a lift towards the end.
One level up and the lounge entrance is right in front of you. There’s a kid’s club on the left but I didn’t check it out.
Entry rules are as follows:
- Amex Platinum card members can bring up to 2 guests
- Amex Centurion card members can bring up to 2 guests, or the entire immediate family (spouse and underaged children)
- You are allowed entry from three hours prior to your flight departure
The guest rule is generous enough, however unlike airline lounges, you can’t show up anytime on the day even if it’s way ahead of your departure. Amex card, passport and boarding pass are needed for verification.
The interior is mainly wooden or beige.
There’s a business room immediate to your left. Small cabins are provided which are very convenient if you need to attend a phone call or video conference.
Move forward to see the bar and dining area.
With a very delicate afternoon tea set at the side.
And a semi-private relaxation area.
That’s about it. Size-wise the lounge is nowhere near how the Qantas one measures, not to mention the huge space Cathay occupies. However it’s really new and tastefully furnished. You may have noticed the London map in the picture above already, and there’s also a display of cricket bats:
What I love most is this turquoise retro display made of books and suitcases:
Food is arranged in small plates and feel free to take all you can eat.
There are chicken, beef and vegetarian options. Presentation is really nice and so is the taste. The Japanese soba noodles are quite good.
Don’t forget to grab a drink from the bar too – they have cocktail menus.
Usually I’d say Cathay Pacific Business Lounge is my favourite at Heathrow, given its various dining and super comfortable seating options. Comparatively, the Centurion Lounge is much smaller, but feels more upscale and is slightly better in terms of food. The next time you are at T3, don’t forget to reserve some time here.
My review of London Marriott County Hall
Marriott is running a ludicrous promotion for 2022 Q1, which makes retain my Titanium status much easier. My first stop is London Marriott County Hall, a renowned Marriott property in central London.
Although it’s only a Marriott, it’s one the most sought-after hotels in London, even compared to the luxurious brands such as JW Marriott, Edition and W. This is largely thanks to its location – by River Thames and right next to the London Eye!
Hotel entrance is on the south side. It’s a Grade-II listed building and originally served as London’s County Hall in 1922. It retired after 64 years and became a Marriott hotel in 1988.
I’m presented with a glass of Prosecco while waiting for check-in to complete.
It’s a prime touristic location, which explains the red telephone box and many other London icons in the hotel.
I used my suite upgrade voucher for the first time, and it didn’t take long for them to confirm my upgrade to a River Thames View Suite. I think it’s the second-highest room category (only second to the Westminster Suite), but I may be wrong.
The corridor turns orange when I approach my suite – is it the renovated part of the hotel?
I was stunned when I opened the door and saw the living room:
The furniture and the finish are perfectly spot-on, and it’s even completed with a six-seat dining table. However, the most amazing part of the living room has to be its view.
Especially when the sun shines, you are basically looking at a painting!
The living room and bedroom are connected by an curvy hallway.
The bathroom is also very beautiful, with a smart toilet seat.
Here’s the wardrobe:
And finally the bedroom:
If you are tired of the Big Ben view in the living room, have a change of scenery here for the London Eye:
The design of their wellness centre is a bit weird. For accessing the swimming pool, you need to request an access code from the fifth floor, and then go up to the sixth floor to open a gate, which leads you down to the swimming pool.
The pool itself, though, is very impressive – it’s probably the largest I’ve ever seen in a hotel.
Same can be said with their massive gym.
M Club is located on the fifth floor.
The club lounge is quite big, but unfortunately not with enough windows.
The happy hour is a big let-down though. Everything’s table service and canapes are limited to 2 or 3 portions per person, which you have to order from the staff.
Here’s what I got after a 30-minute wait. It’s not a new policy though – I visited the lounge once about three years ago courtesy of a friend, and it was the same arrangement back then.
Breakfast (free for Platinum members and above) is served in the main restaurant. It’s fully a-la-carta and decent.
I’m genuinely impressed by this stay, and rate London Marriott County Hall higher than W Leicester Square and JW Marriott Grosvenor House. The River Thames View Suite and swimming pool are absolutely stunning, and the hotel is a definite must-visit if you are a Marriott fan!
My review of Hilton Cardiff
I booked Gainsborough Bath Spa via FHR because of the annual $200 credit offered by the US Amex Platinum card. As a result I was also looking for another hotel nearby, ideally with executive lounge and spa facilities, and Hilton Cardiff turned out to be the obvious choice.
The hotel sits comfortably next to the Cardiff Castle, about 15 minutes’ walk from the railway station.
On the day of arrival I inquired about suite upgrade, and got offered a Junior Suite which I’m more than happy about. One feature I love about Hilton is the floor plan and online check-in, with which (and Google Street View) you have enough information to choose the room you want.
They have very few suites, but plenty of junior suites available, so upgrade to the latter shouldn’t be difficult for Diamond members.
The room has an unconventional shape, but quite spacious nonetheless. It’s clearly refurbished in recent years, and generally very comfy. However like the former Le Meridien Piccadilly the bedside sockets are of a very old type, by which you can tell the hotel has some history.
I selected a west-facing room, as the view appears to be much nicer despite being smaller. It turns out to be a great decision, as others have shared online that the east-facing rooms can be heavily disturbed by the bars downstairs.
The bathroom is also big with both a shower and a tub.
The spa at the hotel is quite popular. It’s a member of Hussle so in case you are based in Cardiff, you could probably get a free day pass via Hussle’s various promotions to give it a go.
Swimming pool:
Jacuzzi:
Sauna and steam room:
The gym is next door. Although not large, it’s got enough lighting and view of the swimming pool is quite refreshing.
Breakfast buffet is served in the main restaurant. You must book a one-hour slot for weekends.
My day of arrival is the last day before Wales relaxes its Covid restrictions. The executive lounge is closed and relevant services are moved to the lobby bar – it’s an applauded move, as most hotels that have closed their executive lounge don’t bother to provide any alternatives.
The executive lounge on the 7th floor reopens on the second day. It has a magnificent view of the castle, but unfortunately it rains a lot during my stay.
Afternoon tea is served 3pm-6pm.
Happy hour is served 6pm-8pm, with a couple of hot items, some canapes and the usual beers and wines.
The lounge is decent enough. However it’s not open until 3pm, which prevents you from having soft drinks or a cup of coffee there which is annoying.
In general I’m very happy about the stay: a hotel at central location, with executive lounge, swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, and costs less than £70 a night. If you are looking for a weekend getaway as well, I’d definitely recommend Hilton Cardiff!
My review of Hotel Indigo Kensington, London
Hotel Indigo Kensington has a pretty good 3-for-2 offer via the IHG Luxury and Lifestyle program, and I also had a targeted 5,000 bonus points offer, so I decided to spend my first 2022 hotel stay here.
The hotel is only two minutes away from Earls Court, which is especially convenient if you want to visit the museums. Sat on the Piccadilly Line it’s also handy to travel to the city centre or Heathrow.
Unsurprisingly the front desk has no clue what the Lifestyle rate is, although being very friendly. After checking with the reservation team the second day he confirms the $50 / £40 credit for my stay.
I booked the Premium Room directly as its rate is only a touch higher than the standard room. The only upgrade option available at the time was for a Premium Room with Extra Bed on the basement floor, which I declined.
The room feels pretty Indigo-y, and big by London standard.
The positioning of TV is a bit weird. Air conditioning doesn’t work (in my room) so they provide a portable heater instead.
Minibar is free to all hotel guests. There are two bottles of water, two soft and two alcoholic drinks.
I was upgraded to a Suite the next day.
It’s not noticeably larger than the Premium Room, but has a separate living room, one more TV and better natural light. However the bedroom is quite squeezed.
It’s totally down to personal preference, but I think the Premium Room is more comfortable.
If pre-booked breakfast costs a very reasonable £10 per person. It’s got a small buffet area which doesn’t offer much:
But you can also choose one main and one hot drink from the menu. The mains include full English, pancakes, eggs Benedict and porridge etc.
To spend all my credit I had a dinner at the hotel restaurant too and ordered Penang Curry Chicken, with the complimentary cocktail for Spire members. The food is good.
The hotel is too small to have a gym, let alone a swimming pool or other facilities. In total I paid £260 for three nights in a Premium Room inclusive of £40 credit, which is a deal well worth considering in central London.
Get £10 Amazon voucher for using its Photos app
Amazon has brought back its offer to promote the Photos app, which you may avail for a free £10 credit.
You can view the offer on this page, and there should be a message about your eligibility. You must be a paying Amazon Prime member to be eligible.
To participate, you need to download the Amazon Photos app and upload at least one photo via the app by January 31. You will receive your £10 Amazon credit within 7 days, and have until February 15 to redeem it.
There is a minimum purchase value of £25 to use the credit, and like usual it only applies to items sold and fulfilled by Amazon.
Other Amazon offers:
- £10 off your first Amazon App purchase
- £20 off your first Amazon Fresh and Morrisons order
- Get £10 Amazon voucher for using its Photos app
- £4 off your next Amazon pickup order
- £5 Amazon bonus when topping up £60
- £5 Free Voucher for Streaming Amazon Music
- £5 Free Voucher for Streaming Amazon Podcast
- Earn £5 voucher for using Amazon Pay
- Free £5 Amazon voucher to claim
- £5 voucher for watching Amazon Prime Video
- £5 reward for creating an Amazon wish list
- £15 free money to spend at Amazon Fresh stores
- Amazon Warehouse £5 free voucher