What the hotels say

The Old Ship, 4 star Inn

The Old Ship is a privately owned 10 bedroom inn next to Hackney Empire Theatre in east London. It was opened in 2007, after major refurbishment, as a city inn with high quality accommodation and food and is the first property of new venture Urban Inns. A frequent customer was Charlie Chaplin – there is tale that he had a door cut through the wall from the Empire next door just to make his pre-performance visits to the bar that little bit quicker.

The Old Ship has recently been awarded a four star grading as an Inn by VisitEngland. Below, Don McIntyre, Director of Urban Inns, explains why The Old Ship went for a star rating in the scheme.

‘The Old Ship went for a star rating for two reasons. The first is because, as an inn, we are a slightly unusual property. We have taken a traditional English pub and given it a ‘boutique feel’ with high levels of service, accommodation and excellent food, without losing any of the character that so many pub makeovers have had in the past. 

So we wanted to be rated as an inn – so that visitors could see we offer something different from a hotel. We want the grading to help us communicate what we offer.

Secondly, we wanted an independent validation of our standards and a clear label to be proud off. Consumers today have almost too much information available when they try to book somewhere to stay. We feel an independent award like this from a recognised authority helps them cut through the confusion.

It also helps with marketing – we joined the VisitEngland scheme because we are promoting a traditional English brand - and will be expanding in this country. The Enjoy England signage makes us feel part of the tourism landscape. For a very low outlay the grading gives you much exposure. Its also good for viral marketing!’

Don MacIntyre, Director, Urban Inns

The Railway Tavern

The Railway Tavern is a family owned pub opposite the new Channel Tunnel rail link in Stratford. It recently added 9 rooms and is aiming for 2 or 3 star guest accommodation.

'You’ve got to be on the ball all the time. I know within Stratford we’re getting more applications coming through for new hotels. If I want to keep my high occupancy levels, I’ve got to keep my standards up all the time.

I am going for a star rating because we’ve got the eyes of the world on us in the next five years. And people from abroad and the UK do look at star ratings. Having them is having a feather in my cap.'

Jan Dooner, Owner, Railway Tavern Hotel

The Lord Milner is a townhouse in Belgravia which offers bed and breakfast and has just received 5 stars in the Guest Accommodation category with VisitEngland.

‘We have been trading for one year now which has given us time to fine-tune the guest facilities and we now feel confident in applying for 5 stars. Having familiarised ourselves with the VisitEngland criteria, this has really concentrated our minds on the level of detail required. 

We know that there is a demand for highly individual boutique accommodation in London and by achieving a high grading, we will demonstrate that even B+Bs can be 4 and 5 star quality without compromise. This also acts as a reassurance to the guest when deciding on where to stay in London. We are represented on lots of websites but www.visitbritain.org is recognised as the gateway website for anyone visiting the UK. It is respected; its content is highly informative and it has huge global reach.’

The Clarendon Hotel in Greenwich has been graded by VisitEngland for 25 years and has just upgraded from a 2 star to a 3 star

‘We like being graded because it’s a great management tool for the hotel. This year we upgraded from a 2 star to a 3 star hotel and VisitEngland helped us get there, working with us to make the improvements. It’s not just one visit and that’s it.

Being graded is a process that involves everybody in the hotel. The staff are brought along with it too, becoming quite involved in their areas. It’s like a journey for all of us.’

Ken Milton, General Manager, The Clarendon Hotel

The Commodore is a privately owned 79-bedroom hotel in Bayswater, applying for 4 stars with the AA.

'We were rated as 3 stars until 2000 but that lapsed. Now we have had a major refurbishment and are going for 4 stars with the AA. We will benefit from being monitored and having regular inspections. If we've any shortfalls we'll put them right. We won’t get our grading and then let things lapse. We're serious about our business and we've invested a lot of money in the property and we don't want it to go to waste.

I think the impact for guests is reassurance.  We will have 4 stars officially and that's what visitor expect. If you don’t deliver then you have to put it right. So I think it keeps everyone on their toes.  

Being graded is a great opportunity for us to see where we stand, where we think we stand and where the professionals put us. At the end of the day it will benefit everybody.

Sean Harte, General Manager, Commodore Hotel