I've stayed in hundreds of hotels around the world -these are my favourites in the UK for less than £50 each a night
BEING the Sun's Deputy Travel Editor, I've stayed in hundreds of hotels in the past decade - and have 53 countries under my belt.
But despite visiting some of the world's best luxury accommodation, some of my favourite across Britain won't break the bank at all.
Here are my seven favourite UK hotels which cost less than £50 per person per night.
Telegraph Hotel, Coventry
One of the more unique hotels I've stayed at is Telegraph Hotel in the former offices of the Telegraph newspaper in Coventry.
Walking into the hotel, which opened in 2021, feels like stepping back into the era of Man Men, with mid century decor harking back to the 1950s.
And it's the little touches such as a clippings of the Coventry Evening Telegraph on the walls, as well as the beautiful rooftop bar that really make it special.
The food is divine as well, at the Forme & Chase restaurant - I recommend the crab crumpets.
Even better, it's right in the centre of Coventry making it a great spot to explore the city further.
BEST FOR? Journalism lovers who will be in their element learning about the history.
Rooms start from £85 a night, working out to £42.50 each.
The Alan, Manchester
I often visit Manchester to see friends, so I've stayed at my fair share of hotels in the city.
One of my favourites is The Alan, a design hotel in the centre of Manchester which feels more like an architectural project than a hotel.
Inside the UK hotel in the middle of a national park - named one of the world's best
The bathrooms are adorned with dark pink tiles and stylish brass features, while the bedrooms have white stone coffee tables and glass coffee mugs.
It's modern too, each with a Google Nest "smart concierge" for any help, rather than the traditional phone.
The intimate bar was an unexpected highlight, with amazing small plates such as butterbean hummus, charred lamb breast and a deconstructed Snickers for dessert.
BEST FOR? Architecture fans who love an Instagrammable hotel.
Rooms start from £62 a night, working out to £31 each.
Mama Shelter, London
The trendy Mama Shelter hotel chain first launched in Paris in 2008 - followed by their only UK branch in 2019 in Shoreditch.
The zany interiors from garish lights to patterned armchairs mean it is certainly one of the most unique hotels in the UK.
While the room choices are simple - with just a small, medium or large - the designs are anything but.
Expect multicoloured carpets, fun prints and toiletries saying "Mama Loves You," and even free movies on demand (as well as some more X-rated ones for adults).
The hotel restaurant is French-English fusion, serving everything from fish and chips to salmon spring rolls with small plates from £4.50.
And there are even karaoke booths you can rent onsite.
BEST FOR? Couples who want a fun stay in the capital city.
From £92.50 a night, working out to £46.75 a night.
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Mollies Motel, Bristol
Mollies Motel is one for the American Diner lovers.
I've been lucky enough to stay at both the Bristol and Oxfordshire branch, and there are plans for one to open in Manchester.
Built off the side of a busy motorway, they are a step up from a roadside motel, being artfully designed by the team behind Soho House.
By that I mean GHDs and Dysons in the room, fancy Cowshed toiletries and a tuck shop selling treats including Tony's Chocolonely and even branded mugs.
The restaurant leans heavily into the American diner concept - such as huge burgers, towering pancake stacks and a few token salads - so arrive with an empty stomach.
BEST FOR? Travellers exploring the area by car who want an easy base to stay at.
Rooms starting from £72 a night, working out to £36 each.
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Blue Boar, Witney
My hometown of Witney is often overlooked when it comes to the Cotswolds, but it has one of my favourite hotels.
The Blue Boar is cosy, with quaint floral rooms complete with four poster beds.
The restaurant has enough to please everyone from wood-fired pizzas to pasta and burgers from £10.
It's where you'll find me dragging my mates for dinner whenever I'm home anyway...
BEST FOR? Tourists exploring the Cotswolds on a budget.
Rooms from £91, working out to £45.50 each.
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Generator, London
If you want a really cheap hotel and you are happy to go back to basics, let me sell you Generator Hostel.
I'm not asking you to share one of the hostel's 18-bed dorm, as their private rooms are surprisingly affordable.
They're basic - don't expect towels or a minibar - but if you just want somewhere to sleep while exploring London, it is amazingly located next to Kings Cross.
It has a downstairs bar and shuffleboard where you are likely to be surrounded by school kids, so it makes a great option for families with younger kids wanting to explore the city on a budget.
Just maybe remember to pack the earplugs…
BEST FOR? Families wanting an affordable base for visiting London.
Rooms from £44 a night, working out to £22 a night.
Rocksalt Rooms, Folkestone
I had to include another Folkestone hotel, with my love of my Kent town and just around the corner is the small Rocksalt Rooms.
With just four rooms, they are cosy and rustic with wrought-iron beds and Nespresso machines.
But it's the location you want them for as it is right behind the Rocksalt restaurant, an awarding winning seafood eatery.
Coming with a complimentary breakfast, there's no better way to wake up than with a view over the ocean.
Just make sure to stay for dinner for some freshly caught Folkestone scallops.
BEST FOR? Foodies who want amazing seaside views.
Rooms from £99 a night, working out to £49.50 a night.
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Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Exactly what long car journeys do to your body
If you spent your childhood in Britain, you likely have memories of many a car journey: the early starts, the packed lunches, the boots full to the brim. Then there are the hours spent playing I Spy and singing, driving through the countryside, to get to the seaside, holiday camps or visit family. Long car journeys are quintessentially British. And such trips came into their heyday in post-war Britain, when car ownership had become more common and trips abroad were unusual. While the advent of the cheap package holidays to Spain (where good weather is nearly guaranteed) reduced the number of people flooding seaside towns, so-called 'staycations' are in demand for their cost and convenience. However, it does mean hours in the car and the familiar feelings of tiredness, travel sickness and muscle aches that it brings. So, what's actually happening in our bodies, and what can we do to keep in good health during the journey? Tiredness It's common for passengers to nod off on long journeys, but obviously, it is extremely dangerous if the driver succumbs to drowsiness – between 10 and 20 per cent of all crashes are caused by fatigue. 'For the driver, tiredness will eventually kick in,' says Prof Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford, who researches car design and how it affects driving. Studies suggest that, beyond just the mental effort of driving, driving can induce sleepiness within 15 minutes due to the natural vibrations of car seats, while the white noise made by the engine, wheels and passing cars is also thought to play a role. 'Several car companies' idea of success in recent years was to design car interiors such that when commuters got home at the end of day, they would just sit in the driveway because the multisensory environment was so comfortable,' Prof Spence says. 'Ultimate comfort might not be ideal for keeping a driver on a long journey in peak state of arousal or alertness.' How to prevent it 'Opening a window to get some fresh air can help,' Prof Spence says. 'But ultimately, presumably, the thing to do is take a break.' Some cars now come with driver drowsiness detection, which makes a loud noise or causes the wheel to vibrate when it senses – by analysing speed, time of day and weather – a driver might be becoming tired. 'Cars can monitor drivers nowadays, but an urgent alert sound may be too unpleasant,' Spence says. Getting enough sleep the night before a long journey is also key. Research shows that drivers who get less than five hours of sleep are just as likely to crash as if they were over the legal limit for alcohol. Motion sickness During a long car journey, around one in three of us will experience the symptoms of motion sickness to some degree, from mild nausea to vomiting that forces us to pull over. It's thought that motion sickness is a result of a sensory mismatch between the movement the body is experiencing (sensed by the inner ear) and the movement that we're seeing (logged by our eyes), explains John Golding, professor of applied psychology at the University of Westminster, who has previously worked with RAF pilots and sailors in the navy to desensitise them to motion sickness. Experts believe the resulting unpleasant symptoms occur because the body believes that this sensory mismatch is a sign that it has been poisoned, he explains. 'In response, the brain tells the stomach to stop moving its contents further through the gut (a protective reflex called gastric stasis) because, according to this poison detector theory, that would be preventing any further poison from being absorbed,' he says. While some people never suffer from queasiness in the car, others reach for a plastic bag on every long car journey. This is a result of an accumulation of risk factors, Prof Golding says. Women are more susceptible than men, as are people who suffer from migraines, and there is a genetic element as well, with research showing that there are 35 genetic markers that contribute to motion sickness. Age is also a factor, with children between eight and 10 most likely to suffer. 'Drivers hardly ever become sick because the car becomes an extension of their body and they control the motions of the car as they steer into curves or brake or accelerate,' Prof Golding notes. 'But for the poor passenger, they're not in control.' How to prevent it 'There are three basic approaches,' Prof Golding explains. The first is to expose yourself enough times so you get used to the sensation – an approach used to desensitise RAF pilots, he says. 'However, that's time-consuming, and if you're not frequently making long car journeys, this might not be the best option for you,' he notes. Another approach is to try behaviours that limit the severity of motion sickness, such as sitting in the front passenger seat and focusing on the road ahead to anticipate the movement, which reduces sensory mismatch, he explains. 'Sitting in the back seat and looking out at flashing scenery as you drive by is no good,' he notes. Some turn to acupressure travel bands (wrist bands with a plastic button attached, which is placed over the centre of the wrist). 'Trials show that they work as well as a placebo, but the placebo effect can be wonderful, so they really do work for some people,' he says. Avoiding looking at your phone, reading a book or moving your head around too much, as this will only worsen the sensory mismatch, Prof Golding says. The third option is anti-sickness drugs. These include hyoscine hydrobromide (sold under brand names including Kwells) and cinnarizine (branded as Stugeron). These work by preventing symptoms and typically need to be taken an hour before you get in the car, Prof Golding notes. 'There's no point in taking it once you start to feel even slightly queasy, as at this point, gastric stasis has already occurred, so you won't be able to absorb it,' he notes. Some companies are developing devices that they hope will target motion sickness. One example is Apple's 'vehicle motion cues', which allows iPhone users to have six static dots on their screen, which, once a person is in a moving car, shift in the direction of travel in a bid to reduce motion sickness. 'It does not provide any anticipation of the motion – it is not a 'warning cue',' Prof Golding notes. 'I would have doubts about the usefulness of this phone software. Especially because it is making the passenger concentrate on looking at the screen. We know that reading, looking down at mobile device screens, tends to exacerbate motion sickness.' It might help some people but will likely make things worse for most, he adds. Gut discomfort Long journeys in the car disrupt our usual routines, throwing our activity levels and eating habits out of whack, which has a knock-on effect on how our gut is feeling. 'People often drink less water when travelling, snack at odd times and disrupt their normal bathroom habits,' notes Dr Emily Leeming, a microbiome scientist and dietitian. This isn't helped by the food available at petrol stations and motorway services, which is often ultra-processed convenience food. Additionally, sitting for long periods of time can slow down gut motility for some people, which are the wave-like muscle contractions that move food and waste through your gut, she notes. Each of these factors contributes to sluggishness and can lead to bloating, wind and constipation, Dr Leeming notes. How to prevent it 'Try getting out of the car for regular breaks, go for a short walk or do some stretches every few hours to help stimulate your digestion,' she suggests. 'Take a water bottle with you to stay hydrated.' Dr Leeming also recommends trying to eat your meals at the same time you would if you're not travelling. If you want snacks for the car, nuts and fruit like bananas and apples are great choices, she says. 'They'll keep you feeling full and also provide plenty of fibre and other nutrients.' Tight-fitting clothes, like jeans, dresses and skirts, can put extra pressure on the abdomen, which traps gas and slows digestion, which makes any bloating feel even more uncomfortable. 'So, wear loose-fitting bottoms when you're travelling instead, that have some give around your stomach,' she says. Muscle stiffness Tense shoulders, tight calves and back pain are common grumbles from drivers and passengers during long stints in the car. This is a consequence of remaining in a seated position for too long, though, for drivers, the small adjustments in the neck, shoulders, arms, lower back and lower limbs that our bodies make while behind the wheel is also a factor, explains Prof Lee Smith, a professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, who has expertise in sedentary behaviour. 'Sitting for too long, particularly in a position that is not aligned with the natural curves of our spine, can contribute to a number of musculoskeletal problems,' he adds. These include lower back pain and stiffness, neck tension, shoulder strain and lower limb fatigue and stiffness from operating pedals, as well as sciatica-like symptoms from poor hip positioning. How to prevent it Prof Smith recommends scheduling a break in your drive every two hours, giving yourself and your passengers enough time to stretch and have a short walk. Passengers can also stretch out their neck, arms and legs while in the car. Additionally, the Royal Automobile Club recommends checking your driving set-up to prevent muscle stiffness, aches and pains. You can do this by making sure the seat is upright at around a 100-degree angle; ensuring your head is centred in the middle of your headrest; adjusting wing and rear-view mirrors so you don't need to twist to see out of them; and making sure your back and shoulders touch the backrest when your hands are on the steering wheel. Poor blood flow Beyond our muscles, sitting for too long can also lead to problems with blood flow, says Prof Smith. 'It can contribute to the prevention of effective circulation of blood through our bodies, and this can cause blood to pool in the veins of the legs,' he says. 'Sitting uninterrupted for long periods of time can ultimately cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a type of blood clot that forms in a vein,' he says. Normally, blood flows through the veins, helped by movement in your muscles. However, if you are seated for too long (typically four hours or more), the flow of blood can slow down and pool in the veins, causing a clot to form, which either partially or completely blocks a vein. Common symptoms include swelling and pain but there may be no signs of a clot. 'The clot can break free and travel to the lungs, causing a sudden blockage of arteries in the lung, known as a pulmonary embolism,' Prof Smith explains. 'Although serious, these types of blood clots are rare.' How to prevent it When in the car for three hours or more, the NHS recommends taking breaks where possible to walk around, as well as wearing loose-fitting clothing that doesn't prevent blood flow, drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol. While typically associated with long-haul flights, compression socks can be worn on long car journeys to encourage blood circulation. 'If a passenger in the vehicle, exercise your calf muscles and exercise your legs while sitting,' Prof Smith recommends. 'For example, you could raise and lower your heels while keeping your toes on the floor, raise and lower your toes while keeping your heels on the floor, and tighten and release your leg muscles.'
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Military make final Trooping the Colour preparations to mark Charles' official birthday as King orders black armbands and minute's silence for Air India crash victims
The final preparations for today's Trooping the Colour parade are underway this morning after King Charles ordered royals to wear black armbands in remembrance of those killed in the Air India plane crash. The monarch has requested a minute's silence in tribute to the 241 passengers and crew killed when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport came down on Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. Some 53 Brits were onboard the doomed flight - all but one are believed to have been killed. Black armbands will be worn by the head of state and senior royals riding in the ceremony to mark the King's official birthday. On horseback and wearing the armbands will be the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal, Colonel Blues and Royals, and the Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel Scots Guards. King Charles, who is receiving ongoing cancer treatment, will ride in a carriage as he did last year. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Charles requested amendments to the Trooping the Colour programme 'as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy'. The King issued a written message soon after the plane crash, saying he was 'desperately shocked by the terrible events' and expressed his 'deepest possible sympathy'. The occasion transforms the Mall as crowds line up the streets waving flags as 1400 soldiers parade alongside 200 horses and 400 musicians from Horse Guard's Parade to Buckingham Palace. After the Trooping ceremony is over, the Royal Family will make their notorious group appearance on the Palace balcony before the day concludes with a flypast. As a former polo player and one of the Royal Family's most accomplished equestrians, King Charles rode for years in the parade - both for his mother's official birthday celebrations and then for his own. But he will not appear on horseback at the event this weekend and will instead travel in a carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade and back, according to The Sunday Times. Trooping the Colour is a centuries-old tradition that marks the Sovereign's official birthday. It dates back to the 17th century and is rooted in battlefield custom, when regimental flags, or 'colours,' were trooped in front of soldiers to ensure they could be recognised amid the smoke of combat. Last week a full-dress rehearsal, known as The Colonel's Review, took place serving as the final run-through before the King's official celebration. This year, the honour of trooping the Colour falls to the Coldstream Guards, who will officially present their regimental flag, known as the Colour, to King Charles. Following the Trooping ceremony, all eyes will be on the royal balcony to see who King Charles invites to wave to the crowds. King Charles and Queen Camilla will be front and centre on the balcony to watch the Red Arrows flypast, but it expected a host of senior royals will be alongside them. Prince William is expected to be joined by the Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven. Princess Anne will feature with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Prince Edward - who like Anne will be fresh from his part in the procession - is expected on the balcony with his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. They are likely to be joined by their daughter Lady Louise, 21. Their son James, the Earl of Wessex, 17, did not make an appearance last year and may not attend the ceremony this time around either. Despite his increasing frailty, the staunchly devoted Duke of Kent, 89, will likely also be among the royals on the balcony. Also expected is the hard-working Duke of Gloucester, 80, and his 78-year-old wife Birgitte, the Duchess. As expected, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are not attending this year's celebrations. Having chosen to walk away from being working royals, they have not been present at Trooping the Colour since 2019. The other notable absentee will be Prince Andrew, who remains exiled from public royal events amid the fallout from his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and the claims made by late accuser Virginia Giuffre. Andrew's daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are not expected to be there either amid Charles' desire for a slimmed-down monarchy and to keep the focus on working royals. Members of the royal family are expected to watch the flypast - including the RAF Red Arrows and a range of planes and helicopters - from the balcony. In previous years it has been a moment where the royal children shine - with little Prince Louis delighting fans last year as pretended to fly one of the planes, appearing to screw up his face as he mimicked the engine's deafening noise. The route for the flypast has not been officially confirmed, but the Military Air Shows has revealed an air restrictions map which shows the expected official route. Proposed restrictions are in the vicinity of the North Sea, East Anglia, Essex and London. Its expected the flypast will go over Buckingham Palace at 1pm. Held traditionally on the second Saturday in June, regardless of the Sovereign's actual date of birth, the celebrations have marked the monarch's official birthday since the mid-1700s. Queen Elizabeth attended all but two of her Trooping the Colours, missing it in 1955 when a national rail strike resulted in the event being cancelled and in 2020 due to lockdown restrictions. In 2017, Trooping was held a few days days after the Grenfell Tower blaze and the loss of life was marked by a minute's silence, a decision taken by Queen Elizabeth II. The parade is open to members of the public through an online ballot with ticketing ranging from £10 to £30 and is broadcast live on the BBC. What is Trooping the Colour? The Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for more than 260 years. Over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together each June in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark the Sovereign's official birthday. The streets are lined with crowds waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by Members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony. Once the Sovereign has arrived at Horse Guard's Parade in Whitehall, they are greeted by a Royal salute and carry out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats. After the military bands have performed, the escorted Regimental Colour, or flag, is processed down the ranks of soldiers. Over one hundred words of command are used by the Officer in Command of the Parade to direct the several hundred soldiers. Once the Foot Guards have marched past the Sovereign, they ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of the soldiers, before taking the salute again at the Palace from a dais. The Sovereign is then joined by other Members of the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force. A 41-gun salute is also fired in Green Park to mark the occasion.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
King sharing his cancer diagnosis ‘has helped men open up', says BEM recipient
A woman who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work with the cancer charity she co-founded after her twin brother died of the illness has said the King being open about his diagnosis 'has been really good for men'. Jenna Speirs, and her parents Caroline and Duncan Speirs, have each been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for the work they have done with the charity they started after Jenna's twin brother Calum died of cancer aged 12. It is the first time three family members have been named in the same honours list. The trio, from the Isle of Bute, started the charity Calum's Cabin after Calum, who had an inoperable brain tumour, died. On being named in the King's Birthday Honours, Jenna, a therapeutic radiographer, said Charles sharing his cancer diagnosis has helped men open up. 'Him being so open about his cancer journey has been really good for men in particular,' Jenna said. 'You see a lot of men sitting alone in the waiting rooms, but now they are chatting more.' During his time in hospital before his death in 2007, Calum told his sister Jenna, now 30, he wanted to start something called 'Calum's Caravan' for children with cancer to spend time away with their families. 'We were very fortunate growing up going on holidays and living on the Isle of Bute, but lots of children in hospital never got to see the outdoors or the sea,' Jenna said. 'It was his idea. He wanted people to be able to take time away.' The Speirs family had planned to start the charity when he recovered from his illness. 'Unfortunately, that wasn't to be,' Jenna said. 'So we started fundraising at his funeral.' Two years later, Calum's Cabin had acquired its first holiday home for families of children being treated for cancer in Scotland to use. Since then, thousands of families have been helped by the charity, which now has several holiday homes as well as flats in Glasgow for hospital patients and their families to stay in if they live further afield. Caroline, 59, Duncan, 63, and Jenna said receiving the medals was 'very special' and dedicated them to Calum. Jenna paid tribute to her brother, saying: 'Calum was the funniest person you'd ever meet. He liked joking with the nurses and he was extremely caring. 'This is not for the three of us,' Caroline said. 'It's for the four of us.'
