 The exterior of The George Hotel 
A Gem In The Heart Of Kettering
Recommendation added: 11/09/2007 21:23
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +825)dewberry has been thanked 7 times for this contribution
"We'd been planning a visit to Wicksteed Park for a while and decided to extend this to a short break taking in Kettering as a whole. We didn't book anywhere in advance, just packed our suitcases with the intention of finding a B&B suitable for two adults, two children and a 13 week old baby.
We ended up at The George Hotel for the simple reason that it was the first place we stumbled across when we drove into the centre of Kettering. After going inside I thought it would probably be out of budget as it's a very old building (the hotel is the original building from 1639) and these kinds of places tend to be on the pricey side, however we were pleasantly surprised that a family room cost just £75 per night and a cot was available for baby Hollie. Much better than the B&B we'd originally planned on!
Our room was a decent size and even when the cot was slotted in next to the double bed there was room to move around easily. Our two older daughters slept comfortably top to tail in the single bed; 'Z' beds are available to accommodate families, but the girls' decided it would be more fun to just jump in together. The room was clean, bright and comfortable - huge windows made the room really light and airy too. The beds were comfy and the linen provided was just right for the time of year.
In our room was a good quality colour TV, a direct dial phone and tea and coffee-making facilities; these small touches really made The George feel like home and made our stay that little bit more comfortable.
While our family room didn't have an en-suite, the nearby bathroom was close enough for us and the children to easily get to it during the day and night. Every bathroom I saw was clean and well maintained; spacious with lovely décor and modern facilities, the bathroom we mainly used was cleaned regularly to an excellent standard.
The room price includes a full English breakfast which is served in the Lounge from 7.30am; the breakfast was absolutely delicious and brilliantly cooked. The kids' got a proper portion too which is unusual when it comes to inclusive breakfasts, in my experience they usually get palmed off with a tiny version of a full English or automatically given beans on toast. We spent quite a bit of time in the Lounge during our stay as its open 24 hours a day for hotel residents. It's a lovely bright room with massive windows overlooking the High Street - I spent a couple of hours one day sitting at the window just people watching and it was great!
We ate our dinners in the lovely Squires Restaurant, a gorgeous beamed room located in the hotel. The extensive menu is very reasonably priced and the food is excellent. If you visit definitely try the Stir Fried Prawns with Baby Courgettes, this was served on the fluffiest white rice and drizzled with a delicate lemon sauce. Delicious. The George Hotel also serves the biggest mixed grill I've ever eaten; lamb chop, pork chop, gammon, rump steak, sausages, liver, tomato, mushrooms, egg, chips - and more that I can't remember! I was quite proud of the fact that I ate every single mouthful of this mountain of food - until I realised what a total pig I looked! My daughters' loved the Jacket Potatoes with Cheddar and Beans which was a generous size and made them feel more grown up than ordering them a plate of sausage and chips.
We also had a carvery meal on our final day, Sunday, and it was truly delicious. Several joints of meat were served along with a wonderfully fluffy Yorkshire pudding, stuffing balls, roast and boiled potatoes, lots of different varieties of veg and the thickest, meatiest gravy I've tasted in a long time. I could have licked the plate afterwards… although, of course, I didn't. Well, perhaps a little lick…
Georgies Bar is great. Sinking into the gorgeous chocolate leather sofas with a glass of Baileys or a cocktail was heaven after a heavy day running around parks and stately homes with the kids! It's got a much trendier feel to it than the other public rooms in the hotel, with Sky Sports and various music channels playing on the good sized TV's adding to this youthful atmosphere. I found Georgies Bar to be lively but not rowdy in the slightest with a good selection of people both drinking and eating bar snacks. My partner was particularly pleased to find the pool table and he went on to play no fewer than FIFTEEN games one night with other residents!
All of the drinks you'd expect to find in a bar are here; shots, beers, lager, cider, all the top brand spirits, an excellent wine list and even cocktails are available in Georgies Bar. All are priced competitively to other pubs and bars in the local area, surprisingly drinks are not excessive in price as is the case in the majority of hotel bars I've visited. The cocktails are beautifully presented and absolutely delicious!
There were advertisements inside the hotel for live music events and gigs which are taking place in the near future. I was talking to a lady who visited during the first weekend of September when a band called 'Ska Trek' were playing, she said she had a brilliant time and everyone really enjoyed themselves. I'm hoping to get back to Kettering on 23rd November for 'Badness' (obviously a Madness tribute!) which is apparently going to be an excellent night.
The staff working at The George Hotel are fantastic. Every member of staff I encountered was friendly and helpful, it seemed as though nothing was too much trouble for them. They were all well turned out and neatly groomed with a lovely camaraderie among them, giving a good holiday atmosphere inside the hotel.
Disabled access to The George is absolutely fine, as was access with Hollies (huge) pram. The hotel also offers itself as a function venue and can cater for groups of all sizes for birthdays, Christenings, weddings, meetings etc…
The George Hotel's location is perfect for exploring Kettering itself, as well as Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Corby, Leicester and Market Harborough to name but a few local towns. Wicksteed Park was an absolute blast (although I for one was grateful for the comfortable sofa in Georgies Bar when we got back!) as was Althorp House, family home of the late Princess Diana. There's lots more to do in the surrounding area including Lamport Hall, Silverstone and Ashton Mill so you need never be bored in Kettering – and The George Hotel is an ideal base for all this exploring.
Travelling from North Birmingham we reached The George Hotel by travelling along the M6 and taking the A14, then the A6013 towards Kettering. As the hotel is located in the centre of Kettering, it is very simple to find from all directions once you get near the town itself.
The George Hotel
Sheep Street
Kettering
Northamptonshire
NN16 0AN
Tel – 01536 518620"
Was this recommendation useful?
|
;)
