..:: The Times, January 26 2003

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The Sunday Times
January 26, 2003

January 26, 2003

The great British hotel revival

Shape up or ship out: in the hotel industry, it;s revolution and the new boys mean business. Make a weekend of it, says Mark Hodson

Britain's hoteliers have had it tough recently. They've had to cope with foot and mouth, an economy on the slide and the threat of global terrorism scaring off the cautious Americans. Some have thrown in the tea towel and shut up shop for good. A shame? Not necessarily. Think of it as a Darwinian purge. Some of our most miserable hotels and B&Bs fully deserved to be put out of their misery. Amazingly, in spite of the tough economic climate, plenty of new hotels are opening across the British Isles. And if there's one thing they all have in common it is the knowledge that they will have to excel in order to survive. Cheap furnishings, surly service and bad food - for years the staples of the British hotel industry - will no longer be tolerated. It's the survival of the fittest.

Here, we showcase some of the best new properties in Britain and Ireland - from a trendy design hotel on the coast of Cornwall to a B&B near Loch Lomond, with just two rooms, that has been awarded five stars by the Scottish Tourist Board. Now's your chance to check them out before the crowds descend.

And, if you need any further encouragement, we've found some great things to do nearby during the months of winter and spring. What are you waiting for?

All prices are for two and include taxes
BLAIRBEICH PLANTATION, Loch Lomond

Malla and Willie MacDonald opened their two-bedroom B&B last August and were recently awarded five stars by the Scottish Tourist Board because, said the inspector, it had â€œthat wow factorâ€. Certainly, the location is amazing: a mile and a half from the nearest village of Gartocharn, overlooking a private lake and Ben Lomond, and surrounded by birch trees.

The style is international: the wood-built house was designed by a Californian and incorporates influences from Malla's native Sweden, with light rooms, high ceilings, clean lines, comfortable furniture and a cosy log fire. Malla's highly rated home cooking is similarly eclectic, from cloutie dumplings and fillets of Shetland lamb to gravadlax and raspberry parfait.

Loch Lomond is within walking distance and the entrance to the Trossachs National Park is just five miles away. There is plenty to do in winter, including a bracing half-hour walk from the house up the slopes of Dun Cryme, known locally as The Dumpling. Private boat trips on the loch can be arranged, or visitors can drive to Balmaha, from where the walks along the shores of Lomond are exceptional. Stirling Castle (01786 450000) and Linn Botanic Gardens (01436 842242) are both open year-round.

Prices are a snip: £50 in the smaller room and £70 in the bigger room, including a full cooked breakfast. The five-course dinner costs £25 per head and, as the MacDonalds have no alcohol licence, guests can bring their own wine.

Getting there is easy: Glasgow is 45 minutes away, the airport half an hour

Blairbeich Plantation, Gartocharn, Dunbartonshire, G83 8RR; 01389 830257, www.blairbeich.com