As Taz suggested, it would be a good idea to separate hotel-related posts from the main thread, hence this thread
This first post will be kept up to date with the latest information, the rest are likely to be banters and discussion
We need to book the hotels early if we are going to stay in one place during this Bank Holiday weekend. In fact, some hotels turned us down as they are full already!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hotel Selection
Hotels have been selected based on the following criteria:
Parking for 25 MINIs
Sufficient en-suite rooms to accommodate us all
No boring souless roadside motel lodges and inns
Full English/Welsh/Scottish breakfast included in the price
Restaurant in-house or nearby for dinner
A bar for the much needed de-stress drinks
Accept individual bookings
They can be contacted via e-mail!
Location of Overnight Stops
The overnight stops are as following:
Day 0 Fri 29 Apr 05 - Leeds (hotel found, booking commenced, see * below)
Day 1 Sat 30 Apr 05 - Portsmouth (see ** below)
Day 2 Sun 01 May 05 - Snowdonia (hotel found, booking commenced)
Day 3 Mon 02 May 05 - Dumfries (Group Booking - deposit required by 23 Nov 04)
Day 4 Tue 03 May 05 - Inverness (hotel found, booking commenced)
Day 5 Wed 04 May 05 - Leeds (hotel found, booking commenced, see * below)
* Day 0 and Day 5 are for those who have a long way to travel to the starting/ending point in Leeds.
** No more rooms available for booking online via activehotels.com on 05 Jul 2004. Alternative hotel found - group booking and deposit required by 23 Nov 04.
Hotel Booking
Each participant is responsible to arrange his/her own hotel bookings, unless stated otherwise.
Every effort has been made to ensure the selected hotels have sufficient rooms to accommodate us all. However, please bear in mind that most hotels operate a first come first serve policy. Once the rooms are gone and the hotel is full, then there is nothing anyone can do except to find alternative hotels elsewhere, and stay separately from the rest.
Therefore, it is up to you to book as soon as you can so as to avoid disappointment!
Confirmed Hotels
Hotels found so far, which accept booking now:
Day 0 Fri 29 Apr 2005 & Day 5 Wed 04 May 2005 - Leeds
Ascot Grange Hotel, Leeds, booked via activehotels.com:
Ascot Grange Hotel, Leeds For Fri 29 Apr 2005:
Single in a Single = 46.00 GBP
Double = 58.00 GBP
Twin = 62.00 GBP
Single in a Double = 48.00 GBP
For Wed 04 May 2005:
Single in a Single = 47.00 GBP
Double = 58.00 GBP
Tripple = 79.00 GBP
Twin = Not Available *
Single in a Double = 49.00 GBP
* interceptor and bubblegoose_4rh - please let me know if this is an issue (hence I quoted the Tripple rate)
All rates per room per night, inclusive of breakfast
Day 1 Sat 30 Apr 2005 Portsmouth
The Royal Beach Hotel, booked via activehotels.com at the following link:
The Royal Beach Hotel, Portsmouth
Singles = 65 GBP per room
Twins/Doubles = 80 GBP per room
Edit 04 Sep 04 - no more rooms available, 6 rooms have been booked so far! Alternate hotel for Day 1 Sat 30 Apr 05 Portsmouth (PLEASE DO NOT cancel your existing booking with Royal Beach until further notice).
Best Western Innlodge Hotel, Portsmouth, P03 5HH
Option (i.e. Provisional Reservation held until 12 Aug 04): 10 singles and 20 twins/doubles
Rates: 45.00 GBP per person per night, including dinner, bed and full breakfast
Single Supplement: 15.00 per room per night, i.e. 60.00 per room per night
Rates based on 20 paying guests minimum, and the hotel reserves the right to increase the rates if the number drop below this.
Deposit: 10.00 GBP non refundable deposit is required per person in Jan 2005 (need to check, as I thought we would need to pay a deposit sooner than Jan 05).
Balance: The hotel would require credit card authorisation for each individual account, and then payment would be on departure. (I take this as CC authorisation when checking in).
Cancellation deadline: 4 weeks prior to arrival
Rooming List: 4 weeks prior to arrival
+++ See updated rates information received on 10 Aug 04 in the event we do not have 20 paying guests to qualify for group rates below. +++
* * * See comments below with regard to handling of group booking with Best Western Group. * * * Day 2 Sun 01 May 05 Snowdonia
Quality Hotel Snowdonia, Llanberis, book directly via this site (cheaper than what they quoted me via e-mail!):
Quality Inn Snowdonia
Single sleeps 1 = 49.50 GBP
Double = 99.00 GBP sleeps 2, 67.50 GBP for single occupancy
Twin = 99.50 GBP sleeps 2, 67.50 GBP for single occupancy
All inclusive of breakfast
Day 3 Mon 02 May 2005 Dumfries Best Western Hetland Hall Hotel, Dumbries, DG1 4JX
Option (i.e. Provisional Reservation held until 12 Aug 04): 10 singles and 20 twins/doubles
Rates: 45.00 GBP per person per night, including dinner, bed and full breakfast
Single Supplement: 10.00 per room per night, i.e. 55.00 per room per night
Deposit: 10.00 GBP non refundable deposit is required per person in Dec 2004 (need to check, as I thought we would need to pay a deposit sooner than Dec 04).
Balance: Payable on departure to the hotel
Cancellation deadline: 6 weeks prior to arrival
Rooming List: 3 weeks prior to arrival
+++ See updated rates information received on 10 Aug 04 in the event we do not have 20 paying guests to qualify for group rates below. +++
* * * See comments below with regard to general terms and conditions of group booking with Best Western Group, and how I propose we should handle it. * * *
Day 4 Tue 03 May 05 Inverness
Glen Mhor Hotel
9-12 Ness Bank, Inverness
SCOTLAND IV2 4SG
Tel: (01463) 234308 Fax: (01463) 713170
www.glen-mhor.com glenmhorhotel@btconnect.com
Single Room = 59.50 GBP sleeps 1 (49.50 GBP + 10 GBP single supplement)
Double/Twin = 99.00 GBP per room for 2 sharing (49.50 GBP x 2)
Double/Twin for Single Occupancy = 74.50 GBP (49.50 GBP + 25 GBP single sup
)
The rates are for dinner, bed and breakfast!!!
They have 8 single rooms in total, 7 with en-suite, 1 with a "private bathroom" but the occupant with have sole use for it.
They accept individual bookings, under the name "Mini Tour"
Rooms are guaranteed if booked using credit cards. If we prefer to send a deposit by cheque (20% is required), that is fine too providing it is received within 1 week after booking the room.
Cancellation must be made no later than 3 days before arrival date so as to avoid being charged.
They will hold the rooms for us all until 30 Aug 2004 (hotel has 42 rooms), after that, they will be released to the general public.
Please specify room type and preferences for smoking or non-smoking rooms
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General terms and conditions applicable to Group Bookings with Best Western.
Rates based on 20 paying guests minimum, and the hotel reserves the right to increase the rates if the number drop below this.
One free single room with same meal option as paying guest is offered to the "driver/organiser" if we achieve 20 paying guests.
Update on 10 Aug 04 - Rates for Best Western Hotels if we do not have 20 paying guests to qualify for group rates as stated above
The following rates will apply if we do not have 20 paying guests to qualify for group rates:
Day 1 - Innlodge Hotel, Portsmouth
Bed and Breakfast Only:
66.00 GBP per room per night, sharing a twin/double room
59.95 GBP per room per night, in a single room
Edited on 17 Aug 04 - these rates are correct, as confirmed by BW on 13 Aug 04
Day 3 - Hetland Hall, Dumfries
Same as before, i.e.:
45.00 GBP per person per night including dinner, bed and full breakfast
10.00 GBP per room per night single supplement (i.e. 55.00 GBP per person for single occupancy, including dinner, bed and full breakfast)
This is what I would suggest:
Take the options, as the rates are very good for both hotels!
We do not need to send in a deposit until Dec 04/Jan 05 (I propose we get the cheques in by EOM Nov 04 for both hotels for simplicity sake), and if we cannot get people to commit to this event by that time, we may as well forget the whole thing!
I do not mind being the organiser for this, that is to say, collating all the cheques made out to the hotel, before forwarding them to the hotel, providing them with the rooming list etc... I shall not handle any money myself!
If we achieve 20 paying guests, I shall donate 135.00 GBP (the equivalent of my single room rates at 60.00 GBP + 55.00 GBP) towards my pot for the charities, as I do not wish to benefit from any freebies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's all for now, folks
I shall keep taps on who has booked where in the next posts
Get cracking and show us your committment by booking your hotels now
DK the BOC and Hotel Searcher, on behalf of the RBG II Team
:apple: 
