HOTEL IS GOING TO THE DOGS
THE Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst has just received an award as the New Forest’s Most Dog Friendly Hotel after a £3.95million facelift.
Within the 56 rooms, 23 cater for canine guests with towels, water bowls and plenty of treats and there is an outside area where you can dine with your pet.
Alternatively there’s fine dining on offer in Beresfords Restaurant and pampering in the Saltus Spa with its indoor and outdoor pools.
Doubles start from £135pp, B&B, including spa treatment and £30 dinner allowance.
Visit balmerlawnhotel.com or call 01590 623 116.
STAY AT SLEEK NEW NOBU HOTEL
BARCELONA’S hottest new hotel, Nobu Barcelona, has opened in the Catalan area of Eixample, just off Plaza Espana.
This sleek oasis offers beautiful suites with Japanese influences such as rice-paper lamps, wooden headboards and wooden baths.
The restaurant offers Nobu’s iconic dishes such as black cod alongside others with Spanish influences, plus incredible views of the city. A gym and spa will be opening soon. Doubles from €250 (£222.92), B&B.
See barcelona.nobuhotels.com
WE’RE told time and again in the 21st century to consider the big picture, to think outside the box. But, do you know, usually it’s the small things that matter, the little touches that leave a lasting impression.
Some years ago, I got into my car after it had been brought to the door by a valet at a Cotswolds hotel.
Thoughtfully placed inside was a tin of travel mints, a bottle of spring water and a note wishing me a safe journey.
It was over and above expectation, and a surprise that has left me with a lingering fondness for the hotel in question.
So it proves again at the Atlantic Hotel, perched high above the west coast of Channel Island Jersey.
I last visited the family-owned business a couple of years back and thoroughly enjoyed my stay.
So, although it has undergone some renovation since then, the surroundings were immediately familiar.
But what made it really like coming home was the card contained in an envelope on the desk in my room.
“Dear Paul,” the handwritten note read. “Welcome back to the Atlantic. We very much hope you enjoy your visit.”
It was signed by Patrick and Treena Burke, the owners of the hotel. And that ‘welcome back’ set the stay off to the best possible start.
Someone had taken the trouble to dig out my old booking. Somebody showed they cared.
Those little touches continued during our stay. A fruit bowl was freshened up each day; real milk appeared daily in the minibar.
And each night at turndown, a bottle of water was placed on the bedside table.
The staff, a cosmopolitan bunch and a veritable United Nations of warm welcome, were uniformly friendly and helpful.
Quite simply, they put a smile on your face, particularly the maitre d’ in the award-winning Ocean Restaurant. (Ask him for a considered verdict on any piece of modern art and you’ll be rewarded with a delightful conversation just short of stand-up).
But then perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that small touches work wonders.
Jersey is just nine miles wide by four miles deep. You can drive around the entire island’s scenic splendour in a day and still be back for afternoon tea.
Nowhere, however, recharges the batteries quite like the West coast, which stretches northwards from the Corbieres lighthouse, up through St Ouen’s Bay and on to Le Pulec Bay and Grosnez Castle.
The headland to which the lighthouse – erected in 1874 and the first in the UK to be made of concrete – is precariously attached offers panoramic views.
St Ouen’s Bay, on the other hand, is a glorious sweeping stretch of golden sand much beloved of the surfing and parasailing crowd.
Here, you can while away hours on end, sipping a Liberation Ale at one of the beach bars and just watching the crash of the Atlantic rollers. Best of all, it’s within 10 minutes walking distance from the hotel, so if you fancy just one more drink, then you’re safe in the knowledge that you don’t have to drive. (Driving on Jersey, by the way, is a revelation. We hired a funky Fiat 500 and, despite many of the roads restricted to 30mph or even slower, not once encountered a traffic jam. One of the reasons for that may well be the common sense ‘filter in turn’ system operated on many roundabouts).
Further up the West Coast, Le Pulec Bay is better known to locals as ‘Stinky Bay’ where swathes of seaweed are harvested to fertilise those famous Jersey Potatoes. ■ PAUL COLE visited Jersey with Channel Islands Direct, which offers four nights at The Atlantic Hotel from £479 per person, staying in a gold view room with breakfast.
Price is based on two adults sharing and includes return flights from Birmingham with Flybe, travelling at this time of year. Call 0800 0294 598 or visit channelislandsdirect.co. uk/the_islands/jersey
■ FOR more on the hotel see theatlantichotel.com and for general Jersey tourism and attractions head to jersey.com
It also makes its way (the seaweed, not the smell!) to the kitchens of the Atlantic Hotel where exciting Executive Chef Will Holland has stepped into the not inconsiderable shoes of Michelin-starred Mark Jordan and where Senior Chef de Partie George Harding has just won the national Young Chef of the Year competition.
The Ocean Restaurant is on to a winner even before food is served. The hotel’s position in Saint Brelade, high on Le Mont de la Pulente, offers views out to sea and tables are carefully arranged to take best advantage of the setting sun seen through the large windows.
We opted for a seven-course tasting menu at £85 a head, or £150 with matching wine flight. It may sound like pushing the boat out, but it’s more than reasonable for a restaurant that has, in the past, notched up 10 consecutive Michelin stars. A comprehensive wine list starts at around £32 a bottle and ranges up to £1,500 for a rare, revered Margaux.
Highlights, there were many; regrets, there were none.
Who would have guessed that the humble potato could hold surprises? Yet the Salt-Baked Jersey Royal Potato, with Winchester cheese, crispy shallots, capers and onion ash – washed down with a Alsatian Pinot Gris – proved yet again that small can be sublime.
A Home-Smoked Duck Breast, with jellied duck consomme, duck egg aioli, foie gras terrine and duck fat croutons, accompanied by a glass of Beaujolais, was another winning combination. Best was the Roast Lamb Loin with salsify tagliatelle, lamb ragout, warm pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts.
A smooth, full-bodied Tuscan Montelpulciano was a fitting companion.