Charlotte Skidmore stays in a suite that has quite possibly the best hotel room view in Somerset.
I HAD heard amazing things about the Cathedral Suite at The Swan Hotel in Wells and I had excitedly flicked through pictures on the internet, but it’s not until you walk through the door of the room (well three rooms) that you realise how spectacular it is.
The whole suite is fabulous, but for me the best bit was the wonderful bathroom with the freestanding copper bath, matching copper sinks and mood lighting. All this is topped off with a giant gilded gold mirror that sits above the twin sinks.
As well as a bathroom with the separate toilet (convenient), the accommodation has a lounge and a bedroom, all of which feature stunning drapes and lavish furniture.
The suite has a classic French vibe going on and it really is the height of luxury. It looks out towards Wells Cathedral and has to have one of the best hotel room views I’ve ever experienced.
Did I want to leave the room to go down to dinner? No. Was I glad I did? Oh yes.
The main restaurant at the hotel is 15c A.D. and because it only seats up to 50 guests it has a great intimate atmosphere amongst trendy and modern surroundings.
It offers a great set winter menu at two courses for £19.50 and three for £27 and the atmosphere, service and food itself match restaurants that charge far more.
Amongst the starters on offer were
ham and leek croquettes with mustard sauce, crayfish salad with lemon and chilli dressing and tomato and mozzarella stuffed pepper. I opted for the crayfish salad, which was tasty and refreshing, but my dining partner’s croquettes were absolutely delicious – he ended up sharing. The spicy tang of the mustard sauce set the texture of the leeks and ham off beautifully.
Of course for main course I had a steak – what else – served with triple cooked chips and the chef was good enough to whip me up a blue cheese sauce. The sirloin was cooked perfectly and the chips were crispy without edging into greasy (where so many restaurants make a fatal error).
A little too full for dessert at the time, we asked if we could have cheese in our room while we watched a DVD from the hotel’s loan collection. Well, when they say a plate of homemade South West cheese, it was a rather large plate, complete with chutney and grapes and some sort of delicious flatbread style crackers. Quite possibly one of the best cheese boards yet and enjoyed in the beautiful surroundings of our suite.
The Swan Hotel is ideal for exploring the wonderful, historic city of Wells and the Cathedral Suite is something quite exceptional.
Swanhotelwells.co.uk
