View from the Room: The Golden Lion, St Ives
The Golden Lion is located right on the high street meaning parking at the Waitrose a few minutes walk away for £4 a day is perfectly acceptable. Another one of the Coaching Inns that we first stayed in Hungerford, I now look out for one when we’re looking at a UK break. We even stopped off for a coffee at the delightful Coaching Inn in Oundle on route. I am bowled over it came in a cafetierre, all the better to wash down the huge lemon muffin. But that’s not all. As far as coffee stops go, our luck was in as coffee is served with 3 little (Maltesers?) chocolate in a shot glass. It’s the little things that tell us they want us to be there.
So far, the Inns have all felt traditional and yet enveloped in velveteen modern luxury. The Golden Lion is all of that but a little bit more. There are framed lions everywhere - not all golden - but all fabulously different. It’s like staying in an art gallery, all being themed. It’s a small hotel with the majority of the rooms up the stairs (no lift) on the 1st floor. The ground has a restaurant, bar and lounge and so plenty of room to spread out and have a different view if you are here for a few nights.
Sadly, it was just one for us although even after packing everything up to take to the car and continue are road trip, we checked availability for a second night. There was only a single room. We were delighted to see a dog bowl and you waiting outside our room when checking out though, ready for the next occupants.
Our room looks out to the main street, with the window opening a little to the teeny balcony.
A desk/dressing table with mirror, comfy chair and lamp.
The bedside lights include the reading light combined with the overhead light added up to everything that is needed.
Bathroom
Wonderfly fluffy and absorbent towels, two bath and two hand on a towel rail plus a bath mat.
There’s no handheld shower in this one but the tall mugs came in handy for an easy bath rinse.
The large bathtub invites me with their customary duck sitting on a wooden bath organiser and all tub should have, a tap on the long side.
Great to see full-size shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body/hand lotion, probably as they are all available to buy. Plus a full-size liquid hand soap.
Lit-up mirror upon which we accidentally found the discreet sensor. We were doing fine without but it the extra lighting is welcome.
Storage
Six hotel style hangers in the double wardrobe did the job and drawers are dotted around. There’s even a unit to rest luggage on the unpack at just the right height plus a cupboard to hold the TV. So plenty of storage for a pretty compact room.
Food & drink
The breakfast is great again as was the dinner that we enjoyed from the window seat.
Glass bottles of water in the room
Coffee bags as well as tea and hot chocolate sachets
Kettle and coffee pod machine
4 mugs and 2 glasses
Amenities
Iron and board
Fan
Spare heater
USB points on both bedsides
Digital radio so no faffing about trying to connect blue tooth or looking for it on the TV
Full-length mirror
We changed rooms immediately as I felt claustrophobic with no window, just a skylight. This is great if you need the darkness to help you sleep so worth asking for. I am so relieved that we were able to change to an airier room with no fuss. Luckily we had got there an hour before check-in time otherwise I’d have been writing a very different review.
A wonderful stay that I’m happy to repeat. Did I mention the lions everywhere?
April 2022
