Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla and a well-known food critic, has turned his attention to an unexpected establishment: a budget hotel operated by the Wetherspoon's pub chain.
The critic spent a night at The Hatchet Inn, situated near Market Place in Newbury, Berkshire, where accommodation costs just £58 per evening.
In a recent Which? Hotels Survey, the budget chain outperformed Premier Inn in terms of customer satisfaction.
Parker Bowles, who describes himself as a "total five-star hotel bore" with a preference for luxury establishments like Claridge's, The Carlyle in New York and The Plaza Athénée in Paris, approached the stay with some apprehension about what £58 might deliver.
Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla and a well-known food critic, has turned his attention to an unexpected establishment: a budget hotel operated by the Wetherspoon's pub chain.
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Arriving on a frosty Friday evening in December just after 7pm, Parker Bowles found the pub absolutely packed, with barely space to move and a queue at the bar stretching four people.
An office party wearing festive jumpers and tinsel were enjoying Worthington's at under £2 a pint, while pitchers of Porn Star Martinis sold for less than £10.
Parker Bowles expressed genuine affection for the chain, praising it for offering inexpensive drinks, unlimited coffee, warmth and straightforward comfort to vast numbers of Britons.
The hotel room itself proved a pleasant surprise as cotton sheets covered a queen-sized bed with an attractive wooden headboard, while reading lamps provided adequate light without harsh glare.
Arriving on a frosty Friday evening in December just after 7pm, Parker Bowles found the pub absolutely packed, with barely space to move and a queue at the bar stretching four people.
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The bathroom was immaculately clean, equipped with decent-sized soft towels and a shower boasting a wide square head delivering impressive water pressure.
A new kettle came supplied with tea, coffee, hot chocolate, bottled water and Walker's shortbread biscuits.
The hotel room also featured wooden coat hangers, robust wi-fi, a hairdryer and a wall-mounted television.
Parker Bowles noted he had experienced far inferior accommodation at three times the cost.
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Parker Bowles noted he had experienced far inferior accommodation at three times the cost.
The room's position directly above the pub entrance meant falling asleep to the sounds of patrons spilling onto the street around 1am.
He wrote that just hours later, an early morning meeting in an adjacent office became audible through paper-thin walls, with every word and movement clearly discernible.
Parker Bowles's final assessment of the hotel accommodation was unequivocal: astonishing value enhanced by its convenient proximity to the bar below. While falling short of a revelation, the experience delivered a genuinely happy surprise.
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