Brit Butt Rally Hotel

FazerPhil

President IBA UK
Staff member
Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#1
We have used 3 different hotels in the last 3 years

So what is good or bad about.
1 Premier Inn Castle for M62 2014
2 Best Western Windmill Village Hotel Coventry 2015
3 Premier Inn Leicester Fosse Park 2016

Some of you will have experienced all three, others just one or two.

I have my thoughts (from an organisers point of view) but please post here what you think before a decision is made for the 10th Brit Butt Rally in 2017
 

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
#2
Phil

I found the Premier Inns were excellent value, two nights for the price of one at the Best Western. The food was good and did not run out. There was also heating, but I am informed that there was a shortage of bath mats.

Personally, out of the 2 Premiers I preferred Leicester for its 'quieter' location.
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#4
I like Leicester although I was disappointed by the fact that the bar was shut by 11pm on Saturday night.
 

IBRX3

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
I like Leicester although I was disappointed by the fact that the bar was shut by 11pm on Saturday night.
I've stayed in a couple of Premier Inns around the country in the last few months and they seem to be all shutting their Bars by 11pm. This must be new policy because I definitely remember propping the bar to late in various premiers in years gone by.

Although I couldn't make the Brit butt due to family commitment so have no knowledge of that particular hotel, Its hard to beat premier Inns for value and you know exactly what standard to expect
 

FJRPilot

Brit Butt Rallymaster RBLR1000 routemaster
Premier Member
IBA Member
#6
I actually liked the Castelford Hotel but that was probably more because of the familiarity after three years of going there. Fuel nearby, major road access etc were all good IMO. Their main function room was a bit cozy but they did have a smaller one which could be used just for registration etc.

I like the Coventry hotel for the Christmas meetings due to the bar, and proximity to the NEC bike show. But as already said the rooms were too expensive even with our group rates applied so I was glad to move away for the rally. Plus the ring road around Coventry can be a nightmare.

Despite the lack of bath mats and consequent high risk of personal injury in the bathrooms ;) The location this year was good, it was close to the M1 in a central UK area. It had a fuel station next door with mini market and if bookings were timed right you could (as I did) get £35 rooms. For rally staff on the Saturday night you could simply buy your drinks cheaper from a local supermarket and chill out in the smaller function room instead, as we did back in 2014 when returning from the Chinese restaurant. If the finishing process is made simpler, scoring and meals would be over quicker and the bar shutting at 11 wouldn't be a problem. Especially as riders will be knackered.

IMO a good rally hotel will have cheap rooms for riders and staff alike, function rooms, in close proximity to fuel, have easy access to major roads, and be fairly central in the country. This narrows it down to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham etc. Or Norwich :D
 

Rick UK

Brit Butt Light Rally Master
Premier Member
IBA Member
#8
Coventry was expensive, and short of food. Bar and bar maid were good.
Castleford - good food, reasonable, and close to the Chinese! Rally rooms a bit small.
Leicester - good food, reasonable, good rally rooms (scoring room could have been better laid out, but worked), bar closed rather early, but there are ways round this.
Rick
 

Sneezy

IBAUK Bouncer
IBA Member
#9
Only done best western. Location good for n.e.c
Good and central.
Food, not always greatest.
Price, i live in hotels for most of year, so its about average for what is offered.
My choice, is always a premier inn, ( unless its been bought from travellodge)(no baths)
 

Dave Thomson

BBR Veteran
IBA Member
#10
In terms of accommodation, I have no real preference out of the three. In terms of getting there, there further north the better, but then again I would say that coming from Edinburgh :)

However, in terms of the rally, the more UK central (and I mena in travel times, not geographically) the better so that all parts of the UK are reasonably accessible during the rally. The further south you go, the harder it is to include Scotland in most people's plans. Vice versa for the SW or SE if you go further north. On that basis, I prefer Castleford, but maybe even another slightly further North could be an option.

Very roughly, using google, I got these travel times:

Fosse Park: Dunvegan (10hr), Land Ends (6 Hr), Dover (3 Hr)
Castleford: Dunvegan (9hr), Land Ends (7 Hr), Dover (4 Hr)
Coventry: Dunvegan (10 hr), Land Ends (5 Hr), Dover (3 Hr)
Carlisle?: Dunvegan (7 hr), Land Ends (8 Hr), Dover (6 Hr)
 
#11
Out of the three, I preferred Fosse Park for its facilities and Castleford for its location, 30 minutes away from home.

The rally event however outshines any other consideration so I'd be happy wherever it is held.
 

Megabuck

IBAUK Verifier
IBA Member
#13
Castleford: Main room was too small; buffet food was okay - not great, but plentiful. Convenient for motorways and fuel, not the greatest location (boy racers etc).

Coventry: More cental location (well, for those not from oop north), nice rally room, not enough food, expensive.

Leicester: Good rally room, decent bedroom (although mine was about 1/4 mile from reception!), convenient for motorway. Main downside was that two sittings on Sunday evening meant the presentation was pretty late, though that did give the walking wounded time to make it back from A&E! My burger was also nothing special.

Regards,
Martin
 

GraemeandSally

RBLR 1000
Premier Member
#15
Castleford suits me with been close and always hard pushed to travel to Leicester and Coventry but can understand others having same problems
Found this year at Leicester was good room wise compared to Castleford for the meeting all the hotels the bar prices are high how ever Castleford you have Xscape just over the car park which for the rally team is good. All three locations have good road links
 

Sneezy

IBAUK Bouncer
IBA Member
#16
Carlisle has 4 premier inns, for some reason, and is very useful to get anywhere, even cairnryan for ferry too belfast...
 

JON12A

IBAUK's retired Shop Keeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#17
Castleford for me .
If the same mileage restrictions are in place for the rally in 2017 Castleford is more central for a northern run.
I do agree that the place is noisier than the others so perhaps somewhere away from the Escape attraction.
Possibly Leeds/York.
 
#18
If only out of the three mentioned (i've only been to Castleford and Fosse park) then Fosse Park outshines Castleford by a mile.

That said the start location changing each year, (North, East, South and West) would also be good.
 

GraemeandSally

RBLR 1000
Premier Member
#19
If only out of the three mentioned (i've only been to Castleford and Fosse park) then Fosse Park outshines Castleford by a mile.

That said the start location changing each year, (North, East, South and West) would also be good.
I think it should be in the central area makes it fair on everyone also makes it less of a rush on the Friday for them that work may be in a central belt across England between York and Leicester
 

FJRPilot

Brit Butt Rallymaster RBLR1000 routemaster
Premier Member
IBA Member
#20
If only out of the three mentioned (i've only been to Castleford and Fosse park) then Fosse Park outshines Castleford by a mile.
That said the start location changing each year, (North, East, South and West) would also be good.
Both our first rallies back in 2010 were from the hotel just off the A10 at Cheshunt a short ride north from the M25 outside London. That year I went up as far as the Lake District. So yes, maybe moving the location around a bit each year would spice up the route option/nightmare scenarios o_O