This is a review of the Kings Arms in Christchurch, which is a quaint pub hotel with an excellent location in a typically British town. It’s a double fronted Georgian building that is well maintained and comfortable, offering decent rooms at decent rates.
The exterior is nice, overlooking a village green and has a few bistro tables out front. It’s tidy, in good condition and looks welcoming. Inside is a mix of modern and traditional, with light decoration, large windows and nice wooden floors.
The ground floor is a traditional pub and restaurant, while the upper two floors house the 20 rooms.
We had a Queen Room with a frontal view over the green and the river. The room was a good size, with nice large windows to let in plenty of light. There isn’t an awful lot of character to it, but it was comfortable. The décor was light and inoffensive while still managing to appeal.
“The Kings Arms offers decent rooms at decent rates.”
The large bed was comfortable, warm and gave us a great night sleep. We didn’t hear anything from the pub downstairs or from the street outside, which was as it should be. The bathroom was a good size with a nice deep bath, decent sink, nice shower and good light. The towels and robes were fresh and clean, as was the rest of the room.
The downside was the smell of gravy and smoke that followed us up the stairs to our room. It wasn’t quite pungent, but it wasn’t comfortable either. Fortunately, shutting our room door and having a window open for a moment or two cured it, but it wasn’t ideal.
The rest of the building had similar décor and outfitting. The dining room is a good size, with a nice layout, good light and quality settings. The bar itself is relaxed, dignified and full of families, a good sign.
The Kings Arms is clean, tidy and nice, but nothing that would blow your mind. We were disappointed at the smell coming up the stairs from the kitchen, but it’s nothing that an extra door couldn’t cure. We would stay here again if we were in Christchurch.
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The Bill: £135 per night
