I’m not usually one to splash the cash when it comes to staying in a hotel, but Crazy Bear hotel, Beaconsfield is without a doubt an exception to the rule – and a very luxurious exception at that!
I’ve been wanting to stay at (a) Crazy Bear hotel for years – they have two venues, one in Beaconsfield and one in Stadhampton – and each hotel is well known for its glamourous decadence.
So when my boyfriend and I had some money leftover from putting down money for our house, we decided to bite the bullet and book a stay – via Groupon. Originally we were supposed to go for his birthday but then the dreaded Corona happened, and we ended up going this week. This turned out to be great timing, as we only just celebrated our anniversary last month – so we treated the trip as an anniversary celebration.
The deal on Groupon included a one night’s stay for two with continental breakfast, champagne and a cocktail each, which worked out at about 60% discount from the original price we would have paid if we booked directly. We were originally going to book a room, but in the end decided ‘f*ck it, we’ll probably only ever stay here once so let’s go all out’ and booked a suite, ha! As it only worked out a little bit extra.
It was pricey overall – but so much cheaper than what it would have been had we booked directly. I’ll talk about whether or not I felt it was worth the price tag later on in the post.
We arrived just on time to check into our room at 4pm on Tuesday. We found the hotel easily and it was tucked away in a quiet main street in Beaconsfield old town, nestled alongside cosy pubs and restaurants. Not that we took much notice!
I did originally do some research into what we could do nearby, but in all honestly, we both knew we wouldn’t really be leaving the hotel much. I was impressed upon arrival. First of all, the staff – and anyone arriving – kept to complete safety regulations with the use of masks, hand sanitizer and keeping their distance. We were checked in within minutes and offered a glass of champagne each to take back to our room. A lovely member of staff carried our luggage for us – and my glass of champagne because I was too busy taking photos! – whilst another, a lovely gentleman who seemed like the manager – showed us to our room, explaining the different areas of the hotel around us.
We headed through the main bar – which boasted a huge chandelier ceiling and quirky deco like zebra heads – and through the lounge, which had a real Bedouin tent kind of feel to it, with gold and red accents throughout. The lounge overlooked the terrace and pool, which looked really inviting. Unfortunately, we forgot our swimwear, but that heated pool really called to us!
Our room was just off a small entrance alongside the terrace (so nice and discreet!), yet so, so luxurious inside. Our room had red velvet walls (gold on the ceiling!), leather flooring (!), a huge, white bed and, of course, Crazy Bear’s selling point, a standalone copper bath at the foot of the bed. Oh, and the bath fills up from the ceiling. So. Damn. Glamorous.
Beside the bed, thick curtains parted slightly to reveal our black and gold marble bathroom. The bathroom had a really fancy looking shower, but to be honest we obviously didn’t even use this.
After sharing a toast, it was time to fill up the bath…
I was slightly worried, due to reading previous reviews, that the room wouldn’t offer basic amenities. Luckily we were provided with bathrobes, sparkling water in the room and all the necessities for a full bubble bath. Or two. Or three. Yes. I had three throughout our stay…
Read more: 10 nearby(ish) trips I want to take when this is all over…
I was also nervous the room wouldn’t live up to my expectations as I’d read some rooms were dated, but ours was perfect. There was a small crack on the headboard – and admittedly, the bath had a few scratches inside, but none of this bothered us. The room was slightly dark – as expected – but it was all part of the experience, as the dimmed lights gave the room a romantic vibe/atmosphere. And the lighting in the bathroom was perfectly fine to touch up my makeup!
We chose to eat at a cute Thai restaurant down the road, as opposed in the Crazy Bear restaurant to save money but to be honest, I wish we’d eaten at the hotel. Where we did eat was lovely, but I would have liked to have stayed in the hotel for food as part of the experience. Perhaps next time! We did have a free cocktail within the hotel bar, which, by the time we’d returned after dinner, had a much more relaxed and informal atmosphere. The cocktails were pricey – but tasty. One thing I’d say is that Groupon offer lots of similar deals – like dinner included in your stay – but deals for cocktails, afternoon tea or a massage are separate – and you can’t use more than one voucher on your visit. I’d liked to have added on a voucher for some cocktails to get the full experience.
Our breakfast in the morning was eaten with slightly (okay, very) sore heads, but it was delicious! Our particular deal didn’t include a continental breakfast, but we were still offered loads of options and, again, the service was second to none – we felt very looked after, not just at breakfast but during the entire time – from check-in to check out.
But now to answer the question you’ve all been waiting for…
IS CRAZY BEAR HOTEL, BEACONSFIELD WORTH THE PRICE?
This is a tricky one. I don’t stay in fancy hotels normally, so everything was a really special and lovely touch for me. I felt very looked after and I have no regrets spending the money to stay at Crazy Bear Beaconsfield. To me, it was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go all out and do something really fancy – but I already want to return! I don’t think I would have paid full price however, as, like others have said, you would expect a bit more from the price like perhaps a bottle of wine in your room, dinner included in your stay, free drinks etc. So although I don’t agree with the negative reviews I’ve read (although we had a very nice room and didn’t have any issues, so maybe we were lucky!), I can understand why someone might expect much more from such a high cost – especially if they are used to staying in fancy hotels. I’m not!
That being said, with what we paid on Groupon, I feel that the discounted price was worth it for a special occasion at Crazy Bear hotel, Beaconsfield!
If you have a special occasion coming up and can afford to, definitely grab a deal on Groupon! Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the English or Thai restaurant, but the service was fantastic for us and honestly, being able to drink champagne in a gorgeous bubble bath (that fills up from the ceiling) in such a plush, luxurious and romantic room is definitely a highlight I’ll always look back on in life.
I would only note that if you don’t have a lot of money to spend in general or you’re usually on a limited budget, research into the different deals and consider saving up for some extras like a massage or eating in the restaurant to get the full experience. We still loved our time there – and it’s just an excuse to go back again!
Would you stay at Crazy Bear hotel? Let me know!
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