Mon, 14 March 2016, 17:17: This is the minute when I am shown into my room at The Asperion. It’s the top-reviewed hotel in Guildford and has been since it opened in 2005.
I stayed in this small city (thirty minutes by train from London) for exactly twenty-four hours, long enough to see The Stranglers for the second time on this trip and to learn firsthand why The Asperion is so well-liked.
Following is the text of my Trip Advisor review, interspersed with photos.
I zipped from London to Guildford for one night last March, just so I could attend The Stranglers’ lone hometown gig of their 2016 tour (shameless plug for my second favorite band of all time).
When visiting an unfamiliar town for the first time, you’ll rarely go wrong choosing Trip Advisor’s #1 rated hotel, and I am here to testify that no town exemplifies that maxim better than Guildford.
From the moment I arrived, Marian took care of me as if I were an old friend rather than a stranger passing through. He insisted on carrying my luggage upstairs himself and explaining every feature of my room. He patiently answered my many questions: Where would I find the Guildford post office? Do trains departing town tend to be on time or run a little late? Is breakfast really included for free because I booked direct? Does it make sense to call a cab around here, or am I better off walking?
Marian also spent a chunk of his personal time the next morning helping me play arts and crafts as if we were a couple of third graders, folding and cutting various boxes he was gracious enough to dig out for me to construct a package to mail home. (Hey, you spend enough time traipsing around the continent, you collect more souvenirs than you can shove delicately into your suitcase. In the interest of full disclosure, my shipped Marian-assembled box included as many dirty socks and shirts as London trinkets.)
Room 8 has taken some harsh criticism in prior reviews, but I had zero issues whatsoever. I’d made clear in my online reservation that I required just a single room, and a single room is what I got. True, there was not much room to spare, but what space existed was used efficiently. My slacks and dress shirts had a standard metal rail to hang on, and a fair-sized desktop beneath the window accommodated my laptop, books, and papers.
Shampoo and body wash were provided, and the shower— though nothing to rave about— was perfectly fine. The bedding was comfortable. Unlike a couple of reviewers, I had no problem with light or noise coming through the window.
I appreciated that the window was standing open when Marian escorted me inside. I’d typed in the “any special requests?” field online that I wanted a window that opened so I could soak in the British chill— being from Florida, I don’t get a lot of that. Marian proclaimed, “Not only does it open, I’ve had it open for you all day, awaiting your arrival.” Now that’s service!
A previous reviewer noted that the mini-fridge in her room was noisy. Marian suggested I unplug mine, since I had no items to refrigerate. Future guests should do the same, although the contraptions really only have a slight whir to them.
One feature of the Asperion that I’m shocked to read nothing about in previous reviews is the honor bar. A simple countertop between the kitchen and the breakfast room, the honor bar was stocked on the night of my stay with a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white, along with tiny sacks of three different flavors of crisps.
Quietly letting myself into the lobby via the securely locked front door (Marian had kindly provided me with a key since he knew I’d be returning after hours), I was delighted to see this mini-smorgasbord. It was 11:30 pm and I was peckish after hoofing it uphill after The Stranglers’ concert. With the kitchen closed and all staff off duty, the honor bar is a godsend for those like me who like to decide for themselves when “last call” is. As you do at an honor bar, I jotted on the clipboard what I was helping myself to so that it could be added to my bill. Then I settled into a chair in the dark of the abandoned reception area and quaffed one of the most pleasurable drinks of my entire spring 2016 Europe adventure.
The lovely Nikol is Marian’s proverbial right hand. She was absorbed with co-managing housekeeping and guest relations during my stint, but the professional skill I remember her best for is as breakfast chef. It was Nikol who prepared my free range poached eggs with bacon and toast. I’ve never seen or tasted a fluffier egg. It was one of my best morning meals in the UK.
Nikol and Marian are each from a different country in Europe that I have enjoyed visiting in the past. An unexpected treat while staying at the Asperion was being able to chat with them about their native cities. They each enthusiastically asked what I had seen and experienced in those places and offered recommendations of activities, restaurants, and special occasions there for when I make future trips. Who could have imagined I’d get to interact with fellow tour guides on my one night stay at this charming little establishment?
I was allowed to leave my bags in their private storage for a few hours to wander the downtown unencumbered. Some Londoners dismiss Guildford with a wave of the hand as if there’s nothing at all to see, but in truth the town is rich in history, much centered around World War I, some related to the most enduring and talented of Britain’s punk rock bands, formed here in 1974 as the Guildford Stranglers.
At checkout, Marian informed me (with frankness that you don’t find in a lot of new acquaintances) that I had stayed in the smallest room in the entire hotel. “Whose fault is that?” I replied wryly. He chuckled and said that next time I should stay in the biggest.
I think that little exchange illuminates why the Asperion does such frequent repeat business. Marian and his team make you feel like more than simply a paying customer. They devote attention to personal requests, no matter how small; they inject humor and casual conversation into what at other hotels might just be routine boring information; and they go out of their way to demonstrate respect for your patronage. As magnificently as they treat you on your first stay, they make clear that they will treat you even better on your second.
Speaking of, I am already planning to chase The Stranglers again on their March 2018 tour. And I know exactly where I’ll be staying the night when they come to Guildford. Marian, go ahead and book me into that biggest room!