Luxury Hotels - Volcanic disruptions!

The Icelandic volcano (Eyjafjallajökull) continues to spread plumes of ash for many months. You are in northern or western Europe. Your travel is restricted to sea,road and rail.
Where would you go for a short (3 days or so) break in a luxury hotel?

I would try The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore if I chose to stay in Ireland as I havent been yet. If I travelled to The UK I would like to go to southern Wales but I have no idea where I would stay.

Since we're having such nice Spring weather in the UK, I would like to go to Cornwall. Maybe stay at the Scarlett.

The Grand Hotel du Cap in St Jean Cap Ferrat springs to mind.

Or somewhere interesting in the UK as I haven't yet visited Oxford, Cambridge or somewhere really picturesque in the UK countryside.

All these things are on the "someday" list and a flight disruption like the one we have at the moment might be a good excuse, as these locations should be attainable by alternative transport.

Unfortunately real flight disruptions are never quite serene...I was stranded and without luggage in the BA Gate Gormet strike in August 2005. While BA eventually reimbursed additional expenses incurred, the whole saga played out over a couple of weeks due to "communication problems" and "secondary complications" and seriously marred an expensive holiday in Europe.

So while these destinations spring to mind about what I would do, I genuinely sympathise (as we all do) with those travellers who are stranded, no matter whether they are stranded in the Maldives or in a less idyllic location...

Makes me wonder what happens to hotels when the flow of human beings suddenly goes screeching to a halt. Its such an unnatural condition that I'm sure the location and capacity of hotels is not designed for that contingency. Now me, I'd maybe sleep in a tube or any other shelter if unable to get a warm bed. Done it before in my life (tho long ago).

By the way, the ash didn't stop the ATMs from working, did they? That'd be my concern that I couldn't access my cash at home. If I can keep tapping that, I'd handle everything else. For what its worth, I'm 65.

Currently watching the news by the minute as I have a flight tomorrow.:eek:

Can't imagine what it feels to be trapped there for days. If the iceland volcano doesn't stop sphewing ash, does this means airport will continue to remain close? According to the news, the last time it erupted in 1821, it continued for 2 years.

Maybe they can overcome the problem by installing a filter or something on the aircraft engine? :confused: Just a thought.

Can't imagine what it feels to be trapped there for days. If the iceland volcano doesn't stop sphewing ash, does this means airport will continue to remain close? According to the news, the last time it erupted in 1821, it continued for 2 years.

Maybe they can overcome the problem by installing a filter or something on the aircraft engine? :confused: Just a thought.

A friend of mine drove from Vienna to London yesterday. 14 hours!

Not sure if this has been posted already but it's an animation from the norwegian met office showing where the ash is going to be over the coming days and it's not good.

Based on this,airports could be shut for a good few days!

http://met.no/filestore/animation_2010041700.gif

Basically thanks to an area of high pressure over the British isles,all ash that gets sucked into us just meanders around and goes nowhere.

This is not expected to change untill friday when the high pressure [According to the irish met service] is moving away and we get southwesterlies.
Thats would move and disperse the ash.

However it's not certain that it will happen as early as friday.

So if you have a flight in the UK/Ireland or in northern/central and most of Europe at this stage,I'd be looking into options.

Expect to hear extensions of the UK airport closures beyond monday to be honest.

paul2 - The cliff in ardmore looks very tempting-hope to get down there in the next week or two!

It looks as though certain flights are still possible, but not those going to Europe. Maybe the ones flying south.....keep your fingers crossed for me!

A friend of mine drove from Vienna to London yesterday. 14 hours!
train sold out or expensive?

Yes Eurostar from Paris and Brussels sold out

It looks as though certain flights are still possible, but not those going to Europe. Maybe the ones flying south.....keep your fingers crossed for me!


The Pope was able to fly to Malta! Good luck.

I read this in the NYT today:
"Some travelers took drastic measures to return home. John Cleese, the British comic actor who was part of the Monty Python troupe, found himself stranded in Oslo. He hired a Mercedes taxi to drive more than 900 miles from Oslo to Brussels, where he hoped to get a train to London, said one of his agents, Dean Whitbread. Three drivers took turns at the wheel and the fare came to about $5,000, he said."

There is the St. David's Hotel (a Rocco Forte property) in Cardiff.....

There is the St. David's Hotel (a Rocco Forte property) in Cardiff.....

Thanks Luxury! St.Davids looks like what I was thinking of in Wales.

I hope anyone waiting to travel gets away soon. As Earthman reported though,its not looking good for this week.
I'm sure I'm not the only one struck by the irony that we don't have rain in Ireland and the UK when we need it!

It looks as though certain flights are still possible, but not those going to Europe. Maybe the ones flying south.....keep your fingers crossed for me!


Wishing you all the best Vuittons.

I hope you have not had to cross three countries in a taxi, or anything too drastic like that.:eek:

There is the St. David's Hotel (a Rocco Forte property) in Cardiff.....
from wikipedia >
Angleterre Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia, is also owned by Rocco Forte & Family PLC but is not part of The Rocco Forte Collection. Hotel Endsleigh in the Tamar Valley, United Kingdom and Hotel Tresanton in St. Mawes, United Kingdom, are privately owned by Sir Rocco Forte's sister and Design Director of The Rocco Forte Collection Olga Polizzi.
endsleigh was also sold.
Chateau de Bagnols in Beaujolais, France, has been sold in 2007 to Von Essen Hotels, St David's Hotel & Spa in Cardiff to The Principal Hayley Collection.

Currently watching the news by the minute as I have a flight tomorrow.:eek:

I presume you didnt get away Vuittons. If you did,please let us know how you did it or how your plans change as the situation changes.

Thanks Kagehitokiri, Tresanton in Cornwall might be nice if this lovely weather continues.

Thanks BENLEE for the info that this volcano last erupted in 1821 and continued to do so for 2 years......I really dont fancy a boat to China this summer!

No, still here, not a single flight out of the UK and no sign of it changing. I hate trains, so that is not an option.

Thankfully, the weather is wonderful, so maybe we will go to a UK hotel instead, although the idea does not appeal in quite the same way.....:rolleyes:

Actually as some contributors to the lux forum do not utilise a lot of other areas on FT,I am adding the link to a 'stranded' thread which might help or be of interest:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/communitybuzz/1075189-stranded-volcano-meet-up-offers-assistance-thread.html#post13788461

Bath is a pleasant small city for a long weekend and has good train service. I stayed in a historic boutique hotel (with a small spa, IIRC) located on the Crescent, not true five-star-plus luxury but a very elegant inn. In addition to seeing the Roman ruins, including the amazing baths, the downtown area is pretty well preserved with some interesting shops and restaurants. I also remember a museum with historic clothing displays and dolls/toys. Stonehenge is an easy drive if you've never been there.

Other ideas for nice British towns include Birmingham (beautiful historic center, canals, interesting modern architecture around the train station and great modern Indian food in stylish restaurants with the equivalent of martini bars), Bristol, Leamington Spa, and York, in addition to Cambridge and Oxford. In Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow (much better than its reputation, very pleasant historic neighborhoods and a new conference center and museum development along the water) have some very good food, creative and based on local fresh ingredients.

Airspace is back open today and flights are getting into and out of heathrow.
The ash is thin enough for planes to operate safely it seems.
The wind is to change on friday to southerly which should finally blow it all away for the time being towards the north pole and greenland.

It's going to take a few days for shorthaul Euro flights to get back on schedule due to the mis placing of planes and crews that up to today couldn't get back to their bases.
Both BA and Virgin have said they will operate all their long haul traffic today :)

Bath is a pleasant small city for a long weekend and has good train service. I stayed in a historic boutique hotel (with a small spa, IIRC) located on the Crescent, not true five-star-plus luxury but a very elegant inn. In addition to seeing the Roman ruins, including the amazing baths, the downtown area is pretty well preserved with some interesting shops and restaurants. I also remember a museum with historic clothing displays and dolls/toys. Stonehenge is an easy drive if you've never been there.

Other ideas for nice British towns include Birmingham (beautiful historic center, canals, interesting modern architecture around the train station and great modern Indian food in stylish restaurants with the equivalent of martini bars), Bristol, Leamington Spa, and York, in addition to Cambridge and Oxford. In Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow (much better than its reputation, very pleasant historic neighborhoods and a new conference center and museum development along the water) have some very good food, creative and based on local fresh ingredients.

Birmingham? I don't think so.

Best places in the UK are not in cities, and even then there are not too many genuine luxury options. Chewton Glen, Hampshire. Four Seasons Hampshire. Whatley Manor, Wiltshire. Tresanton, Cornwall.....then we start running out of ideas.....

Airspace is back open today and flights are getting into and out of heathrow.
The ash is thin enough for planes to operate safely it seems.
The wind is to change on friday to southerly which should finally blow it all away for the time being towards the north pole and greenland.

It's going to take a few days for shorthaul Euro flights to get back on schedule due to the mis placing of planes and crews that up to today couldn't get back to their bases.
Both BA and Virgin have said they will operate all their long haul traffic today :)


Am now in the lounge waiting for my flight - came early, Heathrow ( T 3 ) has been the orderliest I've experienced ..quieter time of day? There was a VAT line but a lady was there to help.
Heard it was different yesterday from someone else flying...though T5 seemed ok.
Hope everyone ' stuck ' here gets on their flights as planned or re-scheduled ok.
My other family members had major re-juggling for US/Canada.
The spring weather has been incredible though..' clear' blue skies but rather frosty nights.
Agree - ' Best places in the UK are not in cities, and even then there are not too many genuine luxury options '
Had to settle with Doubletree riverview room in Cambridge last weekend as other ' supposedly ' nicer/boutique hotels were full. With the situation, one 's thankful to have a room:)