The Crown Moran Hotel, London

If you are visiting London then I would recommend that you consider staying at the four-star Crown Moran Hotel located at 142-152 Cricklewood Broadway in north west London. This hotel is part of the Moran hotel group, an Irish hotel chain with hotels in Dublin, Cork and London (Cricklewood and Chiswick).

The hotel, built in 2003, is situated next to the Crown Inn an imposing red brick building built in 1889. An atrium links the old pub and the new hotel which is visually impressive and works surprisingly well. The hotel reception is situated here and there is plenty of seating for relaxing and reading in bright, airy surroundings whilst enjoying a cup of coffee. Rooms in the hotel are modern, clean and comfortable; I have visited on several occasions, staying in a triple room with a double and single bed, plus a small seating area and en-suite bathroom. The double rooms are also spacious compared to some city-centre hotels.

The hotel has its own restaurant the King Sitric Bar & Grill where the speciality is 28 day aged Irish beef steaks from the charcoal grill. The frequently changing menu includes simple seasonal dishes and house specialties with an Irish twist. Buffet breakfast is also served in this restaurant and there is a good choice of cold continental or a traditional hot Irish breakfast. The Crown Inn also serves bar food and snacks such as stew and wheaten or fish and chips. Opposite the hotel is the 'Bagel Delight' bakery which sells delicious cakes and pastries, which you can sit in and eat, or take back to the hotel and enjoy in the comfort of your room.

The hotel boasts a 12m heated swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room as well as a fully-equipped gymnasium; complimentary for guests. Spa treatments are also available. For business clientele the hotel offers four conference suites. Complimentary wireless internet access is available in public areas.

In my opinion what really makes a stay at the Crown Moran hotel special is the historical aspect; the Crown Inn, first recorded in 1751 was 'an ivy-clad house with pretty tea-gardens and a stille alley', with a horse pond opposite; bare-knuckle prize fights took place in nearby fields. The Crown was situated on an important Roman road and was notorious for highway robberies in the 1700’s. By the 1840’s coaches were calling at the Crown although Cricklewood remained a rural village; after the arrival of the railway in 1870 the area began to grow and the Crown was rebuilt in 1889. During the 1940’s – 1960’s the pub was a focal point for the rapidly growing Irish community who moved into the area from overcrowded Kilburn and due to unemployment in Ireland; the Irish workers used to congregate outside the Crown early in the morning, waiting for the transport to take them to what work was available. Although many have now moved away the pub, which was refurbished when the hotel was built remains an ‘Irish pub’ with traditional music on Friday night and Sunday afternoons making it ideal for enjoying the ‘craic’ with friends and family. GAA matches are shown in the bar which serves over 10 Irish Whiskeys as well as Guinness and Magners cider.

Although the hotel is situated four miles from central London, there are excellent transport links into the city. The nearest tube station is Willesden Green a short walk away, this station is on the Jubilee line; alight at Bond Street and you are at the heart of London’s shopping district. Buses stop right outside the hotel, so if you are a bus-pass holder you can travel free of charge. The hotel is convenient for Wembley stadium and Lords cricket ground; this is reflected by the number of sports fans who stay when there is a cup final or test match.

The hotel staff will arrange a taxi to pick you up from the rail station or airport.  If travelling by air, I would suggest that you fly into Luton as this is the easiest airport for the taxi to pick-up from and will work out cheaper than a fare from Stansted; alternatively you can use the Heathrow or Gatwick Express to travel into London.