Surrey


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where"><strong>WHAT? WHERE?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4.jpeg" alt="The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey" class="wp-image-46605" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-4-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Sitting at the top of Guildford&#8217;s cobbled High Street, across the road from G Live, the town&#8217;s music and theatre venue, <a href="https://www.mandolay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Mandolay Hotel</a> is perfectly positioned for overnight and weekend escapes.</p>



<p>The Mandolay is literally a stone&#8217;s throw from the centre of this vibrant market town &#8211; a hub for arts and culture, restaurants and shopping &#8211; and yet tucked far enough away from it to feel fairly quiet. Yes, you get the best of both worlds here. The North Downs are also on the doorstep offering gorgeous countryside walks, and the towpath alongside the River Wey is ideal for cyclists.</p>



<p>Guildford is just off the A3, with excellent access by car to London and the south coast. Trains run direct from Guildford Station to London Waterloo in under an hour.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>THE VIBE</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="982" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02.jpg" alt="Bar 36 at The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey" class="wp-image-46130" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02-800x524.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02-1000x655.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02-400x262.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02-768x503.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-02-802x525.jpg 802w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>An independent boutique hotel, The Mandolay Hotel is set behind an original white Edwardian façade that lights up dramatically in the evenings. Originally a private residence &#8211; and once the former home of the parents of world famous mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing &#8211; it&#8217;s actually comprised of three Edwardian buildings. There&#8217;s also a newer addition with additional bedrooms, coach house accommodation and a suite of eight meeting and event spaces.</p>



<p>Inside, a mix of slick contemporary styling combines beautifully with elegant and traditional touches like dark wood panelling on the walls and decadent light fittings. Bar 36 flows through to the restaurant, The Grill, and there&#8217;s a unity to these spaces &#8211; which by day is light and bright thanks to the large windows at the front, and after dusk is taken over by soft mood lighting. Glamorous splashes of colour come from feature walls featuring luxury Osborne &amp; Little wall coverings.</p>



<p>The Mandolay is a popular spot for conferences, meetings and weddings &#8211; and there are several suites and well appointed meeting rooms that can manage events for up to 500 people. Once a month, the hotel hosts Nightlife at Bar 36 featuring DJ Crouchie playing jazz, funk and soul music. It happened to be on when I stayed, and was a popular event bursting with a lively mature crowd who were grooving to the tunes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01.jpg" alt="Bar 36 at The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey" class="wp-image-46129" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/03/Mandolay-Hotel-bar-01-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>At Bar 36, there&#8217;s a &#8216;Drink Less, Drink Better&#8217; philosophy, which means there&#8217;s a fabulous choice of premium brand drinks on offer with a particular focus on speciality gin and vodka plus a cracking cocktail list. House pours are Grey Goose Vodka and Star of Bombay Gin with Fentimans mixers, which gives you an idea of the calibre.</p>



<p>The Grill restaurant offers a simple menu of favourites which burgers, and steak to Thai and Indian curries, and salads.</p>



<p>I was on a girly weekend break with my teenage daughter and we&#8217;d spent the afternoon hitting the Guildford shops. So after popping to the room with our haul it was wonderful to freshen up and go downstairs for dinner.</p>



<p>We were eating in the Oak Room because the restaurant had been taken over by DJ Crouchie for the evening. It&#8217;s an intimate space, across from the main dining room, also used for private dining.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5.jpeg" alt="Goat's cheese salad at The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey" class="wp-image-46606" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-5-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>To start, I ordered the smoked salmon, and my daughter went for the halloumi fries &#8211; both simple and spot on.</p>



<p>A connoisseur of burgers, I knew instantly which direction my daughter would go for mains. And so The Mandolay Burger it was for her. I&#8217;d already scoffed cake during a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, so came over all virtuous and chose the goat&#8217;s cheese salad. The burger scored top marks, and the salad was great, with plenty of fig, walnuts and beetroot which I love.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6.jpeg" alt="The Mandolay Burger at The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford, Surrey" class="wp-image-46607" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-6-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>We decided to share a pudding &#8211; and just as well because the chocolate brownie was generous, rich and decadent. And too much for one!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-46608" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-7-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>I&#8217;m also told the afternoon tea at The Mandolay is a fabulous affair, with gluten free and vegan afternoon options.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>STAY</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-46603" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/The-Mandolay-AE-2-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The hotel has 80 rooms and suites, ranging from the single Crash Pad to the swanky Signature Suite. Each room is individually styled by Osborne &amp; Little and includes lovely touches like luxury toiletries, 24-hour room service and Egyptian cotton bedlinen. We were in a Deluxe Suite. And deluxe it was &#8211; super spacious with a six-foot king-sized bed, and a 50-inch TV with more than 900 Satellite channels.</p>



<p>There&#8217;s a luxury rain shower, plenty of soft fluffy towels and luxury Acqua di Palma toiletries.</p>



<p>Breakfast is a buffet type affair with a Continental and cooked breakfast options. Expect to find pastries, cereals and yoghurts, eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, hash browns, baked beans, portobello mushrooms and cooked tomatoes. There&#8217;s also the option for eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and avocado on toast with poached eggs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>KID-FRIENDLY?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>The Mandolay offers an Executive Triple room which comes with double bed and single bed. Cots are available for an additional cost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>AND DOGS, TOO?</strong></h2>



<p>With the exception of Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs, pets of any kind are not allowed at The Mandolay.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DISABILITY ACCESS</strong></h2>



<p>The public areas are wheelchair accessible and there are bedrooms equipped for disabled users. Flag up your needs with the Reservations team as early as possible.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>OUT &amp; ABOUT</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-36196" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/11/Tunsgate-Quarter_Christmas_6-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Guildford is a bustling market town with a vibrant arts scene and great shopping, while being surrounded by beautiful countryside. There are plenty of walks along the River Wey including a trail from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/river-wey-and-godalming-navigations-and-dapdune-wharf/trails/river-wey-walks-dapdune-wharf-to-st-catherines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dapdune Wharf to St Catherine’s Hill</a>. </p>



<p>It&#8217;s also a shoppers heaven &#8211; with a heady mix of well-known high street stores among top quality independents. The Friary, at the bottom of North Street, is the spot for high-street fashion, while Tunsgate Quarter is the place for homeware with Oka, Design Vintage and The White Company all there. You&#8217;ll also find fabulous independents like The Gate Boutique on North Street, Misty &amp; Claridge on Chapel Street, and Courtyard on the charming cobbled Angel Gate, between North Street and the High Street.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>THE MUDDY VERDICT</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="816" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-46609" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner-800x435.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner-1000x544.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner-400x218.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner-768x418.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/04/Mandolay-Oak-Suite-Private-Dinner-900x490.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>The Oak suite, set up for a private dinner. </figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Weekend breaks, business stays and girly get-togethers. Those who fancy busting some moves at the monthly DJ night. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> There&#8217;s a grown-up vibe to The Mandolay which might not fit with families who have very young children.</p>



<p><strong>The damage:</strong> Prices vary, but a Saturday night stay is from £150 to £280 for a double, not including breakfast. </p>



<p><strong><em>The Mandolay Hotel, 36-40 London Road, Guildford GU1 2AE. Tel: <a href="tel:01483 303030" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">01483 303030</a></em></strong></p>


Review: The Mandolay, Guildford, Surrey

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