Best In Billing

HOTEL OVERVIEW

So here’s the thing about Best In Billing – it’s tucked away in this spot that honestly took me a minute to find the first time, right on Crow Lane at the Billing Aquadrome. I mean, when you hear “aquadrome,” you’re probably thinking some touristy water park situation, but it’s actually this peaceful stretch along the River Nene where locals bring their kids to feed the ducks and couples walk their dogs in the evening. The hotel sits right in the middle of all that, which is either going to be exactly what you want or… well, you’ll know pretty quickly if it’s your vibe.

What caught me off guard was how genuinely boutique this place feels – they don’t bother with star ratings because, honestly, they don’t need to fit into anyone’s box. The rooms have this sort of understated elegance that feels more like staying at a well-traveled friend’s house than a typical hotel. You know what I loved? The windows actually open (crazy concept, right?), and in the morning you can hear the water and maybe some geese doing their thing, but it’s not annoyingly loud. The staff remembers your name by day two, which is refreshing when you’re used to being room number whatever. Parking is straightforward – none of that urban nightmare of circling blocks or paying £20 a night for a space the size of a postage stamp.

The location is one of those things that works better than it should on paper. Great Billing isn’t exactly central London, but you’re maybe fifteen minutes from Northampton town center when you need proper shops or restaurants, and the M1 is close enough that you can actually get places without the whole journey becoming a production. What surprised me was how much I ended up just staying put in the evenings – there’s something about being near the water that makes you want to slow down a bit. They’ve got this little terrace area where I found myself having coffee in the morning, watching people walk by with their dogs, very civilized and calm. The 9.3 rating makes sense when you experience it – it’s not trying to be everything to everyone, but what they do, they do really well. If you’re looking for a spa and three restaurants and a concierge who can get you theater tickets, this isn’t that. But if you want a place that feels like an actual discovery, where you can breathe a bit and the staff treats you like a human being rather than a credit card, then yeah, this is worth the slightly off-the-beaten-path location.