La Barbarie News, Views & Reviews Welcome to issue 22 of our E-newsletter which is full of all the news you don’t really care about plus our special offers which may make you a little curious. Hooray New Superior Rooms! We will, this winter, start to convert two of our Self-catering Apartment (105 & 106) into four superior rooms with pool views. These will be large, open plan rooms with a lounge area. There will also be a dressing area leading into luxury bath and shower room en suite. These new rooms will be available (builder permitting) from May 2010. Now they aren't built yet and I don't have an artist impression but what I can promise is that they will be look more like the photo below than the photo above!!! •  detailed Architect plans here > We're unique, and it's all your fault! So unbeknown to us someone sneaks in and stays the night has dinner leaves without a word and then writes about us in a book with a grand title! They must be quite picky because La Barbarie Hotel was the only one featured in the Guernsey section. Only One! . . . I ask you Inspector's assessment report: La Barbarie is tucked away deep in the quiet lanes of St Martin, one of the island’s prettiest parishes; and although the hotel itself is not particularly elegant or imposing – and it certainly wouldn’t lay any claim to be the grandest or smartest on the island –it has an intensely friendly, welcoming feel about it. Managing Director Andy Coleman has been running the place for years, and most of his key staff also have impressively long service records. The en suite bedrooms are pleasantly furnished, well equipped and scrupulously clean, although again they’re nothing spectacular in themselves. The jewel in La Barbarie’s crown is really the restaurant, which produces outstandingly good food without affectation and with complete reliability. Rick Stein stayed there while making one of his television cookery programmes, and pronounced the lobster the best he had ever tasted – praise indeed from one of the country’s most celebrated seafood chefs. The dining room itself is so cosy and so cleverly lit that you would feel completely at peace finishing your meal there alone. The menus change daily according to what’s in season and what’s fresh; the wine list is decent and very fairly priced. All in all, it would be hard to find a fault with it as a restaurant;as a hotel dining room it’s quite simply an outstanding find. Outside there are pleasant gardens, a pool, and a scattering of wooden tables and benches amongst the trees and flowering shrubs; ideal for an al fresco drink or two before dinner on a warm summer’s evening. Ambience: 9.88 - Cleanliness: 9.56 - Value: 9.92 - Facilities: 9.88 Staff: 10.0 - Restaurants: 9.98 - Location: 9.73 - Families: 9.41 This is the ONLY hotel guide wholly based on consumer feedback so it seems it’s all your fault, and for that I thank you very much. Thank You. Just some of the Old Babarians we have been delighted to welcome back in 2009: Mr. & Mrs. Lee & Sarah Brockhurst Glad you enjoyed the break even though you had to keep an eye on the old fella!!! Mr. & Mrs Trenouth Nice to welcome back Mr. Kimber as well Dr. & Mrs Radford Thanks for the lovely letter and Ivo was given your message. Mr & Mrs Rackham Good to see you on another return Visit Mr & Mrs Jones Old Barbarians extraordinaire from Taunton Mr & Mrs Stafford Sounds like you needed this break after the Aussie Invasion Brian & Chris White, James & Jo Pearce, Mary & Dave Hallworth, N & P Hathaway and 2 Jags Burrows And all you other Old Barbarians too many to mention. Thanks for your loyal support. International Man of Mystery . . . We receive many compliments about our menus and cuisine but increasingly I am getting comments about the fact that you never set eyes on the Chef de Cuisine, Head Chef, Main Man. Questions like: Is he French?, Is he a She Chef?, or is she/he, elle/il, a jolly chef? To get to know him better we did a little question and answer session. Q What was your first job? A Professional table soccer player. Making a living by rolling balls around large tables with miniature men on. It was the only way I could get a trophy for Newcastle United in the Cabinet! Q Why did you come to Guernsey? A As Douglas Adams almost said, "Far away in the uncharted backwaters of the once unfashionable North-East of England lies an often-unregarded civilisation. Orbiting this at a distance of a few hundred miles is the rest of the British Isles. The life forms inhabiting this area are often thought of as primitive as they still think wearing warm clothing is a pretty sissy thing to do". Q What other job would you have liked? A Taking Sunderland down to the League 3 Q Who would be your perfect dinner partner(s)? A Douglas Adam, Sir Bobby Robson, Peter Beardsley, and that other great footballer Andy (McDermott) Coleman. And now, you get the gist, here’s the great reveal . . .   Win a Bottle of Champers and a Free Room Upgrade Four current members of the team, can you name them from these pictures? The original Black Sheep! He couldn't wait to get out from behind that Bar It’s Ok she looks more welcoming now and we all love her smile! We are pleased he has stuck with us all these years! Email me with your answers. A winner from the correct entries will be drawn on August 20th 2009. The lucky winner will receive a bottle of Champagne and a free upgrade to a superior room (subject to availability) when booking their next break at La Barbarie Hotel. Note - Entries close 19th August 2009. A Very Special Barb Wire Offer Now after exhausting yourself by reading this excuse for a newsletter you are probably thinking of a break where your pound is still a pound and not a little Euro! A Guernsey break at La Barbarie is the answer and we have . . . Two New Autumn Bargain Offers AVAILABLE 23rd SEPT. – 31st OCT. 2009 These La Barbarie Fly-Drive short breaks are great value short breaks and include:- •  Return flights from Gatwick    Other departure points available though    supplements may apply •  3 Nights En-Suite Accommodation •  Full Buffet and Cooked Breakfast •  Car Hire for 3 Days    (Excludes petrol and insurance) For that extra special Break why not book the La Barbarie Splendid Seafood Extravaganza consisting of: Fresh Guernsey Lobster, Crab, King Prawns, Smoked Salmon, Oysters, Prawns and Langoustines. £37.00 per person. All are subject to availability and served with New Potatoes and Crisp Salad. See full details here > AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1st UNTIL 31st 2009 Combine the Island-wide Restaurants Promotion October is a lovely times to visit the island when things are a little more sedate but as usual a warm and friendly welcome awaits you. These Guernsey Super Saver Autumn Breaks for just £90 include: •  3 Nights En-Suite Accommodation •  Full Buffet and Cooked Breakfast Dine from the comprehensive menus at La Barbarie Hotel or "eat out", the choice is yours. Our reservations department will be happy to make car hire and travel bookings on your behalf at a supplementary cost. This offer is based on two people sharing a twin or double room and subject to availability All Bookings must be made direct with La Barbarie Hotel and may not be used in conjunction with any other offer. (Note this short break is based on bed and breakfast terms. Other meals are charged as taken). Why not stay longer? Extra nights - Bed and Breakfast at public tariff. It really doesn't get any better than this! See full details here > Need More Choice? Our other popular breaks are still available please click on the images for more details More Kind Words . . . Many thanks to all of you who take the time to write to me about your La Barbarie experience. Don’t forget you can also share your positive words on www.tripadvisor.co.uk But then again maybe it should be our secret. My thanks to the following guests for their kind letters: •  Mrs Garner & Dr Elphistone    (pictured below) . . . read here > and •  Mr and Mrs Burgess . . . read here > For more unbiased comments check out the reviews for La Barbarie Hotel on here > Remember if you or your friends would like to be zapped or is it zipped or maybe pinged with a special offer and newsy E Barb wire then please email Andy on andy.barbarie@guernsey.net and watch your inbox. And finally . . . Advice for the day: If you have a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: Take two, and KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN