Lion Hotel - Belper, United Kingdom 

Not quite sure how we found ourselves in Belper but this was a reasonably good place to stay. It has obviously been refurbished with aspirations. There is a pretty courtyard which would have been nice to sit in had the weather been better. The room was a good size, with a king-size bed, but with two mattresses joined together which is one of my pet hates – might as well be in twin beds. We asked for a quiet room and were given one at the back of the hotel – the rooms at the front overlooking the A6 would probably have been a nightmare because of the traffic. As it was, we had a scenic view over Somerfields car park, but a peaceful night’s sleep. Digital flatscreen television kept cutting out due to poor reception. Shower was a bit feeble and the hairdryer quite primitive. Free wifi was a bonus. We ate at the hotel as there are really not many places to eat in Belper. First night was fine (they do a special steak night on Thursdays) but the second was a bit of a let down, poor service. The cooked breakfast was very good. Not an awful lot to do in Belper but it was a nice place and friendly people. The River Gardens are pleasant and the huge old mills are really spectacular.

Belper is a very sweet little town and the Lion is right in the town centre. The staff were very friendly during check-in and the rooms were very pleasant. We just had one concern - we had two rooms at the back of the property and they must have been above the kitchen as there was a smell of roast duck coming through the vents. I can think of worse smells, but still not that pleasant. We had dinner, which was unfortunately totally overrated and utterly 'Derbyshire' Would probably visit again, but not in a massive hurry