The Stamford guest house in Southport showed off a modern, relaxed way of enjoying hospitality in tonight’s episode of Four in a Bed.
The Channel 4 series revealed Southport at its best as the contestants arrived under beautiful blue skies, with some great shots of landmarks such as Southport Pier, the Marine Lake, Kings Gardens and the Promenade. The footage showed just why Sunny Southport has been a firm favourite for holiday makers since the 19th century.
The Stamford owners Sarah and Ricky Blaney welcomed guests through an automated text directing to their stylish guest house on Bath Street, situated between historic Lord Street and the beach, Kings Gardens and pier area.
The text gave their guests the code to check in and details of how to access their rooms.
Since the show has aired, they now have exciting news that they are implementing smart phone access where your phone opens the door without a need for a card.
Fellow contestants included: Mum and daughter Annelies and Claudia from the Fauconberg Arms in Coxwold, North Yorkshire; Carl and best friend Sharon from Driftwood Luxury Lodges, in Dale Abbey in Derbyshire; and Simon and Joe from the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire.
The rooms, especially the comfort of the beds, earned a big seal of approval from Carl, who said: “I slept perfectly! 100%. Those beds were spot on.”
After enjoying their arrival in three stylish but very different rooms, Sarah and Ricky took them for a fun game of football combined with golf at Southport Footgolf, next to Southport Pier. The contestants split into teams for a fun afternoon in the sunshine at one of the resort’s newest attractions.
That evening they escorted them around the corner for cocktails at The Firepit Restaurant and Bar on West Street.
While there Sarah and Ricky revealed how they met, as 11-year-old child sweethearts at school.
They revealed why they were attracted to opening The Stamford, which was awarded runner-up in last year’s B&B / Guest House Of The Year category at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards and is popular with golf fans from all over the world.
Ricky said: “Southport has got some of the best golf courses in the country here. We are very lucky that we have got guests from all over the world coming to visit us.”
The Stamford, situated on England’s ‘Golf Coast’, is well placed for people who love to play a few rounds on some of the finest courses in Britain. The guest house even has a dedicated golf room, where guests can charge their buggies and store their clubs, which was admired by the other contestants.
Some of the contestants were not keen on the lack of hosts on-site at The Stamford, but Sarah explained: “It is about coming to Southport. That is the destination, not me and Rick.
“There is a customer for every type of hospitality target. Ours is different from others, and it works very well for us.”
The following morning the contestants were impressed by a delicious breakfast, with a great choice from the menu at Bistrot Pierre on nearby Lord Street.
They made great comments about the food, the venue and the selection on offer.
Annelies said: “If you are a small guest house, then you can’t offer a selection like this. Sometimes you have to leave it to the professionals.
“The breakfast was very good quality, very tasty.”
Sarah said: “Guests can bring bread, they can prepare something in their room if they like, or they can go out and sample what Southport has got to offer.”
When it came to the marks, The Stamford scored well for Cleanliness and Facilities, but less highly for Hosting and Breakfasts.
Sarah said: “The two things we were rated in the middle for are hosting and breakfasts, the two things which we don’t offer. Our guests are the opposite, they actually love that.”
The Stamford is a place where guests can check in when they like, with no check-in or check-out queues, in a relaxed and modern way.
It is situated in the heart of Southport, surrounded by a huge number of top quality restaurants, cafes and bars, leaving guests spoiled for choice over where to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.
After all – why not head out and explore the holiday resort you’ve come to visit?
- Four in a Bed, featuring The Stamford guest house in Southport, will be screened on Channel 4 over five evenings from 22 March 2021, from 5pm.
- For more details about The Stamford, on Bath Street in Southport town centre, please email: stamford@sleepenjoy.co.uk or call: 01704627061 or visit: thestamfordsouthport.com
