The Wellington House Hotel, an 18th century Georgian style building, is perfectly located in the centre of Jamestown. This is a very comfortable and friendly hotel managed/operated by the most affable Ms Ivy Yon.
The hotel’s most famous guest, after whom the hotel is named, was the Duke of Wellington who passed through St Helena in 1805, on his way back to the UK from India. Whether or not Wellington stayed here is subject to debate but his doing so is not inconsistent with his own assertion that he stayed at Briar’s Pavilion. He could have stayed at both. I revisit this in another review.
Being of an age when every inch of space didn’t equate to dollars, the rooms are very spacious though none have an en-suite. Normally, my main criteria for an acceptable room are that it should be quiet, clean and have an en-suite. The Wellington House gets full marks for the first too. Bathroom facilities, located on the second floor, are plentiful and are immaculately clean – I never had to wait to use the facilities. The hotel has one double room and the remainder are twins.
My room was basically though comfortably furnished – and sported neither TV nor phone (neither of which I missed).
The only slight downer is the lack air conditioning, but then again the Consulate Hotel – at two and a half times the price – across the road, doesn’t have any either.
A good sized and tasty breakfast is included in the rate. I did not have lunch or dinner here (if you do wish to, remember to pre-book in the morning) but a couple I spoke to who had dinner spoke very highly of it.
There is a guest lounge with TV and video player which I didn’t use. There is no bar but one can imbibe in a number of establishments within a very short walking distance of the hotel.
Hotel staff met us on disembarkation from the RMS St Helena and took us to the hotel – a few hundred metres away. We chose to walk back down to the dock on departure.
While no accommodation on St Helena can be termed cheap, the Wellington House Hotel probably represents one of the better value for money establishments and would be my choice again if I were to return to St Helena
Rates per night per person (2013):
Bed & Breakfast: Half Board: Full Board:
£54.00 sole use £74.00 sole use £87.00 sole use
£40.00 sharing £55.00 sharing £66.00 sharing
I recommend you book via the St Helena Tourist Office – http://www.sthelenatourism.com
This blog entry is one of a group (loop) of entries which will take you on a virtual tour of St Helena as experienced by The Rambling Wombat. Do continue with me on this tour via my next entry – The Oldest Anglican Church in the Southern Hemisphere. If necessary, go to my St Helena Introduction entry to start this loop at the beginning.
The Rambling Wombat 