b

Will building society fat cats cut their pay this year?

The interest building society customers receive has been cut to ribbons ever since the 2008 financial crisis. But Yorkshire's Mike Regnier, for example, will keep his £20,000 bonus from 2019.




b

Name-checking Confirmation of Payee cuts bank scams by 31%

Britain's largest current account provider Lloyds rolled out Confirmation of Payee to customers over five weeks in February and March, and said it had now carried out 4million name checks.




b

Best savings rates: Children's accounts face hefty cuts

Grandparents with fixed monthly pension payments could find their bank balances are looking much healthier now they are no longer spending money on things like going out and holidays.




b

Best savings rates: Marcus makes a cut but new top easy-access deals are launched

Savers have been handed a double blow as two market-leading easy-access deals have both disappeared within a week of each other, with Marcus and Virgin Money both making cuts.




b

NS&I reverses next month's planned cuts to Premium Bonds in win for savers

National Savings & Investments was due to halve the number of winners of £50 and £100 prizes next month to 13,448, and the odds of winning would be cut from 24,500 to 1 to 26,000 to 1.




b

What next for savings rates? Banks tap into new funding scheme

A Bank of England scheme designed to provide banks with cheap money to lend to small businesses has handed out an enormous £6billion in its first week, official figures reveal.




b

HSBC and Lloyds report thousands more are digitally scanning cheques

Figures from two of Britain's big four high street banks revealed the numbers of cheques being digitally deposited using mobile banking apps has surged, while branch footfall has plummeted.




b

Banks cut savings rates for loyal savers by four times the base rate chop

The official base rate was reduced by 0.65 percentage points last month to 0.1 per cent, but savers face bigger cuts.




b

We waited 60 years to win £50,000 in the Premium Bonds draw

Last month retired school site manager Ken Medlycott (pictured with wife Sally) won a huge £50,000 - doubling his savings. The odds of him winning such a prize in a year were one-in-7,466.




b

AN INSPECTOR CALLS: Welcoming and well-positioned, The Westbury provides a tasteful Dublin stay

There may be chicer, more contemporary and certainly less expensive hotels in Dublin than The Westbury - but few can be better positioned or more established, says our impressed Inspector.




b

An Inspector Calls: Wimbledon's Cannizaro House sees Hotel du Vin takeover...but it is missing something

Upscale accommodation chain Hotel du Vin is the latest operator to try to bring some pizzazz to Cannizaro House on Wimbledon Common. Our Inspector is not sure it will manage to work wonders.




b

The Pig Near Bath is a Grade II-listed building that used to be Hunstrete Hotel

You may have a fight on your hands to book a room at The Pig Near Bath at the moment. And rightly so, because this discreet hideaway is a weekend dream, enthuses our impressed Inspector.




b

An Inspector Calls: Making a big Deal of Bear's Well - a family home turned pretty small hideaway on the east coast of Kent

What to do when you find yourself in possession of the old family home, but don't want to sell it. In the case of one enterprising couple in Deal, you turn it into a boutique B&B. The Inspector checks in.




b

Find a pair of family-run hotels in Scottish Border town Melrose

Melrose is reappearing on the map as a weekend destination thanks to the return of the rail link to Edinburgh. Our Inspector heads for the Borders - and the town's stylish pair of boutique hotels.




b

An Inspector Calls: The George at Backwell is a stop along the way

When you have been stuck on the M4 for what seems like forever, you want a cosy pitstop where you can recharge your batteries. The Inspector finds exactly this at The George at Backwell.




b

An Inspector Calls: A heavy price to pay to stay at The Vine House, Burnham Market, Norfolk (can £310 a night ever be worth it?)

Once upon a time, the Hoste Arms in North Norfolk was a simple pub. Now it has The Vine House, an accommodation annexe where the prices are not cheap. The Inspector takes a look.




b

The Lanesborough in London is Britain's most expensive hotel

What does £720 a night buy you? If you are staying at uber-luxurious London hotel The Lanesborough, a double room for the night - but no breakfast. The Inspector ponders whether the cost is worth it...




b

The Wellington is impeccable, with resident chickens and a lawn like Centre Court

If you travel to Baughurst in Hampshire you'll find an old shooting lodge, The Wellington Arms. With only three rooms, and exquisite attention to detail, to stay and eat in the B&B is a joy.




b

An Inspector Calls: Golf, grouse and gourmet dinner at a Baronial pile in the Scottish Borders

Fisher folk, golf enthusiasts, grouse and pheasant shooters will all feel at home at The Roxburghe in Kelso. There’s even a spa in this hotel in the Scottish Borders.




b

An Inspector Calls: Classic charm in the old boozer that is The Crown, Mundford, Norfolk

Sometimes, you don't need swish modernity and gleaming innovation. You just want a hotel that is clean and comfy. The Crown in Mundford does not excel - but it will do fine, says The Inspector.




b

An Inspector Calls: Not quite prime minister material at the Chequers Inn, Woolsthorpe, Lincs - but good enough for the rest of us

There is something happily quaint about the Chequers Inn in Lincolnshire that is maybe summed up by the slope on the nearby cricket pitch. The Inspector beds down for a one-night innings.




b

The Fish hotel in Broadway has affordable and wholesome things to do

The Fish is a village-style resort set in Cotswolds woodland, with much of the accommodation (47 rooms) in refurbished farm buildings a short walk from the main lodge, where guests can unwind.




b

An Inspector Calls: Milsoms is an acquired taste but a good Essex ad

Slap-bang next to the A12 in Dedham is the 15-bedroom Milsoms hotel but thankfully you won't hear the road due to the bar and brasserie throwing up its own cacophony of noise.




b

An Inspector Calls at the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne

The Grand Hotel was built in 1875. It's known as the White Palace but its huge lobby and even bigger main dining room had a cruise feel and there were children running around.




b

An Inspector Calls: Berkshire's Crab & Boar hotel has 'poshed-up'

The Crab & Boar in Berkshire has changed hands twice in recent times, but is now part of the expanding Epicurean Collection - so it was only fair to give it another go, writes the Inspector.




b

The Nadler Victoria is leading the way for budget hotels

The Nadler Victoria in Westminster is brand new. It opened on January 1 and is the latest edition from a group that aspires to turn budget accommodation on its head.




b

The Bedford Swan is the town’s ‘premier hotel’ or so the website says

If someone could just open all the windows and replace it with something fresh, then the Bedford Swan could become something of a destination hotel rather than a place to stay en route.




b

16th century pub that is The Running Horses in Mickleham revealed

The Running Horses, in the village of Mickleham, Surrey, is owned by the Brakspear brewery company, but don’t let that put you off. There’s something for everyone here.




b

Bath's iconic Royal Crescent Hotel has been refurbished

Refurbished from top to toe at huge expense, The Inspector pays the historic Bath property, Royal Crescent Hotel a visit to see how much has changed.




b

Premier Inn at Putney Bridge in London comes with scenic views of the Thames

This week, The Inspector paid a visit to the Premier Inn just north of Putney Bridge in London and was shocked by the so-called 'budget' price but satisfied with a clean and functional guest room.




b

The Bel & The Dragon's new Kingsclere hotel takes hospitality to new heights

Co-founded by Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, The Bel & The Dragon chain has just opened their latest hotel - in Kingsclere - where guests are treated differently to everyone else.




b

How The Kensington and its breakfast is a welcome addition to London

A quiet transformation of four Victorian buildings in London’s South Kensington is complete. The result is The Kensington, a member of the Irish-owned Doyle Collection.




b

An Inspector Calls: The Crown Inn in Suffolk is a homely village pub and hotel

Privately owned, The Crown sits in Constable Country in the Dedham Vale. This homely village pub, with 11 rooms in a separate hotel building next door, offers dinner, bed and breakfast.




b

London's No 11 Cadogan Gardens Victorian hotel has been revamped

Recently revamped No. 11 Cadogan Gardens hotel in London is filled with old portraits and chandeliers. For food, Tartufo specialises in truffle-infused dishes of exceptional quality.




b

The French Horn in Sonning has been running since the 1970s and it shows

This famous Thames-side restaurant with 31 rooms has a museum-like quality to it, albeit a dusty one in need of a cash injection. But it also offers guests the chance to graze on a slice of culinary history.




b

An Inspector Calls: The Crown in Suffolk has gone in for the old-boozer-poshed-up routine

The Crown at Woodbridge is made up of ten light and airy rooms with lots of powder blue wood panelling, two sash windows and a large comfy bed.




b

Wilton's Pembroke Arms in Salisbury suitable for more than 'After Funeral Receptions'

The Pembroke Arms in Wilton is a handsome boozer that is located on the outskirts of Salisbury and offers nine rooms and a 'spacious and informal' bar and restaurant area.




b

Saffron Walden's The Cross Keys visited by The Inspector

The Cross Keys Hotel, in the charming medieval market town of Saffron Walden, Essex, is located in a medieval building dating back some 850 years.




b

Royal Oak in Tetbury is visited by The Inspector

The Royal Oak is a 17th century restored inn on the outskirts of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Beer is a big deal here and the relaxed vibe is certainly to be encouraged.




b

Cosying up at the Castle Hotel, a Windsor bolthole fit for a queen

You may go to Windsor in search of its famous royal castle - but if you want to stay in town a little longer, the Castle Hotel is an excellent spot to rest your head, says our sharp-eyed Inspector.




b

Filthy curtains at The Bell near Epping make it hard to justify £100 per night price 

This motel-style establishment on the busy B1393 close to Epping serves Indian food in its Nirvana restaurant. Various TVs are attached to walls in the brightly lit bar.




b

Old-fashioned ambience and ghosts of the stairs at Lewtrenchard Manor, Devon

Lewtrenchard Manor would never describe itself as modern. But this grand old property in Okehampton, Devon, does not need to change with the times, says the Daily Mail's hotel inspector.




b

Boutique beauty, but at quite a price - a night at Blakes Hotel, an expensive London institution 

Blakes has long been a haven of upmarket accommodation in west London - but the cost may make you raise an eyebrow, says out hotel inspector, as he wonders where his wine went.




b

An Inspector Calls: The soulless atmosphere and modern decor at One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells is strangely corporate

The staff are polite and the rooms are comfortable at One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells but The Inspector says that the new hotel is best suited for businessmen.




b

Penzance boasts a thriving art scene, Georgian squares and a top-notch 18th century B&B

The Inspector issues a five-star rating to The Chapel House in Cornwall's Penzance, a six-room B&B opposite the church, housed in a magnificent brick-and-stone 1790s building.




b

An Inspector Calls: The Bank House serves up a charming atmosphere and the perfect poached eggs in the heart of King's Lynn

The Inspector called in at The Bank House in King's Lynn, a former Georgian merchant banker’s residence. He found it made for a fascinating break.




b

CitizenM's Tower of London hotel pairs affordable glamour with lukewarm service

The Inspector called in at citizenM's Tower of London hotel, where prices start at £129 a night, and while the rooms are eclectic and high-tech, the service leaves much to be desired.




b

An Inspector Calls:  It might not be trendy but English traditions reign at The Arundell Arms

The Arundell Arms in Dartmoor has a reputation mainly as a fishing hotel and anglers will love it. The decor is traditionally English, as is the food by master chef Steven Pidgeon.




b

Scotland's Cringletie House Hotel offers baronial turrets and the perfect haggis

The Cringletie House Hotel is a 19th Century home is now a 17-room hotel owned by an elderly Dutch couple, where fuss-free luxury and perfectly cooked haggis comes at a bargain.




b

An Inspector Calls: The Bell serves terrific food in Essex, but don't bother booking a room

The Daily Mail's hotel inspector was impressed by the brilliant food at The Bell in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, but underwhelmed by its grim and dusty accommodation.