Patong's Yorkshire Inn is located in the Kathu district of the country, just minutes from the beach and a must-visit for golfers.
It’s no news that a lot of English people’s idea of “far away” is Southeast Asia, both spatially and culturally. If you’re a green wanderlust type, hungry for seeing (and tasting) things done in unique and mind-altering ways, your knee-jerk solution would likely be somewhere along the lines of Thailand.
Imagine then, if you travelled all that way, ready to be overwhelmed by a mesh of amazing smells and sights, only to hop out of a taxi at a Yorkshire themed hotel.
“But, but…” you stammer. “I came here to escape home.”
And a fella called Somsak saunters out from the foyer and says, “Ah, it’ll be reyt lad! Get yoursen inside.”
Image: Patong's Yorkshire Inn.
Well, that could actually happen.
Patong’s Yorkshire Inn is dead popular, I tell thee. Based in the Kathu district of the country, the hotel is just minutes from the beach and a must-visit for golfers.
Their description reads: “The Yorkshire Hotel is in the heart of Patong, minutes from the beach, seconds from the night-life and opposite one of the largest shopping and entertainment complexes in Asia — the amazing ‘Jungceylon’.
“While we respect your privacy, lone travellers will find that the friendly atmosphere in our award winning restaurant, bar & sports pub means you won’t be alone for long. If you want to make new friends, it’s a hive of activity.
“The Yorkshire Hotel Leisure Centre means when you stay with us you can use our five star sauna, steam room and swimming pool our hi-tech Cybex Gym FREE. Click here for more about the Phuket Gym.”
The hotel’s manager Neale is a keen golfer, and the hotel is “focused on all sport at all times.”
A spokesman said: “Most of our regulars are avid golfers and the hotel hosts several special tournaments each year.”
The hotel, which specialises in golf group bookings, also accommodates visitors to any of the seven courses in Phuket.
The TripAdvisor reviews are highly complimentary, with one happy customer writing: “Despite being in a busy location its still a quiet place to stay. It has a very nice exercise room included if you want to stay in shape during your stay. It also contains a sauna. The pool is great too. Yorkshire also has excellent food.
“Whether you want Thai or western food its all delicious. Good bar too. Was able to watch the College Football Championship game, the Super Bowl, and the NFL playoffs there over the years. Great service at the pool bar too. Phyu Phyu and Tuk Tuk are both very friendly waitresses who are always eager to serve. Yorkshire also has very affordable rates. Was able to book rooms for between $35 to $50 during high season.”
Overall, the hotel has 568 ‘excellent’ reviews. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself to Patong's Yorkshire Inn this summer.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Josh Teal -
22nd August 2021 
