A selection of hotels and inns, plus other establishments offering lodgings are outlined here.
[Feel free to add your own]
Hotels and Inns in Order of Quality
The Red Lion Hotel
(InterCreation Tourist Board Rating: *****)
The finest hotel in Amber City is The Red Lion (previously called the King’s Head, but recently renamed just in case anyone gets ideas). It was originally built about a century ago on orders of King Oberon, on a plot a short distance from the Concourse which was cleared for the purpose in the pre-Civil War days.
Externally, it’s built in the Gothic style, and surrounded by lawns and a small formal garden which was laid out when it was first built. This makes it one of the largest older single lots in Amber City, especially in the area of the Concourse, although since the Civil War, more land has been available for establishments of this kind.
Inside it is the height of luxury, with plastered walls and painted reliefs in the Georgian style in the public rooms on the ground floor, and an older, wood panelled décor in the first floor public areas.
The public accomodation on the ground floor comprises two bars, two restaurants, the main lounge, a coffee lounge and a conservatory which is pleasant to sit in in the summer, but is only used by the hardy in the winter. The main restaurant specialises in gourmet cuisine from around the Golden Circle, while there is also a smaller, more informal gastro-pub style eatery.
The library can be found on the first floor, along with another lounge with a roaring fire and comfortable wood and leather furniture.
All of its 50 bedrooms are luxuriously appointed, and range in size from humble single rooms on the top floors, through double and twin rooms, king-sized doubles and luxurious suites. The Royal Suite is located on the first floor, across from the library, and really is fit for a king. It is said that King Oberon occasionally stayed there when he wanted a little privacy, although the current owners are since the time of the Old King’s reign.
The Unicorn Arms
(InterCreation Tourist Board Rating: ****)
One of the better hotels in the City. Located on the Concourse towards the Castle end of town.The building is old but well-maintained, and surrounds a small coaching yard which is entered from the concourse.
The ground floor includes a large lobby and reception area, a couple of lounges, a decent bar, a more everyday drinking bar, and a restaurant which specialises in traditional Amber food – local meat and fish – but with a slightly more gourmet twist in terms of sauces and presentation.
It has rooms on two storeys, which are comfortably furnished, and each has at least one window. They vary in quality and size from a clean but comfortable single room, to the luxurious second floor suites which comprise bedroom, facilities and private lounge, and come with their own dedicated servant.
The rather smaller rooms on the top storey are evenly split between hotel staff, and servants and grooms who are here with the guests in the main hotel.
The Hart Goes Free
(ICTB Rating: **)
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The Sign of The Hart Goes Free The Hart Goes Free is a Coaching Inn located in the low market near the City’s Arden Gate. It provides a variety of important functions, acting as a hostel for weary travelers, and allowing coaching companies to change horses during journeys, and repair damaged coaches. This inn is owned by Captain “Lefty” Valantina, and his wife Greta. He is a veteran from the last Chaos war, and a Repatriated Prisoner of War by Prince Rambault. His nick name stems from the loss of his right arm, during his service to the Crown of Amber.
In the Lower Market, land is cheap and the family have built a sturdy compound with an eight foot defensive stone wall. The heavy wooden and iron reinforced gates are normally open regardless of the time of day. Visitors are met at all times of the day or night by the gateman. The gateman also meets a coach as it arrives and directs the driver to an available stable. Inside the outer wall, Greta, has her vegetable and flower garden.
The inner courtyard is paved in large flat stones, and act as areas for general horse grooming and coach repairs. Tucked into the corner of the yard is a small stone shrine dedicated to The Holy Unicorn. Frequently the family leaves offerings of muffins, apples or cut flowers at the shrine to give thanks.
The Bar room is a well appointed with brass and leather and due to the fireplace is always cozy despite the weather. Travelers are able to relax, and sample the inn’s food and beverages. “Lefty” himself, is most frequently here as, he likes to put a personal touch on overseeing the service of the staff and can frequently be seen waiting on tables.
The Stable is two stories and wooden. The lower level has stalls, and bays for both horse and coach. The grooms are frequently found here looking after horses. The upper level is the loft, for fodder and hay. There is a old nautical block and tackle hanging out from the roof, so loads can be hoisted into the loft. During winter months and bad weather coaches are stored in the Coach House, for their protection, otherwise they are left out in the yard.
The Smithy and Cartwright shop is smaller but complete to do the work of making and repairing coaches. The is enough additional business from the local neighborhood that the blacksmith is here full time, mending and shaping pots or coach fittings.
The Store house can accommodate goods transported by the coaching companies, so they can be secured here for the night. It is also common practice that passenger’s luggage can be stored here as well, but “Lefty” recommends that travelers concerned with their valuables should keep them with them at all times, as he refuses to take responsibility for any thefts.
The Brewhouse is in constant use as it is common practice for Coaching Inns, to brew their own Beer. The old copper kettle is frequently boiling down a batch of soldier’s pale ale, with it lighter roasted barley malting mash, as “Lefty” developed a taste for it from his time in the field. They inn also brews a good strength, dark, somewhat sweet ale. The rafters have several vats for aging beer, and chalk board with the vat number and the date for aging of each batch.
The Dormitory, is a large room capable sleeping twenty guests in beds and more on the floor. Greta keeps these rooms serviceable and clean. The heavy, sturdy local made beds, and clean bedding are the most obvious signs of that. But, when full of drunken, snoring travelers it can often be a noisy place. It is frequently used by poor travelers, as a way to stretch their silver.
The Inn offers several bedrooms, for comfort and increased privacy. They offer better furnishings, than the dormitory. Each room can comfortably sleep two, but four can be accommodated by sharing beds.
The Lord’s Room is best room in the Inn, and generally reserved for those who can comfortably afford the costs. This is not a room, but a suite containing a private bedroom, a private sitting and dining room and a private privy, with interconnecting doors. The suite is well appointed, with a handsomely carved dark matching wood furnishings. A silver bell rests on the bed stand so that the occupant can easily call for the staff.
Rates
| Sustenance | |
| Breakfast | 1 Silver 8 Pennies |
| Lunch | 2 Silver 6 Pennies |
| Dinner (Including one Pale or Dark beer) | 4 Silver 2 Pennies |
| Packed Lunch | 2 Silver 6 Pennies |
| House Ale (Pale or Dark) | 1 Silver 8 Pennies |
| Local Beer | 10 Pennies |
| Spirits (1 shot) | 1 Silver 8 Pennies |
| Wine (goblet) | 2 Silver 6 Pennies |
| Services | |
| Stabling | 8 Silver 4 Pennies |
| Bath | 10 Silver |
| Lodging | |
| Common Dormitory (Bed) | 4 Silver |
| Common Dormitory (Floor) | 2 Silver |
| Private Room | 5 Gold |
| Lord’s Room | 10 Gold |
Bali Hai Hotel
(ICTB Rating: You actually want us to rate this? What are you smoking?)
Bali Hai is a dock area dive of the worst sort. The front area reeks of stale lager and the old wood gives off tertiary smells of centuries of stink. The one eyed evil looking desk clerk, when sober is rather impolite but knows how to survive in this place. The rooms are sanctuaries for rodents and breeding creches for insects.
Few questions are asked, and even fewer are answered when the Amber City Constabulary come to investigate the routine incidents and crimes on a regular basis.
Bars and Restaurants Which Offer Lodgings
In addition to the purpose-built hotels and inns, a number of bars and other establishments around town also offer lodgings of different standards.
The Boar’s Head/La Sanglier
(ICTB Ratings: Boar’s Head – Commended; La Sanglier **)
Located between the Concourse and Upper Mitre Street, are the Boar’s Head Tavern, and its sister restaurant La Sanglier, which between them take up the three-storey block between the two streets. The entire building is owned by Goodman Wilson Cadogan, a former sergeant in the Amber Army, who now lives with his family and some of his senior staff in apartments on the top floor. The first floor has been turned over to lodgings, split like the ground floor to cater for two different clienteles.
Above the Boar’s Head there are four single rooms and four double rooms offering clean but basic lodgings, plus two hostel-style rooms which will sleep eight in each. To take a room, talk to the barkeeps.
Above La Sanglier are half a dozen rather larger, rather smarter comfortable hotel-style rooms, which are popular with visiting merchants and lesser noblemen. The La Sanglier rooms have a small but functional reception area, located at the bottom of the stairs up to the room, reached from the main La Sanglier restaurant. it is advisable to book well in advance.
In both cases, meals are served on either a bed and breakfast, or bed, breakfast and evening meal in the respective eating establishments.
The Bull and Eagle
(ICTB Rating: Do people in this city actually come here?)
One of the rougher dock and wharfside establishments; frequented by shoreleave sailors and dockhand workers alike. It is a poor working man’s drinking bar… in very polite words. Very VERY polite words.There are rooms upstairs that one may rent by the half hour. If you can call blanket walled cubicles a room. And they do not rent for the whole night. The few furnishings are very sturdy, both upstairs and downstairs, as the fights are frequent.
Miggela’s
(ICTB Rating: Maybe we need to bring in a negative rating for certain properties)
The image is after a few crews spent much time to shovel, scrape, and sweep the streets and get rid of the reeking refuse rotting hither and yon. The small steps to the right is the row house that Miggela owns and runs her business(es) out of. Usual fare is soggy meat pies, don’t ask about the kind or kinds of meat in them; a lackluster barley laden turnip and other roots stew; and boiled sausages of even more dubious beginnings.
Upstairs it’s sling a hammock and the frames run across the breadth of the attic space, so getting in and out of the lice and crab infested mass of canvas and hemp is not unlike being below deck on a ship, with no ventilation, often feels like it except no rocking of the water.
She is open from about dawn to just after the midnight hour, every day of the week.