The inspector visits a “clubbing” hotel in Surrey that poses as a hangout for people with laptops or friends

There are mock fires all over the Georgian Coppa Club. Some of them even have artificial smoke – and they look terrible because of it.

But there’s not much to do at this 13-room hotel on Haslemere’s High Street, which bills itself as a place where people can come and hang out with their laptops or friends at any time of the day.

There is plenty of space downstairs, with a long, narrow seating area at the front of the building, a bar in the middle, and a large restaurant (I count over 50 tables, of which only five are occupied) which opening to a covered terrace (with heaters) and further into the garden.

Here are three glass igloos for those who want to be cut off from everyone else but don’t mind being viewed in true fishbowl style.

“It feels like a club, it’s clearly on purpose,” says the inspector of the facility

I booked a ‘small room’ for £95 (breakfast not included) but the receptionist tells me ‘I have moved you to a bigger room for the same price because there is a problem with the heating in that part of the room. Building.’

Room 9 is indeed large, but strangely there is not a comfortable armchair – not a single chair, in fact.

walls are soft green; the headboard is made of wood; A few colorful prints hang above the bed and some random hardcovers add a touch of interest. But overall it’s boring.

Back in the public space, I like the light colors hanging from the ceiling, the powder blue walls and the upholstered sofas and chairs. It feels like a club, which is clearly intentional.

The 13-room hotel is on the main street in Haslemere (pictured above)

My burrata starter comes with pine nuts and eggplant caponata – but the latter is more of a jam that overpowers everything else on the plate. Finally I find the nuts before they are lost forever.

But I enjoy the flat iron steak with seared zucchini and peppercorn sauce.

The restaurant is deserted in the morning. It’s hard not to feel like you’re in a giant canteen. “A DIY place,” says the website. Maybe it will happen later when the High Street comes into its own. It feels lonely now.