Staycation tips and ideas

AS WE enter autumn, what better way to treat yourself than a spa trip?

There are a whole bunch of great offers out there at the moment for spa days, breaks and getaways, both in the UK or abroad.

And so you don’t have to do all that searching, we have found the very top offers for you.

Day spa pass

Brooklands Hotel spa and dining experience

The Brooklands Hotel in Weybridge offers three hours of spa access from £27pp, or upgrade to three hours of spa access, a spa treatment and a meal, from £76.69pp.

The spa features a Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, steam room, Himalayan salt room, rooftop hot tub, sunlight therapy room, experience shower, ice fountain and a relaxation area.

As well as three hours of spa access, bookings include a 25-minute or 50-minute treatment, depending on what you choose.

These include a cranial massage; back, neck and shoulder massage; express facial; body brush; manicure or a pedicure.

The package also features a meal – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner – depending on what time of day your three-hour spa visit is booked for.

Imagine Spa Orton Hall

Orton Hall Hotel offers a half-day spa visit and treatment from £29.95pp or £59 for two people.

Orton Hall’s Imagine Spa features a heated pool, sauna, steam room and a small gym.

Guests also then receive a 45-minute Serail mud chamber treatment as part of the package.

Macdonald Houston House Hotel & Spa

In West Lothian, you can visit Macdonald Houston House Hotel & Spa, for a spa day with 25-minute treatment and two course meal for £36.19pp.

Alternatively, if there are two of you it will cost £85.

In the hotel, you can head to the pool, as well as a sauna and steam room.

Bannatyne Health Clubs

One of the most popular options for a spa day is Bannatyne Health Club, with locations across the country.

With Virgin Experience Days, book a spa day with a 30-minute treatment for two people, for £69 in total.

Treatment options include a Swedish back, neck & shoulders massage; express facial or full body seasonal scrub.

Alternatively, also with Virgin Experience Days, there is a spa day with three treatments from £55 per person.

The three treatments last 35-minutes in total and include a welcome touch facial with a scalp massage; hand and arm massage and a mini back massage.

Guests also receive a Divine Eye Mask as well.

Montcalm Royal London House

If you are in the capital, the five-star Montcalm Royal London House offers a two-hour spa experience from £34.95.

This includes the pool, sauna and steam room – though the offer is only available Monday to Thursday.

Holmer Park Spa and Health Club

Homer Park Spa in Hereford has two spa packages on offer.

The Twilight Spa costs £39, with guests allowed to access the spa between 6pm and 9pm, available Monday to Thursday.

Or for £55, there is the Thermal Relaxation Experience – a half-day (four hours) experience of the spa.

The spa includes a pool, sauna and steam rooms.

Riverhills Spa, Suffolk

Riverhills Spa in Suffolk offers a Fire and Ice Experience for £55.

It includes access to the spa facilities for four hours, such as a snow shower, volcano sauna and aroma steam room.

There is also a pool, relaxation area, fitness studio and gardens.

A robe, towel and flip-flops are included.

Wowcher mystery spa trip

Don’t want to spend anything more than a tenner? Well, with Wowcher there is an offer for a mystery spa trip.

For £9.99, you can purchase a Wowcher mystery spa trip with the opportunity to win a spa break to Paris, France.

However, most of the prizes are a £15 voucher to use towards a spa in the UK.

Might be worth the gamble though?

Overnight stays

Twilight Spa Escape at the Moor Hall Hotel & Spa

Moor Hall Hotel and Spa in Birmingham offers a Twilight Spa Escape package which includes an overnight stay, access to the spa from 4pm and a 25-minute treatment from £214.35 if you’re staying alone, and £291.90 for two people sharing a room – which works out at £146pp.

The spa features a pool, spa bath, sauna, steam room, relaxation room and gym.

And the treatment included is a Templespa Skin Smoothie Facial.

Also included is a homemade pizza in the evening and a full-English breakfast in the morning.

Doubletree by Hilton Bristol South – Cadbury House

Cadbury House in Congresbury, Somerset, which dates back to 1790, offers an overnight spa stay from £198 for two people, which works out at £99pp.

Included in the package you’ll get a standard double room for two people, with dinner and breakfast.

In the spa, there is a thermal suite with heated floors, hanging pods and an outdoor hot tub.

Spa Break for two at Trenython Manor, Cornwall

Down in Cornwall, Trenython Manor has a spa break for two from £99.

The hotel sits on a private 24-acre estate and has a leisure club as well as spa.

Also included in the package is a full-English breakfast and a bottle of prosecco.

What makes it even better is the late 12pm check-out for a good lie in.

Sunday Slowdown Spa Break at the Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa

Ringwood Hall, in Chesterfield offers a Sunday Slowdown Spa Break for a Sunday night stay with spa access, a two-course dinner and breakfast from £198.

The two-course dinner will be in the Coach House Restaurant with meals using local produce.

In the Garden Secret Spa there are steam rooms, saunas, a vitality pool and relaxation lounges.

Overnight spa break with dinner at Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel

Via Red Letter Days, Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel offers an overnight spa break for two with dinner included from £159.99 – just £80 per person.

You purchase the voucher, which can then be used within 12 months at the hotel between September and May, Sunday to Friday.

The hotel’s spa features an indoor pool, two spa pools, a sauna, a steam room, a hot tub and an “aromatherapy cave”.

A three-course dinner at the hotel’s brasserie restaurant is also included, and so is a full-English breakfast in the morning.

Park Hall Hotel Lancashire spa break for two with breakfast and spa access

Park Hall Hotel in Lancashire offers a spa break for two, with breakfast included from just £89 – £44.50 per person.

The four-star hotel, which is surrounded by lakes and woodlands, boasts a spa with a hydrotherapy lagoon, hot tub, sauna, steam room, pool, relaxation areas and a gym.

While the package doesn’t include any spa treatments, you do get 20 per cent off treatments booked during your stay.

And you can upgrade your package to add a two-course meal at the restaurant onsite.

The package is available on select dates until April 20, 2027.

Weekend stay

Budapest, Hungary

Why stay in the UK when you could head abroad?

Fly to Budapest, Hungary, and stay at the Central Hotel 21 in the city historic Palace District for just £99pp.

Included in the package is a standard room with an en-suite bathroom, bike rental, a shuttle service, return flights, and an entry ticket to the Széchenyi Thermal Spa.

Fly from either Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, London Southend, or London City airports.

The hotel is also ideally located close to a lot of the top sights in the city including the Danube just a five-minute walk away.

Ona Lomas Village Manga Club

In Spain, Ona Lomas Village Manga Club offers a spa break via On The Beach for just £100pp.

The spa at the hotel features an indoor pool, saunas, a steam room, a solarium and a gym.

There are a further two outdoor pools as well.

Fly from London Luton to Murcia International on October 11 and stay for two nights.

Two night European city break for two

Not sure where you want to go? Via BuyAGift you could head on a European city spa break for two people from £183.20.

The voucher can be redeemed against a wide selection of European destinations and is for two nights.

You could head to the Spanish coast for example, or visit France.

The voucher is valid for 12 months and you must make your selection before the expiry date printed on your voucher.

PROPER pubs have propped up British life for centuries – safe, soothing sanctuaries from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Some call them ‘spit and sawdust’ boozers, others call them ‘Old Man’ pubs.

But you get the idea – no fuss. No frills.

They don’t complicate or change things. Just a quiet well-kept pint, a vacant stare into the middle distance, a nice chat and that comforting feeling that everything will probably be alright.

In a proper pub there’s no piped ‘muzak’, no Sky Sports swooshing at you, no cutlery or cloths on the tables, and absolutely no QR codes.

There might be a dog. There should be a piano. If there’s a dog playing a piano, that’s even better.

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And once you’re in, there should be no real reason to ever leave.

I make up half of Thinking Drinkers, and we have searched high and low for the best boozers around, so here are my top 10 Proper Pubs that every passionate pub-goer should visit:

The Oxford Bar, Edinburgh

Edinburgh is packed with decent locals. But few do proper, no-nonsense pub quite like The Oxford, a favourite of crime writer Ian Rankin and his hard-boiled detective Inspector Rebus.

There’s none of the tartan tat or tourist rubbish here. Just a solid mix of locals, writers and drinkers, all rubbing along nicely.

Grab a stool, order a beer or a whisky, and settle in. It’s exactly what a pub should be.

A pint here is likely to set you back between £4.50 and £6, and there’s plenty of things to do nearby including the National Galleries of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle.

Southampton Arms, North London

A sign outside proudly declares “Ale. Cider. Meat” – and that’s exactly what you get at this cracking Kentish Town boozer.

The 16 taps pour only beer and cider from genuinely independent producers – but don’t panic, this is not a Gen Z hipster hangout or a pub for beer bores who won’t stop talking to you about hops.

Inside you’ll find tables, chairs, a piano and plates of meat (and cheese). There’s no Wi-Fi and no bookings.

A pint here costs from £4.97, which is definitely a welcome price in London – and nearby, make sure to visitHampsteadd Heath for a nice autumnal walk.

The Dyffryn Arms, Wales

Perched on the edge of the Preseli Hills, this place is absurdly old-fashioned and basic.

Known simply as ‘Bessie’s’, after its legendary landlady, it’s less a pub and more a tiny front room.

Ring the bell, the hatch opens, and you’re served one beer and one beer only — Bass.

Inside there are a few chairs, a couple of tables and a portrait of a youthful Queen Elizabeth.

Outside, just a bench. The locals chat in Welsh. There’s no toilet. Yet somehow, it’s perfect.

A pint here will set you back between £4 and £5.50, and in the surrounding are, a head off on a riverside walk or take a short drive to the coastal town of Fishguard.

Birch Hall Inn, North Yorkshire

Tiny but brilliant, this white-washed North York Moors pub is officially the smallest in Yorkshire — and yet huge in character.

The boozer is split into two very basic rooms with a proper old-school sweet shop between them.

Hikers and holidaymakers rub elbows here over a range of well-kept ales, pork pies, pickles, stotties and the pub’s famous “beer cake”.

A pint here will cost you between £4 and £5.50, and in the surrounding area, take a walk to Beck Hole – a pretty village with woodland walks to small ponds and waterfalls.

Wenlock Arms, East London

While all the streets around it were getting levelled by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, The Wenlock Arms wasn’t having any of it – the bombs didn’t dare touch it.

And, from the looks of things, neither has anyone else.

Built in 1836, this unwaveringly traditional East End institution has a reassuringly retro feel with some of the best beer the British isles has to offer.

A pint at this watering hole usually costs between £4.50 and £5.80, and if you are looking for something else to do in the area, head for a wander along the Regent’s Canal Towpath.

The Evening Star, Brighton

Just a one-minute walk from Brighton train station, this cosy city centre local is a theme pub…

The theme is sitting down and drinking really nice beer.

Dating back to 1854, there’s not much here beyond some chairs, some tables and a small bar serving a range of really good independent ales, ciders and lagers.

The cheapest pint here will cost you £4.80 (Burning Sky – Plateau), and nearby there’s the Brighton Toy and Model Museum or you can walk to the beach.

Peveril Of the Peak, Manchester

Peveril of the Peak was once used as a brothel by American soldiers during the Second World War.

It sits defiantly wedged amid modern office blocks and new-fangled flats, with a classic green-tiled exterior.

As for the inside, the historic triangular tavern is perhaps the most beautiful looking boozer in Manchester complete with darts, pool and a jukebox.

A pint at this watering hole will set you back between £5.50 and £6.80, and Manchester Art Gallery is nearby if you are looking for something else to do in the area.

The Bell Inn, Aldworth

Low- beamed with a massive oak fireplace and a flagstone floor worn by generations of thirsty walkers, this cracking 16t-centuryy country pub is a terrific time-warp of a place.

The beer garden bursts into a perfectly English oasis of calm in the summer, but in the winter, the boozer oozes with cosy charm.

The beers are served spot-on and the food is simple yet superb – warm crusty rolls stuffed with ham, ox tongue, cheddar, stilton or crab, with little pots of mustard and chutney on the side.

You can get a pint and a roll for less than £15.

Fat Cat, Sheffield

Once you’ve sat down here, you’ll struggle to leave this delightful, unpretentious ‘drinker’.

It is just one of several superb pubs to be discovered in the Steel City.

Cosy and carpeted, it’s like stepping into someone’s living room – albeit a living room that serves a great range of real ales from a handsome looking wooden bar.

A pint at the Fat Cat costs from around £4.20, and for somewhere to head after, just across the road is the Kelham Island Museu, m which showcases the steelmaking history of the city.

Free Trade Inn, Newcastle

Boasting beautiful views over Newcastle and across the River Tyne, perched halfway up a hill, this quirky yet canny, frills-free boozer oozes charisma.

It has friendly folk behind the bar, a free jukebox and quality ‘craft’ ales.

You can grab pizza at the boozer too for around a tenner.

A pint here will cost you from £4.50, and nearby, make sure to head on the Victoria Tunnels Tour – this underground 19th-century wagonway has had several lives as a route for coal wagons and then laterana air-raid shelter during World War II.

AS the days get shorter and the temperature drops, there’s nothing like a relaxing autumn staycation to break up the long wait until Christmas.

But finding a weekend away that doesn’t cost a fortune can be a challenge – especially with the summer holidays having already taken a chunk out of our bank accounts.

Wowcher has just slashed the prices on a huge range of autumn mini breaks, with UK holiday deals starting from £34.50 per person.

From Peak District spa breaks, to 18th-century manor houses, to staying inside a full-on castle, here’s our top pick of affordable Wowcher staycations this autumn.

Halloween murder mystery break for 2 – £78pp

Is there anything more perfect for spooky season than a Halloween-themed murder mystery break?

This offer includes an overnight hotel stay with breakfast, a three-course dinner, and of course, a fully immersive story where you’re part of the action.

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The murder mystery breaks take place all over the UK, and you can pick from hotels in London, Norfolk, the Midlands, Scotland, Yorkshire and more.

The Halloween Murder Mystery break deal is on sale for £78pp, saving 29% off full-price.

Book a Halloween murder mystery break for 2 for £78pp

4* Peak District Countryside Spa Stay for 2 – £89

An overnight escape with breakfast, spa access, and the stunning Peaks on your doorstep. What’s not to love?

Stay overnight at the Three Horseshoes Country Inn & Spa, a cosy, traditional red-brick hotel which hides modern and stylish rooms inside.

The on-site Mill Wheel Spa has a unique stone bath for a healing soak, plus mud chambers, a sauna and treatments such as bespoke facials catered to your skin type.

A stay here with Wowcher costs £89 for two people, working out to £44.50 each.

Book a 4* Peak District Countryside Spa Stay for 2 for £89

Castle stay with breakfast and dining experience – £129

Bag a fairytale-like autumn break with this stay in a medieval-style castle surrounded by misty woodlands.

Peckforton Castle in Cheshire is a Grade I-listed Victorian country house designed to look exactly like a castle, containing 48 unique bedrooms and two restaurants.

Peckforton has plenty of history hidden within its walls for you to explore. It was built in the mid 19th century for a wealthy family, and has its own dry moat, towers, gatehouse and a porthcullis.

This stay costs £129 for two and includes dinner, bed and breakfast, and saves you up to 51% when compared to booking direct.

Book a castle stay with breakfast plus a dining experience for £129

Gulliver’s Resort stay and play package – £169 (£42.25pp)

Join in the fun of the ‘Fright Fiesta’ at Gulliver’s this October with a short break at Gulliver’s Warrington.

The festival-style event sees a street parade take to the theme park, as well as costume character meet and greets and a ‘Spooky Dance Party’.

Families can also hop aboard the Trick or Treat train that chugs around the park, or enter a spooky Ghost House full of live action scares.

The deal includes an overnight stay at the park for up to four people, plus park entry on your arrival day for £169 (£42.25pp).

Book a Gulliver’s Resort stay and play package for £169 (£42.25pp)

North Wales retreat for two with Prosecco – £69

This mini break at Welsh countryside inn The Hanmer Arms comes with breakfast and Prosecco, making for a cosy overnight retreat.

This hotel is in Hanmer, North Wales, a quiet and pretty village with a medieval church and a vast glacial lake nearby.

The hotel itself is a 19th century Georgian inn and pub, serving local ales and generous portions at the Sunday carvery.

The offer costs £69 for two, working out at £34.50pp and saving you 45% off booking direct.

Book an overnight stay for two with Prosecco at The Hanmer Arms for £69

Shropshire manor house spa break for two – £99

This Shropshire spa break deal is on sale for £99, which is the lowest rate this break has ever reached on Wowcher.

With this deal, you and a loved one can sit down to a fancy dinner, make use of the hotel spa facilities, retire up to a cosy room and come back downstairs for a Full English breakfast in the morning.

The 4* Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa is an 18th-century manor with 15 acres of gardens, so you’ll have plenty of landscaped grounds to roam during your stay.

This overnight spa hotel break costs £99 for two people, working out to £49.50pp.

Book a Shropshire manor house spa break for two for £99

Prices correct at the time of publication.

EVER dreamt of getting a World Record? Well, you soon can have a chance at securing one in a huge new UK attraction dedicated entirely Guinness World Records.

Guinness World Records London, which is the first permanent entertainment venue from Guinness World Records, will open at The O2 in Greenwich, this winter.

Spanning across 2,322sqm, Guinness World Records London will be home to 45 different official Record Challenges, in five arenas.

Challenges include Loudest Scream, Fastest Typist, Fastest Basketball and Fastest Buzzwire.

Visitors testing out the different challenges could even walk away a Guinness World Record holder themselves.

There will be a number of interactive exhibits as well.

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While no specific opening date has been revealed yet, on the attraction’s website it states “late 2026” as the expected opening.

The website adds that there will also be “themed food and drink”, as well as a shop with “record-breaking souvenirs”.

Ahead of the attraction opening to the public, Guinness World Record London are looking for the UK’s most competitive family.

The winning family will be the first to look at the new attraction and try out the different challenges.

Will Munford, Adjudicator at Guinness World Records, said: “Guinness World Records London will give every guest the unique chance to take on our line-up of brilliantly fun and exciting record attempts, and potentially walk away a world record breaker themselves.

“We know how competitive families can get, so we want to find out who is the most competitive of them all and get them along to our new attraction to see if they have what it takes to become our first record breakers!”

IF you’re itching for your next getaway but don’t want to break the bank, we’ve found the travel hack for you.

Travelzoo scours the internet for the best value holiday deals and piles them all into one place – and Sun readers can unlock these bargains instantly for £1.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

A Travelzoo membership usually costs £30 for the year, but right now you can try it out for 30 days for £1.

Once you’re signed up, you’ll have access to hundreds of affordable package holidays across the UK, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and beyond.

We’ve rounded up our favourite Travelzoo deals, including UK staycations from £79 and all inclusive holidays from £151pp.

Snowdonia break – £79

Save 49% on a Snowdonia staycation with this mini break in Betws-y-Coed, a pretty mountain village at the base of Eryri.

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Stay in a Stables Lodge Room and wake up to a traditional Welsh breakfast, with the waterfalls and hiking trails of Gwydyr Forest on your doorstep.

You can bag an overnight break for two for £79 (which saves you 49% compared to booking direct) or upgrade to a two night stay for £149.

Athens break with Acropolis tour – £299

Save £182 on a trip to Athens plus enjoy an Acropolis tour with this Greek package holiday.

This four-night trip includes flights, transfers and a stay with breakfast in a deluxe, fountain view room at the posh Athens Tiare by Mage Hotel.

Four nights gives you plenty of time to wander the city’s ruins, outdoor markets, sip cocktails on its rooftop bars and pack in your Acropolis, Parthenon & Acropolis Museum guided tour.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

All inclusive Marrakech – £151

This deal is for a three night stay at the 4* Aqua Mirage Club & Aqua Par on an all inclusive basis, so get ready for that buffet and those endless cocktails.

On-site you’ll find tennis courts and a football field to work up an appetite, plus three pools and a daily shuttle bus into central Marrakech for exploring.

With temperatures still hitting 30°C in September and October, it’s the ideal option for a slice of sunshine as the weather gets chilly.

2 night Victorian seaside break in Devon – £169

Take a trip to “Little Switzerland” in North Devon, so-named due to its gorges, deep valleys and dramatic cliffs that will mentally transport you to the Swiss Alps.

Hop on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway to ride the highest and steepest water-powered railway in the world, or watch wild goats climb at the Valley of Rocks.

This deal includes a two night stay at The Crown Hotel in Lynton, a restored 17th-century inn, plus a delicious hot breakfast and £25pp credit for dinner.

Sign up to Travelzoo for £1 (30 day trial)

All inclusive Croatia – £258

This all inclusive Croatia break includes your flights plus a five-night stay in a sea view room at Hotel Osmine for £258pp, which shaves off up to 57% off full-price.

This hotel sits in the sleepy fishing village of Slano, a village centred around a sweeping crescent bay of sparkling water backed by lush emerald green pines.

When you’re not wandering the pretty village, try out archery, kayaking or surfing back at the hotel, then sit down to a Mediterranean meal in the hotel restaurant and sit back to enjoy the evening entertainment

Istanbul, three nights and flights – £129

Bag flights and three nights in Istanbul for £129 with this deal, and tick off the only city in the world that sits between two continents: Asia and Europe.

Stay at the Ramada Encore By Wyndham Istanbul Kartal Hotel, a modern, four-star hotel with a gym, clean and comfortable rooms and a sleek lounge to chill out in.

Here you’re close to Aydos Castle and Hill, where castle ruins weave through thick forests, and the Kartal Municipality Story Museum, where you’ll find whimsical statues and models from local legends.

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IF YOU are looking for your next weekend adventure, then you’re in luck as a huge £12million attraction set to become the largest of its kind in the UK, is opening in just days.

A new 160-acre outdoor attraction is opening in Oldham, Greater Manchester this weekend and it will be the country’s largest urban farm and eco-park.

Called Northern Roots, the new attraction will open on Saturday, September 19 and boast a Welcome Building, Forestry Skills Centre, outdoor amphitheatre, café and shop and play area.

Part of the attraction is also Snipe Clough Farm – a four-acre farm where produce is grown for the café.

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The café will feature food by award-winning chef, Mary-Ellen McTague and serve breakfast and lunch.

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Dishes currently on the menu include seasonal soup, mezze, tarts, cheese and onion pie, sandwiches, cakes and sweet treats baked on site.

Surrounding the site, there are meadows and a woodland with different trails to explore.

The attraction will host different events, guided walks and arts and wellbeing activities at the destination.

And if you head there this weekend, there will be a huge opening event with fairground rides and performers.

Works on the attraction started five years ago and it sits on land that once used to be home to cotton mills, a coal mine and even a council tip.

By 2030, the £12million attraction aims to be the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park.

In the future, the attraction will open additional experiences.

The attraction is also next to the Grade II-listed Alexandra Park and is around a 20-minute walk from Oldham town centre.

Anna Da Silva, Chief Executive of Northern Roots, said: “This project has been built on the belief that nature can be a powerful force for positive change, particularly in urban communities that have historically had less access to green space and opportunity.

“What makes Northern Roots different is that we’re not simply creating a visitor destination.

“We’re creating a place that improves lives, supports businesses, restores habitats, develops skills, strengthens communities and delivers measurable social value.

“When we open our buildings in September, we hope people will see not only what Northern Roots can achieve for Oldham, but what it could teach us about the future of urban regeneration across the UK.”

WITH autumn here and the 2026 never-ending heatwave in the rearview mirror, it’s time to brush up on our knowledge of rainproof attractions.

So, there’s no better time to discover some fun indoor attractions to keep the family occupied as the weather turns – and we have quite a few to share.

Whether you prefer adrenaline-filled rides or obstacle filled challenges – there are loads of great indoor attractions across the UK.

From older kid favourites to the ideal toddler spots, here are the top indoor UK theme parks and attractions:

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Babylon Park, London

Found in Camden, London, Babylon Park is one of the only fully indoor theme parks in the UK.

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It even has an underground rollercoaster.

The entire attraction is outer space-themed and boasts different rides and attractions such as a rollercoaster, a drop tower, bumper cars and an arcade.

The park is free to visit but to go on the different rides and attractions you’ll need to buy Game Coins, Bonus Coins and Ride Coins.

Packages for these cost between £14 to £100.

The Playhive, North Yorkshire

Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire is home to The Playhive, which calls itself one of Europe‘s largest indoor playgrounds.

Inside, there are four themed worlds including space, air, jungle and sea.

The different areas feature giant slides, games, tunnels and climbing trails.

Tickets cost from £11 per person, which includes entry to the entire Stockeld Park attraction as well as The Playhive.

Woodlands, Devon

In Devon, Woodlands family theme park has loads of outdoor attractions to explore, but when the weather gets ba, d head inside and you will find what the park claims to be the biggest indoor soft play in the country.

There are multiple different areas for kids to explore across five floors, with net towers, drop slides and ball pits.

There are even specific areas for little ones too.

Big kids – or daredevils – have more thrilling attractions such as a 15.2-metre drop ride too.

And parents can feel at ease by keeping an eye on the kids from one of the many tables around the play area.

Tickets cost £16.50 for adults and kids over 92 cm, which includes access to the theme park and indoor adventure park.

Gravity Max, London

Older kids will love Gravity Max which has two venues – one in Wandsworth and the other in Westfield Stratford.

The attractions feature a huge e-karting track that looks like a real-life Mario Kart game.

There’s also immersive bowling, AR darts, and VR arenas.

Individual activities cost from £16 per person.

Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Parks, multiple locations

Who hasn’t wanted to try out the Ninja Warrior course? Well, you can in a number of places across the country.

With 15 venues across the UK including in Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Bristol and Leicester, the indoor Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park obstacle courses are the perfect way to have fun indoors.

The obstacle courses have balance beams, monkey bars and the famous TV show obstacle, The Warped Wall.

Tickets cost from £9.50 per person.

Zip World, Llechwedd

Head underground at Zip World Llechwedd in Wales, where there are caves and huge trampolines in a disused slate mine.

There are a number of different activities to choose from including Underground Golf with neon lights from £29 per person.

Or for the same price, there’s a cave tour.

For kids needing to let off steam, there are Bounce Below with a number of giant trampolines across six chambers.

Bounce Below sessions cost from £29 per person.

For the ultimate adventure, head to Caverns at the attraction, where you can zip line through the caves for £79 per person.

Play Factore, Manchester

Play Factore in Manchester claims to be the biggest indoor entertainment attraction in the UK.

Inside, there’s a giant play frame with spider nets, rollers and even the UK’s tallest indoor standing slide.

For younger guests, it has the biggest toddler area in the country too.

Tickets cost from £2.95 to £12.95 depending on the kids’ age, while adults pay £4.75.

Adventure Inside, Essex

Over in Essex, Adventure Inside has a six-storey soft play area with monkey bars and ball pits, ideal for young children.

There’s also a carousel, drop tower ride, swinging pirate ship and a racing spin ride.

An Adventure Island Day Band costs from £30 per person.

And currently, when you buy one you’ll get an annual pass as well for free.

Riverside Hub, Northampton

In Northampton, Riverside Hub is home to several different zones which include Role Play Villages where kids can explore an imaginary world with its own cafe, shop, witch’s house and tooth fairy dentist.

Older kids aren’t left out though as they can try out different climbing activities, including a 10-metre beanstalk.

There’s a giant play frame with slides, games and even a football pitch too.

Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse said: “There’s so much to do here that it’s a struggle to fit it into the two and a half hours that each session is allocated.

“We could have happily spent the whole day and still have gone back for more.

“With three boys aged between five and 12, it can sometimes be difficult to find somewhere that has enough to keep all ages happy as the older two are getting a bit big for soft play, but that certainly wasn’t a problem here.”

Tickets cost £8.50 per adult, £14.50 per child aged one to three-ears-od and £17.50 for kids between four and 17-yers-old.

Flip Out, various locations

Another great indoor attraction with venues across the UK including Bradford, Doncaster, Chichester and Coventry, is Flip Out.

Inside each venue there is a trampoline park with foam pits and stunt walls.

Some venues have additional attractions such as Flip Out Canary Wharf, where there is also laser quest and bumper cars.

Prices vary depending on destination and session length.

SEVERAL UK eateries have been named among the best in the world – from a mash bar to a £100 gothic feast.

Tripadvisor has revealed its 2026 Travellers‘ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Restaurants and 12 of the top spots in the world are in the UK.

All the spots featured were decided on by millions of reviews for the past year.

Here is a rundown of the top places to head for a bite in the UK:

Coming out eighth in the world in the Casual Dining category was Casa Brazilian Rodizio in York.

The family-run Brazilian steakhouse – also named the top spot in the UK in the category for a second year in a row – is more of a dining experience than your usual sit-down-and-eat restaurant.

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Diners have to flip a card on their table to green if they want the chef, who is doing loops of the room, to carve spit-roasted meats at the table.

For a breather, visitors must turn the card to red.

Dinner costs £36.95 per person and is available every evening from 4pm and includes premium cuts such as flank steak and chilli beef.

Next up, longtime Travellers’ Choice favourite Makars Gourmet Mash Bar, Edinburgh was named twelfth in the world on the same list.

Diners are meant to pick a meat or plant-based alternative, with one of nine mash options including Scottish cheese and black pudding.

When it came to the Hidden Gems list, Hampstead-based spot Bonoo Indian Tapas which serves Indian small plates was named 13th in the world.

Prices range between £20 and £40 per person.

A few UK destinations were named on the best Date Nights spots in the world, as well.

London Steakhouse Co., which was opened by chef Marco Pierre White in 2008 and typically ranges from £40 to £100 per person, secured fourth place.

Another steak spot – The Herd Steak Restaurant in Bath – was then named in eleventh place.

And finally, modern family-run British bistro 1863 Restaurant in the picturesque village of Pooley Bridge in the Lake District came in at 19th.

Up in Glasgow, Indian spot Green Gates Merchant City made the world list for the first time, ranking sixth in Vegan & Vegetarian restaurants category.

When it comes to immersive food and drink experiences, the Royal Historic Pubs Walking Guided Tour in London, costing from £32 per person, was named tenth in the world on the World Wine & Beer Experiences list.

The tour usually includes heading to different historic pubs and learning about their history and famous visitors including former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King Charles II and pop icon Ed Sheeran.

Dishoom was first on the Viral Right Now list, with London hotspots Mad Hatter’s Tea at Sanderson’s following in third and Borough Market Food Tour London named twelfth.

If you don’t mind splashing the cash, in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Witchery was named fourth in the World in the Fine Dining category.

The Witchery also claimed the top spot in Europe and the UK, for Fine Dining.

The well-known restaurant is a Gothic-style luxury restaurant which originally opened back in 1979 and can be found inside a historic building dating back to the 16th century.

Inside, diners can expect candlelight and oak panels with meals usually costing over £100 per person.

IT’S NO secret that Brits love a cuppa – and what better way to enjoy your hot drink than with a view?

As autumn sets in, it’s time to pack up the flash and head off to some of the country’s most scenic spots.

According to new research from coffee roaster, Taylors of Harrogate, which is known for the UK’s best-selling coffee bags, more than half of Brits opt for a weekly coffee break with an outdoor view.

Nearly a quarter drink coffee with a scenic outdoor view at least every other day.

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And it’s not just about taking a moment to yourself – the science says that a cup of coffee or tea actually tastes better if you drink it outdoors.

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Coffee flavour is influenced by aroma, so when you’re in fresh air then the coffee is competing with less additional smells and will taste more intense.

Your brain also links the hot drink to a reward if you enjoy it at the end of a long walk, which makes it taste better too.

If you’re feeling inspired to combine your flash of tea or coffee with an autumn hike soon, here are the best spots with a view to enjoy your tipple across the UK:

#10 Quiraing, Skye

Found on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, Quiraing comes in as the 10th best spot for enjoying a cuppa with a view.

It is a massive rocky area with dramatic, towering cliffs covered in vibrant green grass.

Head on a circular walk around the area or simply sit and admire the landscape.

Key spots to visit include The Prison which is a towering slab of rock that looks like a medieval fort and The Needle, which is a huge 37-metre rock.

#9 White Cliffs of Dover, Kent

The White Cliffs of Dover in Kent are famous for a reason – and come in as the ninth best spot.

These 110 to 150-metre tall natural chalk cliffs are the ideal spot to enjoy a walk with a cuppa.

On clear days you can see all the way to France.

While enjoying the view, look out for birdlife as well as Exmoor ponies grazing on the grass.

#8 Buachaille Etive Mòr viewpoint, Glencoe

Buachaille Etive Mòr Viewpoint in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands is known for being one of the country’s most photographed spots.

With a cup of coffee in hand, admire the imposing mountains often topped with snow.

There is also a short walk from the main viewing areas to second spot that overlooks a river with a number of small waterfalls.

The area was also used as a filming spot in Skyfall.

#7 Surprise View Derwentwater, Lake District

Surprise View is exactly what it sounds like on the tin – a elevated clifftop viewpoint that has a surprisingly stunning view of Derwentwater and the surrounding mountain fells of the Lake District National Park.

Sit and enjoy the view or head on The Watendlath Loop to explore the hamlet of Watendlath.

If you forgot your Thermos, grab a hot drink at a traditional cash-only tearoom in the hamlet.

Alternatively, sit on the hillside and admire the calm, mirror-like water.

#6 Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

Sat on a hilltop on North Yorkshire, Whitby Abbey is a 13th-century Gothic abbey looked after by English Heritage.

The ruined abbey has inspired many famous writers over the years too including Bram Stoker who used key facts about the abbey including the windswept headland, bat populations and the 1999 steps leading up to the ruins as the backdrop for Dracula.

#5 Three Cliffs Bay, Gower

Three Cliffs Bay in Gower, Wales, is known for its pretty shoreline which is framed by three limestone cliffs.

The beach features a mix of sand dunes and salt marshes, and the Pennard Pill stream.

While not great for swimming, the beach is nice for taking in the salty, fresh breeze with a cuppa in hand – dogs are allowed on the beach all year round too.

Spot Pennard Castle at one end of the beach – the ruins date back to the medieval period.

#4 Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey

Also in Wales, Llanddwyn Island is a tidal island on the coast of Anglesey.

It features a sprawling beach, lighthouses and a hidden connection to the Welsh patron saint of lovers.

Sit with a warm cup of coffee and look out at the Tŵr Mawr lighthouse which was built in 1845 and is shaped like a windmill and the older Tŵr Bach tower.

Also catch a glimpse of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia).

#3 Old Man of Storr, Skye

Having featured in several films including The Wicker Man and Snow White and The Huntsman, the Old Man of Storr looks like something out of folklore.

The tower rock on the Isle of Skye towers 55-etres into the sky and is a basalt rock that dates back 2,800-mllion-yers.

Marvel at the rock with your cuppa or head on the Storr trail which takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

#2 Calton Hill, Edinburgh

In the Scottish capital, Calton Hill takes second place among the best spots to have a cuppa and a view.

The park has 360-degree views of the city skyline, including Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle.

And what makes it even better is that you don’t have to hike there as it is only a five to 10-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley Train Station.

In the park you will find the Nelson Monument, which is a telescope-shaped tower with a public viewing gallery at the top.

There’s also the Dugald Stewart Monument – a circular neoclassical temple that is one of the city’s most photographed landmarks.

Make sure to visit at sunset as well to capture orange-yellow skies above the city.

#1 Giant’s Causeway, Belfast

Coming out as the best place to enjoy a cuppa with a view is Giant’s Causeway in Belfast.

The natural phenomena boasts 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns and was caused by violent volcanic activity.

The UNESCO World Heritage site managed by the National Trust genuinely looks like something out of a fairytale.

Head along one of the trails, where you can see views of Scotland on clear days.

A visitor centre features exhibitions on local geological history and folklore.

YOU’ll soon be able to enjoy a tipple in one of the capital’s grandest landmarks that was once home to Winston Churchill and is thought to have sparked the creation of 007.

Admiralty Arch will soon be home to a huge new bar called The Admiral’s Mess.

And what makes it even more exciting is that it will be an ‘immersive’ bar.

While few details have been revealed, the bar is from the team behind Mr Fogg’s and Bunga90, which are both known for their fun interiors and entertainment including arcade games.

The bar will open at The Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch hotel, which is set to launch in autumn of this year.

It will be the first hotel inside the Grade I-listed Arch.

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The Admiral’s Mess will span 223sqm and have a 60-seat capacity.

All that has been revealed about the bar so far is that guests will be able to “discover something distinctive and unexpected”, according to the Inception Group (the team behind the new bar).

If other Inception Group venues are anything to go by, visitors can expect a bar that is more than a place for drinks.

For example, Inception Group has Cahoots in Soho which is themed around the London Underground.

At Bunga90, another of the company’s destinations, guests travel back to the 1990s through a fridge, where they can play on old arcade games, sing karaoke and order cocktails in cups that are the heads of famous 90s stars including Britney.

Meanwhile, inside The Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch hotel, there will be restaurant Coreus by Michelin-star chef Clare Smyth.

And another Michelin-star chef, Daniel Boulud, will open Cafe Boulud.

Of course, there will be an expansive rooftop terrace as well, with views across the capital.

As for bars, there will be the signature hotel cocktail bar as well as Whisky & Seaweed by Clare Smyth.

As for the bedrooms, each will honour the heritage of the building with sleek interiors.

Guests will also be able to head to the Waldorf Astoria Spa with a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool.

And it wouldn’t be a lavish London hotel without a ballroom, which guests will be able to reach via a Grade I-listed oval staircase.

The ballroom will feature a huge chandelier and enough room for 500 guests.

Admiralty Arch was commissioned by King Edward VII as a memorial to his mother, Queen Victoria and was completed back in 1912.

It has previously been used as offices and residences for the British Royal Navy and at one point, Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten had offices or lived within the building.

The building is also said to have inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond stories.

The UK government left the offices in the building back in 2011 and since then it has been left empty.

Works for the hotel then started at the site back in 2014.

BOOKING a weatherproof autumn break with luxurious lodges, woodland spas and tropical indoor waterparks doesn’t have to be expensive.

We’ve tracked down the UK’s ultimate budget-friendly staycations this autumn to save your rainy weekends – from less than £3pp per night.

From clever Center Parcs dupes in stunning forests, to mega family holiday parks with tropical pool complexes, these sites guarantee a great time even when the British weather turns grim.

Whether you want to float along a lazy river while rain taps against the window, or enjoy a drink in a private hot tub under the pine trees, we’ve found some unbeatable breaks for the cheapest rates this autumn.

Finlake Resort & Spa

Set across 130 acres of Devonshire woodland, Finlake gives you the premium forest village feel of Center Parcs – but for far less money.

Fill your days with an action-packed itinerary of axe-throwing, Segways, laser tag, den building, horse riding and more. Activities start from £7, and there are plenty of free options, too.

When rainy days hit, Finlake Falls is your best friend. This indoor waterpark boasts a spacious indoor pool heated to 30C with a ‘beach style’ entrance for little ones, where they can gently wade into shallow waters.

For older kids and young-at-heart adults, there’s high-speed waterslides and flumes – plus activities like Seascooters, where you can twist and glide through the water holding onto a propeller.

Similar to Center Parcs, there’s also a woodland spa here, the Sirona Spa, where you can enjoy a soothing massage or Elemis skincare treatments.

The holiday resort is only two miles from Dartmoor National Park, where you can spot wild ponies, and three miles from Canonteign Falls – a breathtaking waterfall with a friendly gift shop and cafe nearby.

Four people can spend a week in Scandinavian-style woodland cabin with a log burner from £265 this autumn, working out at £9.46pp per night. A luxury woodland lodge won’t cost you much more, with a week from £305.

In contrast, we found a seven-night October break at Center Parcs Longleat Forest in their cheapest accommodation for £1,458. That’s a saving of £1,193.

Bluestone National Park Resort, Wales

If you’re wanting a luxury woodland break this autumn that won’t break the bank, book in at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire.

The crown jewel of Bluestone is the Blue Lagoon Water Park, a massive, heated, subtropical indoor pool complex that is completely free for guests.

The subtropical waterpark has a huge wave machine, four twisting, high-speed flumes, a lazy river and even warm, bubbling spa pools to retreat to.

Little ones can make a splash in Nippers Cove, a shallow pool with its own mini waterslide, water cannons and indoor rockpools.

You might even find mermaids and pirates at the waterpark during themed events.

Outside of the pool, you can try an indoor zipline, take an electric bike tour through the woods, tackle a climbing wall or even have a go at bushcraft skills including fire lighting and outdoor cooking.

As for accommodation, you can stay in everything from a stylish apartment, to a cosy pastel-coloured cottage, to a mega six-bedroom wooden lodge.

We found a three-night break in a silver lodge sleeping four for £420, working out at £35pp per night.

Highfield Grange, Essex

This newly-upgraded Essex holiday park reopened in spring of this year, packed with £5million worth of shiny new activities.

Parkdean has pumped serious money into weather-proofing this park, with new Bear Grylls escape rooms, an expanded soft play area, and even an indoor Chocolate Factory where families can create their own concoctions.

Another new addition is the Hat Tricks Sports Bar, where you can spend rainy afternoons indoors playing shuffleboard, darts, pool and mini golf.

To cut costs, there’s also an all-inclusive food and drinks package, starting from £25 per day for adults and £10 per day for kids.

This includes three meals a day plus unlimited soft drinks and Costa Coffee, so you and the kids can cosy up with a hot chocolate whenever you please.

This park is only 10 minutes’ drive from Clacton-on-Sea, where you can stroll quiet beaches on dog walks or take a trip to the amusements without the frantic summer crowds.

We found a deal for a two-night break in a Bronze Caravan sleeping up to six for £99. That works out at £8.25pp per night.

Haven Hafan y Mor

Hafan y Mor is one of Haven’s biggest holiday parks, and is one of the top-rated, too, as a three-time winner of the AA 5-Platinum Star award.

On dry days, head to the Dragon Lakes Adventure Village for mini 4×4 off-roading, high ropes courses, and to battle it out at a NERF training camp.

Inside, Splashaway Bay is one of the biggest and best holiday park pool complexes in the UK, with a lazy river, giant tipping buckets and a four-lane waterslide.

For food and drink you can grab a bite from Chopstix, Slim Chickens, and family restaurant The Coast House Bar and Grill.

As for getting out and about, you can take a breezy beach walk just steps from the park or take a 10-minute drive to the pretty seaside town of Criccieth, where you can explore a historic 13th-century castle.

We found a deal for a four night stay in October for six people in a Bronze Caravan for £69 total, which works out at a tiny £2.88pp per night.

Vauxhall, Great Yarmouth

Vauxhall Holiday Park is another that has recently undergone a £5million mega-revamp, and it may just be one of the best UK parks when it comes to rainy day activities.

Kids can spend hours in the massive Tropical Waterworld, complete with slides and a splash zone, or burn off energy tackling the indoor soft play.

If you visit in October you’ll see the park go all-out for Halloween with spooky ghost walks, costume contests and creative craft workshops – plus the Parkdean chain-wide Monster Ball party.

The fairground indoor golf is a real highlight here, with a sparkly-new course decorated with swirls and pinstripes just as colourful as the sticks of rock and sweets sold on Great Yarmouth‘s Pier.

Twinning with Highfield Grange, this site also has a new Hat Tricks Sports Bar – but you can also hang out in the site’s other two entertainment venues, and take part in quizzes, bingo or rock and roll nights.

You can book a three night stay for four people in a Bronze Caravan this October for £135, which works out at £11.25pp per night.

Parkdean Resorts Warmwell

Parkdean’s Warmwell Resort in Dorset is a lodge-only park, meaning that you won’t find static caravans here – just cosy wooden lodges that are perfect for autumn.

Tucked away among the trees, these cabins offer instant access to the lake for swimming and fishing. And if you want to dial up the luxury, you can book a stay with a private hot tub.

You can even practice your skiing at this Dorset holiday park, with a 110-metre dry ski slope which you can tackle via skis, snowboard or sledge.

If the weather plays up, you can whizz around in the massive indoor roller rink, spend spare change in the amusements or warm up in the heated indoor pool – and yes it has a waterslide.

Autumn stays here are all about throwing on a coat, tearing through the woodland trails on biks, and returning to a cosy, heated lodge afterwards.

You can book a three-night stay in a superior lodge sleeping eight for £266 this October, working out at £11.08pp per night.

WE MIGHT all be sad that summer is over but the good news is that an indoor waterpark that happens to be the biggest in the country has also just been named the best.

Of course, there’s a shed load of things to do already in Blackpool but on a recent weekend craving a dip in a pool, I made a beeline for the Sandcastle Waterpark located on the beach.

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is kept at a toasty 29C and has more than 18 waterslides and attractions.

The real gem of the show is the adult-only spa, hidden in plain sight in the middle of the waterpark.

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You’ll have to pay an extra £7.50 per person to enter the Sea Breeze Spa but it is well worth the money.

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When I visited it was quiet, with only one or two other people using the area, compared to the packed waterpark surrounding it.

Dipping in and out of the saunas and steam room was the ideal way to relax.

I spent half an hour in the salt inhalation room allowing my lungs to fill with warm, salty air and calm my nervous system.

There are also foot spas for the ultimate pampering and the loungers are great for chilling out while hearing the joyful screams of the waterpark around you.

The main waterpark area is obviously great as well.

The Master Blaster snakes around the park and claims the title as the longest indoor roller coaster waterslide in the world, stretching 250 metres.

There’s Sidewinder too, which is the world’s first indoor vertical drop slide.

Hovering over the edge of the half-pipe, butterflies flittered around my stomach anticipating the drop.

Before I knew it, I was tipped over the edge in my rubber ring, dropping metres down before being propelled up the other side of the pipe.

After, I ambled over to Aztec Falls, where in a rubber ring I dropped into a pitch-black bowl, swirling around like I was inside a waterfall.

There’s also Montazooma, where you head down a large drop and then whizz through high-speed bends.

A good family option is to head on the Duelling Dragon slides, where you can race side by side in the near dark.

If you don’t fancy any thrills, there’s also the option to be gently lulled by waves in the Typhoon Lagoon Wavepool.

The Ushi Gushi Action River is quite gentle too, where there’s a gentle current as if you were floating on a real river.

Little ones can have a splash in the Caribbean Storm Treehouse as well where there are water cannons and splash zones.

Tickets to the waterpark cost from £25.50 per person over the age of eight.

Tickets for kids between three and seven-years-old cost from £16.50 per person.

CHEAP all inclusives aren’t just for Brits lucky enough to afford foreign holidays – there are some great value breaks with free food and drink in the UK too, if you delve deep enough.

Pay one price upfront and all your food, drinks, snacks and entertainment is provided on tap, meaning you can leave your wallet and your worries in your room – the issue is, most people have no idea they even exist.

All across the UK, secret staycation packages have started popping up with food and drink offers included in your booking.

The Sun’s Travel team have found some fab deals to book now, including autumn half term holidays and frugal festive breaks:

All prices are per person per night.

Butlin’s, Bognor Regis, £28pp a night

Famous for its family-friendly facilities, Redcoat entertainment and huge indoor waterpark, Butlin’s is now offering even more value for money with their new all-inclusive food and drinks bundles.

Available in Bognor Regis and Skegness, savvy guests can choose from a variety of packages starting with the budget-friendly Food Court deal, which includes both a buffet-style breakfast and dinner served in a sit-down restaurant.

Expect full English breakfast, an omelette bar, plus cereals and pastries and tea, coffee and juices.

Dinner options include a nightly roast option and dishes like piri-piri chicken and lasagne, as well as a salad and dessert bars – and it’s eat-all-you-want.

These cost £25.95 per day for adults (age 15 up), £15.50 for 6-14 year olds and £7.50 for 2-5 year olds, under 2’s go free.

You can also upgrade to slightly fancier options like Off-Peak Premium Dining, a time-restricted package in The Deck, The Yacht Club and Coast restaurants.

These cost £33.95 per day for adults (age 15 up), £19.50 for 6-14 year olds and £9.50 for 2-5 year olds, under 2’s go free.

All offer buffet-style dining, but with additional grill, pasta and wok stations.

Or there’s the premium DineAround package that lets you pick whichever resort restaurant you’d like to dine in, instead of being given a designated place to eat.

This includes family favourite, The Firehouse Grill – which serves burgers, nachos and chicken platters.

The DineAround package costs £36.95 per day for adults (age 15 up), £22 for 6-14 year olds and £10.50 for 2-5 year olds, under 2’s go free.

As part of the Showtime Bundle, all-inclusive drinks can also be included on all-dining packages, with alcohol served from 11am (only sold on certain holiday dates). 

Enjoy Madri lager, Bacardi Rum and Gordon’s Gin at Bognor’s all-inclusive bars like the Beachcomber Inn and Hotshots, as well in restaurants and show venues like Centre Stage and Studio 36.

The food and drink bundles on Showtime Breaks start from £28 per person, per night for a family of four.

This includes mid-week festive breaks. Butlins.com

Parkdean Pendine Sands, Carmarthen, £26pp a night

One of the best things about an all-inclusive holiday is not having to cook, and Parkdean Resorts have just launched an add-on dining package in several of their parks.

At various locations, including Pendine Sands in South Wales, you can now go all-inclusive with your stay.

Packages start from from £80 per adult and £30 per child (under 12) per break (Monday to Friday only).

The deal includes breakfast, lunch and dinner in the on-site restaurant, a dedicated kids’ menu, and unlimited hot and cold drinks all day (although, sorry folks, booze is extra).

Unlike Butlin’s, the all-inclusive deal at Parkdean includes three meals a day and is usually a sit-down meal rather than a buffet.

You can expect dishes like Churrasco steak and fries, katsu curry, pizzas, salad bowls, as well as milkshakes, soft drinks and Costa coffees.

The downside is it’s only available Monday to Friday and the very few dishes – chicken and rib combo, for example – that are priced over £19.99 will add a £5 surcharge.

While booze is extra, you can get a pint of Carling for £5.95 or Madri for £6.55, while a glass of Pinot Grigio is £4.30.

However, as all holiday-parkers know, you can still bring your own drinks or buy some in the resort supermarket to drink on the deck of your caravan once the kids go to bed.

Warner Hotels, Norton Grange Coastal Village, Isle of Wight, £114.50pp a night (adults only)

With hotels, holiday villages and resorts dotted across the UK, Warner Hotels specialises in adults-only holidays.

Several properties in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight now offer all-inclusive deals that include alcohol, which is brilliant for couples and friends wanting a stress-free stay.

With Christmas coming up, you can also get the deal on Warner Hotels’ themed breaks, such as the Turkey and Tinsel weekend.

These can sometimes be cheaper than standard breaks like Weekend Live with Motown and Soul, where you pay more for specialist entertainment.

However, all breaks include some kind of evening entertainment, such as live tribute acts to Tina Turner, Celine Dion and George Michael.

All three-and-four night breaks include half-board accommodation, all entertainment, and a variety of alcoholic drinks from 6pm until midnight.

At Norton Grange, meals are served in the Market Kitchen restaurant, where you have buffet breakfasts with hot food bars and omelette stations.

For dinner, guests can enjoy three-courses with chef specials like rump steak and king prawns, as well as salad bars, carvery stations, wok show kitchens.

If you get peckish in the afternoon, you can also add a classic afternoon tea for £22.50 per person, served in the lounge.

Be aware that drinks are only included from 6pm to midnight, but include brands Carling lager, Doom Bar Cask Ale, Bell’s and Gordons.

But the rule is single measures only and only two drinks per guest, per round.

Get the deal: Warner Hotels, Lakeside Coastal Village, Hampshire, £259 per person for a two-night break. warnerhotels.co.uk

Potter’s Resorts, Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, £209pp

Often voted the best holiday park in the UK, Potter’s offers a slightly elevated experience, which is refelected in the price.

Family-run Potter’s was the first UK’s all-inclusive holiday and is hugely popular with Brits.

Potters Resorts have two locations – Five Lakes in Essex and Hopton-on-Sea in Norfolk, famous as the home of World Indoor Bowls Championships.

Both resorts offer three or four night breaks, including four meals a day, all soft and alcoholic drinks and a daily activity programme.

Five Lakes has a golf course – and both locations have a West End-style show each night.

While most breaks in both parks are adults only, there are some family-friendly dates offered at Hopton-on-Sea. 

With four meals on offer every day, there’s little chance of going hungry.

At Hopton-on-Sea, all meals are served in the elegant The Garden restaurant, with its domed ceiling, or the Gallery, which is a little more intimate.

In both resorts you can expect a full cooked breakfast buffet, a three-course lunch, with dishes like scampi and fries, chicken tikka masala, and salads and cold meats.

For dinner, you can order dishes such as deep fried filo prawns and steamed fillet of cod, as well as a nightly carvery.

Then, if you’re still hungry after all that, the chefs offer a late-night dish every night from sausage rolls to bowls of chilli.

All-inclusive drinks are available from 3pm on arrival day to 10.30am on departure day and you can expect brand-name spirits like Jameson’s whisky and Bacardi Rum, as well as draught and bottled beers, wines and plenty of no-alcohol options too.

Plus, when it’s too early for a tipple, try one of the barista-style coffees with your favourite syrup.

Get the deal: £629 per adult, £479 for 10-17 year olds, £379 for 3-9 year olds and £30 for under 3’s for a three-night break this October half term. pottersresorts.com

Z Hotel Gloucester Place, London, £55pp

Fancy an all-inclusive city break? Look no further.

Spread across a row of restored Georgian townhouses in the heart of Marylebone, Z Hotel Gloucester Place is within easy reach of Regent’s Park, Madame Tussauds and the Wallace Collection, while Oxford Street is a short bus ride away.

Standard rooms are smart and comfortable, however, it’s well worth upgrading your stay to the Z Club experience.

Few people know this, but if you book a Z Club Junior Suite, you’ll get complimentary breakfast, an all-day snack menu, afternoon cakes, a cheese buffet each evening, plus unlimited wine, fizz, cold beers and soft drinks.

Snacks like ham and cheese toasties, chicken and avocado sandwiches, a cheese board are available from the moment you check in at 3pm until late into the night.

Packets of crisps and nuts are also complimentary. There’s also a nice terrace garden to enjoy a sundowner or two, including a good selection of wines like Malbec, a pale pink rosé and two different white wines.

Cans of pop and cold bottled beers and ciders, including Punk IPA and Peroni are also on offer.

Get the deal: Rooms are priced from £110 per room, per night thezhotels.com

Ennerdale Country House Hotel, Cleator, £79pp a night (adults only)

After a hike around the hills and fells of the Lake District, this classic country house hotel near Ennerdale Water is a real treat.

Great Little Breaks offer two-night stays throughout the year at Ennerdale Country House Hotel, a Grade II listed house with five acres of landscaped gardens and Italian fountains.

It includes bed and breakfast, lunch and dinner on both days, unlimited tea and coffee, plus free-flowing house wine, draught beer and soft drinks between 6pm and 10pm each night.

Meals are served in the Fountain Room restaurant, which overlooks the hotel’s beautiful gardens.

Breakfast includes a full English and a simple buffet with pastries and cereals, lunch is soup and a sandwich, while a two-course dinner from the ever-changing table d’hote menu often includes dishes like fish and chips, and herb chicken.

However, if you fancy something like steak off the a la carte menu, you’ll be charged a supplement.

Get the deal: From £159 per person for a two-night stay based on two adults sharing. (Over 25s-only). greatlittlebreaks.com

Lavender Hotels Collection, £32.25pp

The Lavender Hotels Collection is a trio of properties across Lancashire, each offering value all-inclusive packages.

Higher Trapp is a country house with panoramic views across the Pendle Valley, the Old Mill has a similar vibe but with a leisure club and a pool, while Everglades in Widnes is a little more contemporary.

An overnight stay includes a £25pp dinner allowance, drinks including unlimited house wine, draught beers and branded spirits from 6pm until 11pm, plus a full English breakfast in the morning.

If you are visiting with kids, the £25 dinner voucher isn’t extended to them, but kids meals start from £8.

All inclusive drinks include SRS lager, Magner’s cider, house red and white wines, and some branded spirits like Gordon’s Gin and Bells whiskey.

Drinks are only served in the Resident’s Bar between 6pm and 11pm –one glass per person, single measures only.

Guests can book the AI Ultra package for another £12.50 and get upgraded draught beers like Stella Artois and Guinness, flavoured Whitley Neill gins and Fever Tree mixers, as well as more premium wines like Baco de Seta Prosecco and Berri Estates Merlot.

At Higher Trapp, dinner is served in Fitzy’s Restaurant, a cosy space with beautiful views over the Ribble Valley. The £25 meal allowance will get you a 8oz steak and chips, but note that sauces like béarnaise, or brandy and pepper will cost you an extra £4.

Other meals come in around £16 to £19 mark, which allows a little wiggle room for extras. At the Old Mill, you’ll dine in the Sir Robert Peel restaurant on the first floor, which has lovely high-beamed ceilings.

The meal voucher here includes a starter and a main, but some dishes like curried mussels and lamb shank do attract an additional charge.

Get the deal: From £129 per room, per night (currently offering 25% off all autumn breaks) lavenderhotels.co.uk

TWO picturesque UK train routes will close for a number of weeks as part of a £22million upgrade.

The first route to close will be the West Highland railway line, which is well-known for being used in the Harry Potter films, from November 9 to 17.

The picturesque train journey which links Glasgow to Oban and Mallaig and crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, will undergo a £13million upgrade.

Work will be carried out between Helensburgh, Fort William and Mallaig and includes repairing parts of the track.

There will be replacement buses during the closure period.

Gerry McQuade, capital delivery director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “The West Highland Line is one that people really depend on, whether they’re travelling to work, visiting family or exploring some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery.

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“This work is about making sure the route continues to provide a dependable service for the communities and visitors who use it every day.”

And it isn’t the only route in Scotland that will close for an upgrade.

The scenic Kyle Line between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh will close for three weeks starting at the end of November.

No trains will run between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh from November 28 to December 18.

Work will be carried out on the Carron Viaduct, as well as Inverness Station.

The £9million project is expected to take a few weeks with four miles of track being renewed.

McQuade said: “The Kyle line is one of Scotland’s most scenic and important routes, connecting communities across the Highlands.

“This £9m investment will allow us to carry out a significant amount of work in a short period of time, helping us keep the railway safe, reliable and resilient for the future.”

MY childhood summer holidays began and ended with me squashed into a hatchback car with tents, campbeds and pool floats, as my family travelled to Europe for a week’s camping.

The only luxuries were a wine and cheese evening (for my parents), the morning croissant run to the bakery on site (my sister and I) and our mains-powered coolbox (my dad).

Oh, how the world of camping has changed since then.

This summer, a school-mum pal and I took our kids to one of the top-rated sites of camping specialist Eurocamp — and 5* Les Prairies de la Mer, on the French Riviera, just 15 minutes from St Tropez, could not have been more different from those breaks of my early years.

This huge beachfront site even has its own spa, that bakery on site, which also features seven kinds of fresh bread, a seriously glam pool and a supermarket stocking about 30 different types of rosé wine.

Oh, and some of those wines were just 4.50 euros a bottle — and perfectly drinkable.

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There are also further delights — a petting zoo, small fairground, two beachfront bars and restaurants, a hair salon and an inland bar that plays really decent live music every night.

If you can hack the heat, there are plenty of sporting activities, too, from sailing and archery to tennis and football.

I could lie and say I did all of the sports — but I didn’t.

In 35C heat in May, with three seven-year-old boys in tow, most days we pinballed between pool and beach, fairground and playground.

The huge, lagoon-shaped beachside pool, with its own palm tree, is a joy in itself — and only more so for its stylish bar, serving enormous pitchers of rosé for six euros, and French fries.

But it would be criminal to visit the French Riviera and not explore.

Les Prairies de la Mer is next to Port Grimaud, a car-free seaside town with waterfront Provencal-style houses that each have their own mooring for a boat.

You can see why the place is nicknamed the Venice of Provence.

We had a great time wandering the streets and visiting the Sunday market, which sells everything from local olives to honey and flowers.

The campsite also lays on a land train (€10 adults and €6 kids) to the medieval hillside village of Grimaud where you will find cobblestone streets, a 12th-century church and an even older ruined castle, all with great views over the surrounding countryside.

We also made it down to glamorous St Tropez, famed for its annual film festival.

The place is worth a visit just to ogle the huge yachts in the marina, wander the old town and eyeball the rich tourists who head to upscale shopping street Rue Francois Sibilli for high-end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hermes.

But my favourite day was when we rented a speedboat — through SamBoat, an app that bills itself as “the AirBnb of boats”.

It allows you to search locations, near where you are holidaying, for more than 50,000 chartered boats and yachts, that come with or without a captain.

We opted for a large speedboat that could take up to 12 people, as it could pick us up from the neighbouring marina — and it was super-easy to book.

The speedboat hire was 380 euros without a skipper, otherwise 630 euros.

We opted for the latter and, if there are 12 of you, this works out at just over 50 euros a head — not bad for a day on the water.

We bought cheese, wine, cakes and other goodies beforehand, at the marina supermarket, then toured the beautiful coastline before mooring in one of the many bays, where we swam, played on lilos and generally had the best time.

On the way home, we stopped off in the St Tropez marina to check out again the beautiful people and yachts.

This fabled French town is also the setting for the upcoming fourth series of TV hit The White Lotus, expected to air next year — and this corner of France is a serious magnet for celebrities.

Indeed, on our flight alone there were THREE famous faces.

Glamour girl Kelly Brook was in Business Class with actor husband Jeremy Parisi, while Pixie Geldof and sister Tiger Lily Hutchence-Geldof roughed it with us in Economy.

They were all (like us) taking advantage of British Airways’ newest route from London City Airport to Toulon-Hyeres in the South of France, which operates twice-weekly during the summer months.

The seaside city of Toulon is a taxi ride away from St Tropez and other A-lister holiday destinations such as Grimaud and Sainte Maxime.

Or if you don’t have deep pockets like the celebrities, there is a coach to St Tropez that leaves twice daily from the airport and costs 2.50 euros per person.

It also stops at a number of other holiday destinations en route.

It took us nearly all the way to our Eurocamp site, from where it was just a ten-euro cab ride.

So, plenty of spare cash for the lashings of rosé.

HOPPING from place to place in a motorhome may not sound a particularly relaxing way to spend a week, compared to lying on a sun lounger at a resort.

But there’s a sense of excitement with a road trip that no fly-and-flop holiday could ever match.

The sheer adventure, access to off-grid locations and freedom to move wherever the wind takes you are something money can’t buy.

That’s why I dragged my wife and two kids (aged six and three) away from the beach for our first ever campervan voyage, through the West Midlands, rural Shropshire and the North Welsh countryside.

And it beat all of our beach holidays, hands down.

We were in a Swift Trekker 584, a beast of a motorhome that’s nicer than my house, with sleeping space for four people, a roomy bathroom and mini kitchen complete with oven and hob.

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From day one my boy fully embraced #vanlife, becoming a key helper in the not-so-glam, but necessary, daily tasks as we moved between driving, eating and sleeping — hooking up the electricity and water, ensuring things were properly stowed away and always making sure the toilet hatch was closed.

We cheated a little by switching out motorhome staples like spag bol or soup for the occasional restaurant but, by the end, we’d fully mastered road-trip life.

Our first base was Llanberis, a stunning village at the foot of Snowdon offering brilliant hiking in the surrounding mountains and watersports at two lakes on its doorstep.

Ahead of arrival, we’d booked a pitch with Morris Leisure, a highly rated camping operator specialising in motorhomes and caravans, with parks across North Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Its Llanberis Touring Park is ideally located, with direct footpaths to Snowdonia and a five-minute walk to the village centre.

Some pitches have electricity and wifi while others have fresh water, plus there’s a shower block and a laundry area.

And the best thing is, if you are motorhome novices like us, there’s an on-site shop crammed with anything you may have forgotten, plus caravan accessories and essentials.

After Wales, we made our way to the market town of Oswestry and Park Hall Farm (make sure to watch one of the hilarious pig races), then it was on to the Shropshire town of Shrewsbury.

Its high street is frequently named one of the best in the UK, so we had high hopes.

It didn’t disappoint. Rather than being overrun with vape shops, bookies and barbers, the main stretch was littered with Tudor architecture and chock-full of independent shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants, ­museums and galleries.

The place is buzzing and a pleasure to walk around.

Kids will love the Quarry Park for the splash zone, while budding young artists may prefer to get stuck into one of the workshops at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.

Or you can ditch the road for the water and book a trip along the river Severn with Sabrina Boat.

Prefer to travel by train? The ­Severn Valley Railway is a delightful experience and offers day trips through the rolling countryside, as well as special themed events.

Those visiting during October half-term will be able to book ­Halloween-inspired journeys from Kidderminster station, with scare trains for little ones as well as those aged 18 and over.

Our only regret was missing out on a film at Old Market Hall cinema, an independent screen sitting in a beautiful building dating from 1596.

It’s not just the destinations themselves that make a motorhome trip so magical, though.

Journeying along the A4086 and the A5 offered gorgeous scenery and rolling hills that kept us entertained for hours.

When we eventually dropped off the van, our home for the week, it was with a very heavy heart.

No motorhome trip will ever be stress-free and it does require a level of planning and organisation beyond your average resort holiday.

But the freedom can’t be matched.

And the memories from our motorhome will long outlive those from a Spanish sun lounger.

THE UK’s best theme parks have been announced and coming out on top is a little-known seaside spot.

Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk has been named the best theme park in the UK for under one million visitors by the UK Theme Park Awards 2026.

More than 260,000 members of the public voted on the awards that included 36 theme parks.

Pleasurewood Hills is a 59-acre coastal theme park that originally opened back in 1983 and today has more than 35 rides and attractions.

The biggest ride at the park is Wipeout, which stretches nearly 40 metres into the air and has six inversions.

There are also other rides such as Cannonball Express, Marble Madness wild mouse coaster and the Jolly Rodger drop tower.

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The park introduced some new rides for this year, which include a Big Wheel, Starflyer and a spinning coaster.

If you don’t mind getting a little wet, head on the Water Fun Factory log flume as well.

Little kids aren’t left out either as there is a double-decker carousel, miniature railway and a classic theatre.

Tickets cost from £16 per person when bought online in advance and kids under 90cm go free – though it is worth noting that the park closes at the end of October for the season.

One person who visited the park this week, said in a review: “Park has had a massive regeneration, new rides and a general tidy up.

“Place has improved loads and the staff were all super cheerful and polite.”

Another visitor simply said: “Great value for the money.”

Freddy Stokes, Director at Pleasurewood Hills, said: “To have all the hard work that’s gone into Pleasurewood Hills over such a short period of time recognised by people from across our own industry is a massive achievement for the park and the whole team.

“We’ve always believed in what Pleasurewood Hills can be, but to receive an award like this in our first season really shows what can be achieved and, more importantly, where we can take the park from here.”

Paultons Park was named the country’s best theme park for more than one million visitors, on the other hand.

It is the second year in a row the much-loved family theme park has won the award.

And it also scooped up awards for the best new attraction, best large theme park for families, best theme park for toddlers, best Christmas event and best customer service.

Lawrence Mancey, Marketing & Technology Director at Paultons Park and winner of Theme Park Personality of the Year said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded 11 awards at the UK Theme Park Awards, and honoured to have been crowned Theme Park of the Year once again.

“These trophies are a reflection of the hard work of the whole Paultons Park team.

“We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved over the past year; from the teams who brought Drakon and Valgard to life, to everyone across the park who works so hard to give families and toddlers unforgettable days out in Peppa Pig World and across the park.”

THE UK’s most famous observatory will soon close for two years for a massive renovation project.

Royal Greenwich Observatory in London dates back 350 years and will close for two years on November 2 to undergo a £77million upgrade.

The project, dubbed ‘First Light’, “will bring the story of this historic site to life”, according to the Observatory, as well as “give everyone the chance to experience the wonders of space and time for themselves”.

The Observatory will be home to new galleries, refreshed displays, innovative architecture, as well as improved access for visitors.

As part of the project, there will be a new visitor centre which will be “the jewel in the crown of Greenwich’s UNESCO World Heritage Site”.

Inside the pavilion, there will be a gateway to the rest of the site, which will also have improved access overall, including full accessibility to the Great Equatorial Telescope for the first time.

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There will be new galleries too, in which visitors can explore observation and scientific work that took place at the Observatory.

And there will be new, interactive astronomer galleries, ideal for kids who want to become scientists themselves.

They will explore the fundamentals of astronomy: Light, Matter and Motion.

Many of the existing displays at the attraction will get a refresh including John Harrison’s timekeepers and instruments used for the Prime Meridian line itself.

Visitors can meet astronomers and scientists as well, in the ‘Astronomers’ Court’, with events including live science shows.

Outside the Observatory, Greenwich Park will get new landscaping as well as plants.

The First Light project already began in autumn last year and it is set to be complete by spring 2028

The Royal Observatory will close on November 2, 2026 but parts of the attraction such as the Meridian Courtyard, are expected to reopen in summer 2027.

THE FINAL tickets for one of the country’s biggest Christmas events will drop TODAY.

LaplandUK will release its final batch of tickets today at midday.

These will be the final tickets available for the 2026 events and there will also be tickets to the Golden Experience available.

Tickets will be available for both Lapland Ascot and Lapland Manchester – which has more availability of the two.

Fans can also nab tickets to The Golden Experience – a VIP experience with a personal guide, private check in, a meal in Pumpernickel’s secret pantry in the Eleven Village, priority seating and access, honorary elf hats, Golden Explorers pin badge, onsite currency, a signed Lapland storybook and a 2026 bauble.

Each experience will have its own online queue.

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Those who are signed up to LaplandUK’s newsletter will receive an email before midday with links to all the queues.

Then at midday, all people in the virtual queues will be randomly assigned a place in line for tickets.

Once you reach the front of that line, you will be able to make your booking.

LaplandUK states: “We recommend joining ahead of midday to give you the best chance of securing your preferred visit.”

The experience is often dubbed the ‘Glastonbury of Christmas’ due to tickets selling out fast each year.

And earlier this year when tickets were released in March, they sold out within a few hours.

This year will mark the second edition of LaplandUK Manchester at Capesthorne Hall.

At both experiences, guests can enjoy immersive sets and live performances.

Tickets include a four-and-a-half hour journey through the Enchanted Forest and into the Eleven World.

Children get to help the elves make toys and Mother Christmas to decorate gingerbread.

And of course, after all that, guests will get to meet Father Christmas himself.

Both UK experiences will be open from November 7 to December 24.

And ticket prices range from £60 to £155 per person, depending on the day you visit.

Golden Experience tickets range from £299 to £599 per person.

ONE of the most iconic buildings in the capital’s skyline is set to become a 400-room hotel.

The Grade-II BT Tower in London is being transformed into a hotel, with rooms in the tower itself.

Levels seven to 23 of the Tower will all have accommodation, with each floor featuring four curved rooms around the central structure.

As for the lower floors, a new building will be developed at the bottom of the Tower, with a rooftop pool on level six, outdoor seating areas and wildflower roof gardens.

The lower ground floor will then feature events spaces and restaurants, and the ground floor will have a wine bar as well as other Class E businesses which could include a gym, shops and cafes.

Hotel rooms will then start on the first floor as well as another events space with the same for levels two to six, with some outdoor terraces, too.

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At the top of the Tower (level 34) – which used to be home to a revolving restaurant and viewing platform – there will be a 360-degree visitor attraction including a ‘revolving floor’, with suggestions it could be a restaurant again.

There will then be another events space on level 35 with an outdoor terrace and level 36 will have two more events spaces and two lobbies.

Levels 31 to 33 will also have events spaces.

Levels 24 to 28 and 37 to 40 will all be used for storage and building maintenance.

Outside the base of the Tower, a new public square will be constructed too.

The park will feature curved timber benches, large pebble seating areas and bronze metal artwork.

Construction is expected to start in 2029 and the hotel is then due to open in 2033.

The BT Tower first opened in 1964 as the Post Office Tower and was the capital’s tallest building until the NatWest Tower opened in 1980.

The Tower then closed to the public in 1981 – though, there will be some private events.

The hotel was then purchased by MCR, an American hotel chain, in 2024 for £270million.

FINDING a brilliant UK hotel that is stylish, comfortable and in a top location for under £100 can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Luckily, we’ve scoured Tripadvisor‘s UK hotel data to find incredible Brit hotels that are top-rated and budget-friendly.

All of these UK hotels are winners of the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award, which puts them in the top 10 per cent of listings on the site based on real guests’ rankings and reviews.

Plus they all have a 4.5/5 rating or over, as well as an average nightly rate of below £100.

We found everything from forest hotels with roaming wild ponies to secret Scottish ‘gaming rooms’ with video-game cheat codes etched into the furniture.

From retro American-style motels to seaside escapes with cabaret entertainment, here are ten of Tripadvisor’s top-rated and affordable UK hotels.

Mollie’s Motel, Bristol

If you’re into all-American style diners and neon-lit motels, you’ll love a stay at Mollie’s.

Just off the M5 at Cribbs Causeway, this retro hotel is hard to miss, with its glowing red sign and zig-zag shaped exterior.

Inside you’ll find a classic diner, with shiny tiled floors, booth seating and a swanky bar, with plenty of stools to sit and sink back a bottled beer.

After chowing down on your burger, hot dog or steak (best washed down with a milkshake, of course) head upstairs to a modern room with scandi-style wooden decor, warm lights and crisp, white linen.

Each room comes with fancy rainfall showers, high-end Cowshed toiletries, fluffy towels, and Dyson hairdryers. You can even borrow some GHD straighteners from reception.

The hotel is rated 4.6/5 on Tripadvisor, with many praising how comfortable it is to stay in.

One reviewer even remarked: “If I could take the bed home with me, I’d be tempted!”

You can book a stay from £68 on Booking.com.

Hotel Indigo Dundee by IHG

This swanky Scottish hotel is set inside a former 19th-century mill, but has been decorated with a modern twist.

Industrial touches like brick walls and iron columns still remain, but inside you’ll find modern, quirky themed rooms.

The Dundee Cake room is decorated with marmalade in mind, while the Comic Room has decorations inspired by “Black Bob” – a comic about a Scottish Border Collie.

Perhaps the coolest part is the Gaming Room, where there are books about Dundee’s rich video game history.

There are even secret GTA codes are hidden within its walls, a nod to the fact that popular game Grand Theft Auto was invented in the city.

You can book a stay from £56 on Booking.com.

EasyHotel Oxford

If you want to explore Oxford without entirely draining your bank account, easyHotel Oxford is a wallet-friendly budget, no-frills pick.

You won’t find fancy hotel bars or luxurious extras here. Instead, it offers exactly what it says on the tin: a clean, practical, and easy place to crash after a day of sightseeing.

The hotel offers clean and comfortable double and twin rooms, but if you want the absolute cheapest rate possible, you can opt for a windowless room.

That way you can secure a room from as little as £26 a night during off-peak times.

When you’re ready to explore Oxford, there’s a bus stop right outside the hotel that will whisk you straight into the city centre and the university colleges in around 10 minutes.

You can currently book a room from £31.50 per night on the easyHotel website.

The Telegraph Hotel, Coventry

The Telegraph Hotel is the #1 ranked hotel in Coventry on Tripadvisor, with a score of 4.5/5 stars.

Once the home of the Coventry Evening Telegraph paper, this building now serves as a stylish hotel, with plenty of nods to its journalistic past.

Inside you’ll find a glamorous, marble-floored lobby with emerald green plush sofas and warm golden chandeliers.

You may spot typewriters, old newspapers, pigeonholes, photos of the original 1960’s newsroom dotted around inside.

Rooms are spacious and on-theme with black and white artwork and those same emerald-coloured chairs.

Rooms start from £65 per night on Trip.com.

The Melbreak Hotel, The Lake District

Named after the Lake District’s Melbreak fell which you can see from the property, this family-run hotel offers a friendly base right on the border of the rugged Western Lake District and Cumbrian coast.

Rooms come with big comfy beds, traditional wooden furnishings, and plenty of space to unpack after a long day of hiking.

They come with all the essentials like free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and en-suite bathrooms. Many of the executive rooms offer gorgeous, sweeping views over the surrounding countryside.

After spending the day exploring the nearby peaks, head to the hotel‘s conservatory restaurant for generous portions of hearty pub classics.

For a relaxed drink, the cosy lounge bar is the perfect spot to sink into a leather chair with a pint of local Cumbrian ale.

Plus stunning spots like Ennerdale Water, Bassenthwaite Lake, and the market town of Cockermouth are all less than a 20-minute drive away.

Rooms are available from £79 on Booking.com.

The Templestowe Hotel, Torquay

The Templestowe Hotel in Torquay delivers big on old school seaside town charm – plus it has a whopping 4.7/5 stars on Tripadvisor.

The excellent evening entertainment includes a massive ballroom and dance floor, plus a stage where you’ll find nightly acts such as cabaret, singers, dancers and comedians.

When it comes to food and drink, forget tiny tasting menus – this hotel is all about generous portions of classic British meals.

You can expect hearty multi-course dinners featuring roast meats, pies, and comforting puddings – plus a traditional cooked breakfast each morning to set you up for the day.

One Tripadvisor reviewer commented: “The entertainment was very good every night”, and that there is “a free bar from 19.00 – 23.00” where “there was never a long queue & you just had to return your empty glasses to get another drink & show your room card”.

Another said: “Great atmosphere. Entertainment was at a very high standard. Great content. A great hotel for the more mature people.”

You can book a stay from £93 per night on Booking.com.

Woodlands Lodge Hotel

This country house hotel is tucked into Hampshire’s New Forest, where you’ll find endless pretty woodland walks and might even bump into a few of the forest’s 5,000 free-roaming wild ponies.

Originally built as a royal hunting lodge in the 1750s, this woodland retreat makes for the ideal countryside escape to return to to take off your muddy boots and laze back by the log fire.

There are 17 bedrooms here, including options with grand four-poster beds and dog-friendly options.

For food and drink you can tuck into some tender lamb or a juicy steak, or sit down to a delicious, homemade afternoon tea with a view of the hotel gardens.

With an impressive 4.5/5 star rating on Tripadvisor, one guest commented “it was a pleasant surprise to find such an idyllic little country house tucked away within the cattle grids and Forest”.

Another said “Our room was lovely. A walk across the back lawn through a gate takes you into the forest where we experienced several horses galloping together, into the shade of the trees.”

You can book a room from £80 per night on Booking.com.

The Crown Hotel Boroughbridge

Once a historic 16th-century coaching inn, The Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge is full of historic charm.

This cosy Yorkshire hotel has low oak beams, roaring fires and comfy rooms with tartan furnishings.

But the best thing about this hotel is the on-site leisure club, where you’ll find a heated indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna and gym to unwind in.

Once you’re suitably relaxed, head to the hotel’s traditional bar and restaurant where you can tuck into pub classics like fish and chips, washed down with a pint of local Black Sheep ale.

The hotel sits on the doorstep of the spectacular North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales. Plus you’re also just a 20-minute drive from Harrogate, the cathedral city of Ripon, and the family-friendly rides at Lightwater Valley.

Rooms start from £74 per night on Hotels.com.

Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East

If you’re looking for a cheap and convenient pitstop that feels significantly cooler than your average roadside hotel, the Super 8 by Wyndham is a top pick.

This is an American budget brand’s first foray into the UK, which arrived at the Chester motorway services in 2023.

But forget the dingy US motel stereotype – this place feels slick, modern and boasts fancy rooms that punch high above their price tag.

Rooms have sleek wooden finishes, mustard yellow details and cityscape artwork that reflects the brand’s American roots.

You also get brilliant tech upgrades that you wouldn’t typically expect from a motorway stay, including large smart TVs, ultra-fast free Wi-Fi, and plenty of USB ports.

The en-suite bathrooms are spotless and feature large walk-in power showers to wake you up before you hit the road again.

But this hotel isn’t just a pit-stop for road-trippers. It’s a 10-minute drive from shopping at Cheshire Oaks, plus Chester Zoo and Chester city are easily accessible from here for a day out.

Rooms are available from £38 per night on Expedia.

Cedar Court Huddersfield Hotel

This hotel in the village of Ainley Top in Huddersfield is in the prime position for exploring the Peaks (only 20 minutes’ drive), plus you can easily nip into Halifax to visit the Piece Hall or the interactive Eureka! children’s museum.

The hotel has a bright, modern and airy feel, thanks to its floor-to-ceiling windows which let the sunlight pour through and look out to well-manicured gardens.

There are 113 rooms here, which have recently been refurbished with sapphire blue, brick and wood decor.

When you’ve spent the day stomping across the Peak District, you won’t want fussy fine dining. Thankfully, here you’ll find familiar favourites like pizzas, chicken and chips plus that all-important buffet breakfast.

And for when you need to unwind, there’s an underground health club complete with a fully equipped gym, sauna, and steam room.

You can book a stay from £45 on Hotels.com.

THERE’S a travel club you can join today for £1 that will unlock a whole load of secret UK holidays for cheap.

Once you’re a member, you can bag exclusive deals for trips all across the UK, starting from as little as £89 for a two-night break for two people!

There’s some seriously massive savings to be had here – we’ve even found a stunning rural retreat in Wales where you can save £217 off full-price.

To unlock the deals, simply sign up to become a Travelzoo member.

Usually, membership costs £30 for one year (which is already a bargain).

But Sun readers can bag a 30 day trial for just £1 by clicking here – giving you instant access to book in a bargain break.

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The £1 travel hack for VIP airport lounges, FREE food & drinks plus £59 trips

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Not only will you unlock amazing holiday deals in the UK, Europe and beyond, but there’s plenty more benefits such as free airport lounge access whenever your flights get delayed if you’re travelling abroad.

Here’s our pick of the best UK deals we found on Travelzoo, where you can save up to hundreds of pounds on an incredible countryside staycay.

Mount Snowdon two-night adventure – £110 (£217 off)

Sitting between two lakes at the base of Mount Snowdon, the grand Royal Victoria Hotel in Eryri is a sight to behold.

The location “cannot be beaten” according to one Travelzoo member.

You can enjoy with lake views from the hotel restaurant and 13th century castle ruins within the hotel grounds themselves.

Whether you’re tackling the mountain on a hiking holiday or simply want to soak up the views of Snowdonia from the hotel with a warm drink in hand, this £55 per night deal is a bargain way to do so.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book a two-night stay with daily buffet breakfast included from £110

London superyacht stay – £200 (save £141)

The Sunborn London Yacht Hotel is a one-of-a-kind stay.

Sitting on London‘s Royal Victoria Dock, the 420-foot superyacht hotel offers prime views of the Thames, plus easy access via cable car to Greenwich or the Elizabeth Line into Central London.

Included in this deal you get an overnight stay in a riverview room for two, buffet breakfast, an Afternoon Tea experience (with a cocktail!) and bottomless hot drinks.

Not only that, but you’ll get a complimentary bottle of Prosecco on arrival and some delicious chocolates in your room.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book an overnight superyacht stay for two with Afternoon Tea, breakfast and bottomless hot drinks for £200

Northumberland National Park two-night break – £89

You can bag a two-night stay at the Riverdale Hall Hotel in Northumberland for an insanely cheap £89, which works out to £22.25pp per night.

The hotel sits at the edge of the Northumberland National Park in Bellingham, a pretty market town perched along the Pennine Way.

Nearby you can look out over Hadrian’s Wall at the National Landscape Discovery Centre.

Or even visit the forest where the movie 28 Years Later was filmed.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book a two-night Northumberland stay from £89

Woodland lodge three-night retreat – £299 (£109 off)

Fancy staying in a former royal hunting lodge once used by King Charles II?

The Speech House is a former royal lodge turned countryside hotel.

Built in 1669, the lodge still has many of its original features, including decor in the hotel restaurant that was originally a small courtroom.

The hotel is based beside the Wye Valley National Landscape. You can catch some spectacular views from Symonds Yat Rock, which is only 15 minutes’ drive from the hotel.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book a three-night stay with breakfast included from £299

Pembroke Castle two-night break – £159 (save £77)

Stay in the medieval walled town of Pembroke with this affordable two-night break at the friendly Coach House Hotel.

It even includes a bottle of Prosecco on arrival.

The town is home to the incredible Pembroke Castle, where King Henry VIII was born.

After enjoying a full Welsh breakfast each morning, you can set off to explore more local attractions like the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the seaside town of Tenby.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book a two-night Pembroke stay from £159

Lake District escape with dinner & Prosecco – £129

Book a staycation in the stunning Lakes with a cosy stay at the four-star Damson Dene Hotel with this deal.

The hotel is just 10 minutes’ drive from Lake Windermere, the largest lake in England, where you’ll also find The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.

Your stay includes an overnight stay plus dinner for two, Prosecco on arrival, and even a pair of free tickets to the enchanting Lakeland Model Village.

Claim your £1 Travelzoo trial & book an overnight stay with dinner & Prosecco in the Lake District from £129

Prices correct at the time of publication.