stayed

I’M on Cloud Nine, floating blissfully between infinity pools and saunas, with panoramic views of a perfectly still lake.

I am at the Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa Hotel in the Lake District.

The rejuvenating adventure promises to refresh my senses and entire being. It does.

I hop between the two-tiered heated outdoor infinity pools and explore three sauna set-ups – eucalyptus, salt and natural mineral – then move between a number of pools at different temperatures.

Finally, I meander over to the bar, where I find an enticing range of cocktails, mocktails, beers, soft drinks and upmarket snacks.

Luckily, my luxurious suite at the hotel’s Winander Club is only a short plod away, behind and above the main hotel with views of mighty Lake Windermere.

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Those staying in The Winander Club area of the hotel not only benefit from fancy rooms with luxury additions such as freestanding bath tubs, they also enjoy exclusive dining spaces.

You won’t be short of decent food options in the hotel, though, even if you are staying in the main area.

There’s fine-dining cuisine at the W Restaurant and chunky ciabatta sandwiches and bar snacks in the very cosy public bar.

My favourite, however, was the popular Blue Smoke, with its centrepiece wood-fired grill.

Think steaks, fish served whole and maple-glazed salmon fillet all dished up with The Blue Smoke’s special chunky chips and slaw.

I’m still dreaming about my starter of butterfly king prawns, which were the size of fingers of Bownessie Monster – the myththical creature said to inhabit Lake Windermere.

Visitors could easily spend a weekend holed up in this cosy spot but the real highlight of the hotel is its location in the rolling Cumbrian countryside.

After a hearty full English brekkie – special mention to the very tasty Cumberland sausages – I got ready to explore the charms of Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere.

But be prepared to queue if you want to take a boat trip across Lake Windermere.

Most depart from Bowness, serenely gliding over the water alongside the paddle boarders and private boats.

If that doesn’t take your fancy, this time of year is great for a stroll.
Autumnal hues

As I strapped on my walking boots and struck out up the fells, I soaked up the glowing autumnal hues on the hills.

Ambleside is also well worth exploring.

This busy but quaint town has many upmarket shops and boutiques alongside local businesses ranging from homemade-chocolate stores and lambswool outfitters to traditional watering holes.

There’s even a Michelin-rated restaurant in the cellars at The Old Stamp House where Lake District bard William Wordsworth once worked as Distributor of Stamps.

As the sun began to set over Windermere, trimming the hills with a fiery orange, it was back to the Winander Club for a sundowner.

The perfect way to end a day.

GO: Standard Willow rooms at The Low Wood Bay & Spa cost from £216 per night.

Thermal journey spa packages cost from £60p.

See englishlakes.co.uk.

A Which? survey of thousands of customers judged Coaching Inn Group to be the best in the UK. Fresh from a trip to the Wetherspoons hotel, Milo Boyd went to see what all of the fuss is about

A lesser-known hotel chain has just been named the best in the country.

Earlier this month, a panel of 4,631 customers judged Coaching Inn Group to be the best in the UK. The chain has 36 individual hotels across the country, so I decided to hop on a train to Sheringham and then cycle across the beautiful North Norfolk countryside to the Manor Coastal Hotel and Inn in Blakeney to see what all the fuss is about.

During my first evening at the hotel, the lights cut out, prompting a quick fix from the staff. Minutes later – darkness. Off and on they went until defeat was conceded, prompting the arrival of candles. If anything, the effect was cosier, especially with a howling wind hammering against the windows throughout the night. Such unexpected acts are liable to happen, particularly at a rural hotel deep in the Norfolk countryside.

In 2013, the Manor suffered a far more serious misfortune. On 5 December, thousands across Norfolk and Suffolk were ordered to leave their homes as a great storm surge caused riverbanks to burst, sending houses toppling into the water. The cost of the damage was estimated at £1bn.

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OPINION

Milo Boyd

“It happened so quickly,” Sophie, one of half a dozen of the Hill family who work in the Manor, told me, before showing how high the water rose as it rushed through the bar. “We weren’t fully open again until the following summer.”

The hotel bounced back from the flood then, and has seemingly gone from strength to strength ever since. Today, it sprawls across a large section of land replete with a trickling fountain and stone arches that tempt you to walk through the maze of walled gardens and ancient mulberry trees.

In total, the Manor has 36 rooms, the cheapest of which can be booked for £99 next week. It is classic budget hotel fare, albeit of the quality end of the spectrum. A comfortable double bed, a medium-sized TV, and a well-decorated bathroom. Everything is solid and clean.

The most expensive room – The Mulberry Suite – is the size of a small flat and features not just a living room, kitchenette, and two bathrooms, but a twin room as well as a master bedroom.

As pleasant as the rooms are, they’re not the main reasons why a visit to the Manor is a good idea, nor why it won the Which? award. Those reasons are the location and the charming staff.

The location

Blakeney is a lovely place. Just metres from the hotel’s front is the River Glaven, which winds its way through the National Nature Reserve. If you do decide to follow it along to the North Sea, make sure you pick up a pair of wellie boots from the front desk, or else suffer the same waterlogged shoe and muddy-trousered fate as I did.

Blakeney Point is renowned for its seal colonies, with Beans Boat offering guided tours throughout the year. Now is a particularly good time to go, as the pupping season is in full swing. A slightly more unusual day out can be had at Langham Dome over by the RAF base. During WWII, moving images projected onto the inside of the Dome taught trainees how to shoot down enemy aircraft. Today, a group of veterans is on hand to explain how it worked.

Dozens of times throughout my stay, the tranquility of village life was disrupted, for a moment, by the sound of training jet fighters flying over the North Norfolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For me, that’s a big bonus.

In the 19th century, the coastal village was much closer to the sea than it is today. The estuary has silted up over the past 100 years, coinciding with the decline of the fishing industry in the area, which has prevented all but the smallest boats from reaching the quay. What was once a fishing village is now a tourism village. In the summer, Blakeney’s two pubs and three hotels are packed full.

The staff

For me, this is the real reason why the Manor scored so well, and why people keep coming back. Many of the staff have been there for well over ten years. About half of them seem to be members of the Hill clan, including Tore, Karen, Sophie and Wayne. They were all on hand at various points during my stay to ensure everything was in its right place and to offer insights into the local area. For me, and the chatty returning customers who knew staff by name, such warmth is a major plus. It transforms the hotel from a place to stay and eat for the night, to somewhere homely that you want to be.

The verdict

The average cost of a room at the Manor is £128. While that isn’t very cheap, in the Which? survey, the hotel was one of only two to score four out of five stars for value for money. The other was Wetherspoons. I visited the Spoons Hotel in Canterbury last week, where a room for the night can be yours for just £55 and the average price is £70.

What Spoons offers that the Manor doesn’t is energy and vibes. The downstairs area was packed with thirsty customers from across the age spectrum. Everything in the room was solid enough, especially given the price.

However, what the Manor serves up – and where it stands apart from the competition – is its ability to deliver a stay that feels premium for a (sort of) budget price. From the tastefully decorated interiors to the warm, spacious rooms; and the natural surroundings to the lovely staff; everything about the hotel feels extremely well done. It very much lives up to the hype.

Milo Boyd went to check out if £55 for a room at one of the 55 Spoons hotels that are dotted across the UK is good value, or if the price point really is too good to be true

Love it or loathe it, Spoons is a British institution.

The mega-chain has around 800 joints across the UK and raked in £2 billion last year. Everything from its unique-to-the-venue 70s-inspired carpets to its weirdly cheap drinks, from its very outspoken CEO Tim Martin to its ability to buy up grand Victorian buildings and turn them into drinking dens, is etched into the British psyche.

But what you might not know, and what I didn’t, is that Spoons not only runs hotels, but has been doing so since 1998. Its first venue, in Shrewsbury, had 22 rooms for customers as well as the better-known drinking side of the business. Since then, 54 other Spoons Hotels have opened.

Put off by Mr. Martin’s intervention in British politics and the idea that it’s out-competing independent boozers with its mass buying power, in recent years, my trips to Spoons have been limited to bouts of airport necessity and, occasionally, using its bathrooms without buying anything. However, after its hotel was judged to be the most affordable in the country by Which? earlier this month, I decided to put past gripes behind me and give it a go.

On a cold Wednesday in November, I turned up at Thomas Ingoldsby in Canterbury, freezing and bedraggled following a long bike ride from Broadstairs. What I experienced warmed my chilly cockles and turned my view of Spoons on its head.

The offering is, quite simply, incredible. Here is the breakdown:

Price

Clearly price is a strong point in Spoons pubs, and the same is true in its hotels. In the Which? survey it was one of only two hotels to score 4* for value for money, the other being the overall winner, Coaching Inn Group. While Coaching’s average room rate is £128 a night, Spoons charges just £70 on average. A double room at the Thomas Ingoldsby, booked for next Wednesday, is just £55.

I tucked into a £2.99 veggie breakfast in the morning after an evening of £1.89 pints of ale. Both were pretty good. Maybe it’s been too long since I ventured outside the M25, but those prices just seemed absurdly low. In 2025, when stepping outside alone seems to rob you of at least £20, the budget friendliness of this experience was by far the most significant factor.

Vibe

Before my hotel stay, the last time I ventured into a Spoons had me wander into the cavernous and eerily quiet Coronet on London’s Holloway Road. The difference in vibe could not have been more stark on this particular frosty Wednesday night in Canterbury. The drinkers were out in full force in East Kent. University students, groups of jolly OAPs, lone men reading books and eating onion rings. All of life was there.

The hotel rooms are a short flight of stairs from the pub, which means you can easily stumble up at the end of it all or treat yourself to a deli wrap and chips in the bath. A member of staff told me it is possible to rent out a room spur of the moment, although overly drunk guests may be refused.

The room

The room itself was pretty faultless. I’ve been to a lot of budget hotels in my time, and this one was up there with the best of them. The (likely) worst-case scenario when staying at the lower price-range establishments is furniture that’s falling apart, a room that feels dirty and bedbug traces. The best case is a room in which everything feels well looked after, new or new enough, clean and well considered. The Ingoldsby delivered all of that, while having double rooms that were comfortably big enough for an impromptu last-orders party (although I imagine such things aren’t encouraged or allowed).

The room also had a large desk with a well-stocked tea tray, a sizeable TV and a view of Canterbury Cathedral I suspect few hotels in the city could compete with. Only two of the Ingoldsby’s rooms have that view. Not only do those on the other side of the hotel not look out onto the seat of Anglicanism, they’re a little disturbed by morning lorry movements, I was told. If you can bag it, room 110 is the one to get.

After a long, cold day of cycling across Kent, I was happy to discover the thermostat could be turned all the way up to 25 C, and delivered on that promise. It was like being on holiday.

What’s included

Sadly, Spoons hotel does not have an all-inclusive package. Who knows what mania would break loose after that many bottles of Hooch and triple-cooked chips. But the actual offering is not meagre.

Decent Wi-Fi, a couple of packets of biscuits, fresh towels, two bottles of water and enough tea, coffee and hot chocolate sachets to keep you going before check-out at 11. A morning bite is not included, but with breakfasts that cheap, it didn’t seem worth complaining about.

In conclusion

A friend’s wise dad once told me that Spoons is the closest thing to a real social institution that this country has left. As nightclubs go under and members’ societies close, there are fewer and fewer places for people to meet. Spoons might be one of the last remaining true third spaces we have left in the UK, where all sorts from all demographics want to go. And now that it’s delivering rooms this good and cheap as well, it’s even harder to deny its pull.

CHEAP cocktails, mango sticky rice for £1.65 and trained monkeys picking coconuts – Koh Samui is nothing like the White Lotus fantasy I expected.

And that’s what makes it so brilliant.

Sure, there are luxury resorts and picture-perfect beaches, but the real Thailand is in the busy beach bars flogging happy-hour deals, tiny restaurants with garish tablecloths, and the constant thump of Thai boxing promotions from crackling loudspeakers.

I stayed at the Anantara Lawana — where The White Lotus cast filmed bar scenes in its Singing Bird Lounge.

The hotel has a grand entrance with a gong that you hit upon entering, a private beach scattered with sunbeds, an infinity pool and a peaceful spa.

Some rooms have swim-up pools and I admit I’ve become partial to an outdoor shower — as long as it isn’t raining. In a hotel this perfect, with everything at your fingertips, it could be tempting not to leave.

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But that would mean missing the real Koh Samui.

My guide, Nong, called it “coconut island” — the island produces 200 million a year, many plucked by trained monkeys.

Over the next few days, he made sure I saw as much of the island as possible, though the furry labourers remained elusive.

Nong told me there are around 25 temples on the island — some are big tourist draws, others are tucked away in smaller communities where locals worship.

Cheerful Buddha

We travelled all over Koh Samui hunting down these brightly coloured shrines.

At Wat Phra Yai sits the Big Buddha — a 40ft statue built in 1972 that dominates the skyline and can be seen from miles away.

Close by is the beautiful Wat Plai Laem complex, which has the 18-armed Guanyin and a cheerful Buddha statue.

Koh Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island, and you can drive around the ring road in about an hour — though you’d be rushing past some of the best bits.

We made lots of stops along the tour to take in the views.

The beaches lived up to expectations — Chaweng is one of the most popular — but there are many pockets of coast where you’ll find secret sandy spots and likely be the only people around.

We also visited the Elephant Kingdom Sanctuary, where 16 rescued elephants live out their days in comfort.

From a skywalk, I watched them splash in pools and demolish piles of bananas.

Koh Samui also works as a jumping-off point for the surrounding islands.

We took a speedboat to Koh Nangyuan, a tiny protected marine park about 45 minutes away, where white sand connects three little peaks.

While most claimed their patch of beach, I went straight into the water.

The shallows are packed with coral, rainbow parrotfish and bright yellow butterflyfish — it’s the kind of place that justifies getting up early for a boat ride.

I also paid a visit to the northern side of the island , for a cooking class in Bo Phut.

I’m a disaster in the kitchen, so I was wary to get stuck in.

But Chef Lat was enthusiastic and welcoming, and soon had me chopping lemongrass and frying prawns.

He demonstrated how to create a chicken and ginger curry, stir-fried prawns with yellow curry and a sweet, spicy papaya salad.

My new favourite, though is a massaman chicken curry. You eat everything you make, too.

Our days exploring the island were brilliant, but it was the street food that kept pulling me away from the White Lotus life back at the resort.

Tucked away along the streets are places serving up pad Thai and spicy tom yum soup, with cocktails for £2.

As for sweet treats, mango sticky rice is a revelation and, at £1.65 from street vendors, you’d be mad to miss it.

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When the humidity becomes unbearable, coconut ice cream is a girl’s best friend.

When everything tastes this good and costs this little, the infinity pool can wait.

MY fearless six-year-old son, Alex, giggled as a large Asian brown owl landed on his gloved arm, just inches away from his face.

Neeka is so used to mingling with guests who visit the birds of prey aviary that she happily sat there for a few seconds, slowly twisting her neck, taking in the view.

And who can blame her, when the view is as stunning as this?

We were staying on the stunning Swinton Estate, set in the Yorkshire Dales within an incredible 20,000 acres of sprawling land made up of villages, farms and moorland.

At the centre of this is the Downton Abbey-style, ivy-clad ancestral stately home of Lord and Lady Masham which has been turned into a luxury hotel with 42 suites and bedrooms.

Despite its grandeur, I discovered it to be one of the most down to earth — and definitely the most child-friendly — places I’ve ever stayed in the UK.

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COME INN

The pretty English market town home to one of the weirdest hotels in the UK

What’s more, visitors are on the doorstep of explorable market towns, as well as just a 10-minute drive from historic Jervaulx Abbey (one of Yorkshire’s most beautiful historic sites) and 20 minutes from Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park, home to mini rollercoasters, giant swings and a crazy golf course.

That’s if you can find the time to leave the estate.

Swinton has even more activities than overcrowded tourist traps such as Center Parcs — with comparable prices.

During our short stay, we enjoyed treasure hunts, children’s cookery courses, fishing, archery, escape rooms and cycling.

There are complimentary meditation classes, tea tasting, clay pigeon shooting, history tours, movie nights and a birds of prey show.

Falconer Mandy explained that most of the owls, hawks and falcons on site were hand reared.

They even go on “walks” through the estate, high above your head.

And what a great place for a stroll, it is. Our dog Layla certainly agreed.

Unlike many hotels, Layla wasn’t just tolerated here, she was adored.

She walked alongside us as we explored some of the 63 miles of footpaths as well as the play area, wild swimming lake, shop and the Country Club.

She even plodded into the reception with me while I booked an amazing £50 back, neck and shoulder massage.

Although, I did leave her with the others when it came to enjoying my treatment.

This meant I could take full advantage of the amenities, which include thermal suites, a heavenly relaxation room and two pools, both of which have select adults-only times so the grown-ups can properly de-stress.

OLD-WORLD CHARM

Even those with kids can get their downtime thanks to the on-site babysitting service, available from £15 an hour.

The Estate itself is a charming mix of contemporary design blended with grand antiques and historical paintings of the family that once owned it.

This old-world charm continues into the bedrooms and suites too.

Our room featured high ceilings and large low windows where Alex and Layla sat together watching the deer roam freely in the fields.

Every tiny detail has been considered here.

There were coats and umbrellas to borrow, dog biscuits, a teddy bear on the bed and soft, squishy towels and dressing gowns.

While Alex was grateful for the bowl of apples and pile of shortbread biscuits left on the side, I was more appreciative of the smart coffee machine and the Estate’s home-made sloe whisky.

Whisky is just one of many things that comes from the grounds.

Pretty much everything from vegetables and meat to herbs and fruit does, too.

I am a sucker for a good brekkie and thanks to the outstanding estate sausages, this was undoubtedly my favourite meal of the stay.

A freshly-cooked plate of breakfast goodies also helped to ease my slightly sore head after the excellent mixologists rustled me up one too many spicy margaritas the night before.

You don’t need to be an overnight guest to visit the Estate.

Those popping in during the winter months can experience a new winter light trail which will lead them through a sparkling woodland and around the pretty lakes — tickets are from £7.50 per child, while those under five go free.

If you do fancy checking in for the evening, however, now is the time to book.

On selected dates this winter, you can bag a suite with breakfast and a bottle of house wine for £275 in total.

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I am from Yorkshire originally, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually received such a Yorkshire welcome as I did here.

Even Neeka the owl was happy to see us.

This New York hotel may be only three years old, but it has already made a name for itself as the hipster haven of the Lower East Side. It’s a celebrity favourite and after spending two nights there, I can see exactly why.

While girls’ trips are all about fun activities, chaotic nights out and days lounging on the beach, topping up your tan, or browsing shopping streets across the world, having a good base to rest your head after a long day of gallivanting has never been more important.

That’s why, on my most recent trip to New York, I made sure my best friend and I treated ourselves to a luxurious stay at the Nine Orchard hotel in Chinatown, just one subway stop away from Brooklyn, for a stay that will keep us rejuvenated between each busy day.

Online, the Nine Orchard hotel looks like an upgraded home away from home, with cosy furnishings, speakers in rooms, Brooklyn style windows perfect for people watching and tiled bathrooms you would only see on a Pinterest board. In person, it gave no less.

Upon checking in, my friend and I counted our lucky stars. We were warmly greeted in true New York fashion (no matter what people say, in my experience, the New Yorkers are far friendlier than your average Londoner, sorry!) and told us our stay included a £115 room tab to spend on the goodies left in our minibar, and a free breakfast at the connected Corner Bar restaurant which served a plate of the best French Toast I’ve ever had.

Every detail, from the speakers in the room which play a selection of calm and soothing jazz to your own music via Bluetooth, to the three showers to choose from in the bathroom that’s bigger than my UK bedroom.

Choice was the luxury we were awarded at Nine Orchard, and it’s no wonder celebrities enjoy the hotel too, having stayed during the CFDA Fashion Awards, we saw our fair share of stars ducking out of the hotel reception and bundled into Black SUVs one evening.

We also had our choice of lounge areas to relax in come evening, one room which had a grand fireplace, ideal for a late night reading session or the Swan room, an elegant space for a cocktail with a vaulted ceiling, luxurious booths, and pink Tennessee marble walls.

The Swan Room, with its vaulted ceiling, is a nod to the hotel building’s former use.

The Nine Orchard hotel was once a bank, which in some way adds to the opulent, old-world setting of the place. It’s a landmark of the iconic Lower East Side, having been awarded its status in 2009, and offered a view of the downtown skyline that would make any traveller want to emigrate in a heartbeat.

Nine Orchard may have opened its doors only in 2022, but it has quickly become Downtown New York’s go-to hipster hideaway, so much so that it earned a spot on Expedia’s 2026 Hotels of the Year list for its character and cultural edge.

Whether you’re planning a stylish weekend with friends or a romantic escape, this is a stay I’d recommend without hesitation.

Prices start from from £594.

An opulent stay in Venice

My husband and I stayed in a beautiful 500-year-old Venetian palazzo for just €100 for a double room. The exterior of Palazzo Abadessa, tucked away in the sleepy backstreets of the Cannaregio district, is low key enough, but the grandeur and opulence begin to hit your senses as you explore. First we strolled through the lush ornamental garden, then the huge entrance hall decorated with frescoes and Renaissance paintings going back to the golden age of Venice, lit by glittering Murano chandeliers. The reception area is furnished with an antique velvet armchair, perfect for sipping a prosecco or Venetian spritz. Back in the 16th century, the original owners provided Venice with two of its doges, and today the stone corridors and high-ceilinged rooms have a classy, noble air, as if the ghosts of Caravaggio or Tintoretto might appear any moment and begin painting. Breakfast of cappuccino and croissants in the courtyard served by the friendly owners was a delightful way to start the day.
April

An Italian cookery school in an old castle

Castello di Montalero, east of Turin in the heart of the Monferrato region of Piemont, is a beautiful building with history going back to the 11th century, though much of the present structure was built ​on the old castle foundations around 1700. It has been lovingly restored by the family who provide a fantastic residential cookery school, plus interesting outings and adventures. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Christine Mason

A beautifully restored manor in Romania

Sitting above the Romanian village of Mâlâncrav in Transylvania, the 18th-century Apafi Manor is a beautifully restored manor house next to one of the region’s most exquisite Saxon fortified churches. At the end of a lush forested valley, the grand but comfortable interiors by the British designer David Mlinaric feature historic local art and furniture, making you feel as if you have stepped into a 19th-century historical novel. Enjoy candlelit dinners on the veranda made by a cook from the village, and while away afternoons in the magnificent library. It sleeps up to nine, and reasonable prices make for an affordable and magical retreat.
Benjamin

A castle above the Danube in Germany

If you fancy going medieval, then this 13th-century castle perched on a cliff overlooking the Danube in Baden-Württemberg should satisfy. We arrived at Wildenstein Castle youth hostel via a punishing zigzag cycle up the near-vertical outcrop, having ridden from the grand old river’s source in the Black Forest. The whitewashed walls conceal a large courtyard with comfy rooms and a great tavern in a crypt. The panoramic setting provides brilliant views across the Upper Danube nature park and wonderful sunsets. It is reputedly haunted, and exploring the passages and alleyways for ghosts is great fun for all. The abundant breakfast had plenty of delicious pastries, fuel for the next leg of our cycle.
Matt Lunt

Stay in a pineapple in Scotland

It is hard to explain the Pineapple. Stay to appreciate this 18th-century tribute to a fruit and the rise and fall of an estate. It is perched on the Dunmore Estate near Stirling, and was the location of our first Landmark Trust holiday. One wing contains two bedrooms and a bathroom, separated from the simple kitchen and comfortable living room by the Pineapple tower. It’s certainly quirky – walking across the lawn to the loo was a novelty for four nights. It’s dog-friendly and sleeps four, with historic reading and logbooks dating back to 1970s offering entertainment in the absence of TV and wifi.
Berenice

First world war history in Belgium

In the city of Poperinge, one of the few Belgian towns that did not fall to the Germans in the first world war, Talbot House was transformed into a club to offer relief to British soldiers. The house has been very well preserved by knowledgeable volunteers, and the chapel in the attic is a very special place of remembrance. The rooms and breakfast are lovely and very much in the spirit of the original club.
Zoe Leonard

Courtyard apartments in Seville

Seville is steeped in historic hotels, but most were more than my budget. Corral del Conde was surprisingly affordable and near the city centre. It’s a 16th-century corral (although it has Mudéjar origins in the medieval period) – a traditional community of apartments around a courtyard, with shared ovens and laundry sinks – and it’s incredibly pretty. It is a particularly evocative place for any fans of Spanish golden age theatre, because stages would be built in these corrales and locals would watch performances from the wooden balconies. For contrast, it’s a short walk from the giant mushrooms of Las Setas, a very different (and more modern) structure made of wood.
Sarah Collings

An old station in Staffordshire

Our stay with children and older relatives at Alton station, a Landmark trust property in Staffordshire, was both exciting and relaxing. It has glorious Victorian features, including stunning Minton tiles, and one of the bedrooms was the ticket office. It is incredibly interesting for railway enthusiasts, and leisurely bike rides down the disused railway were enjoyed by all.
Esme

Fishers’ cabins in Norway

Touring the Lofoten and Vesteralen islands of Norway, we stayed in several historic fishers’ cabins, but the best place was a little wooden house in Andenes. It is traditionally furnished in 19th-century style and forms part of a small private museum. Alma House is redolent of a time when life for fishing communities was isolated and dangerous, but time at home was precious. Like many holiday rentals in Norway, you may have to share with other holidaymakers, but that only adds to the unique experience.
Noelle

Winning tip: Parador paradise in Spain

We got to experience the delights of Hotel Indigo London Clerkenwell, having recently opened its doors, boasting a traditional British pub dubbed an ‘icon’ and a gorgeous 1930s themed bar

Finding a hotel in London, be it for business or leisure, can feel like a daunting task. There’s a catalogue of establishments promising a restful night to rest our heads after a busy day in the capital. However, there’s one that stands out.

Nestled in the heart of London’s design district and just a short distance from some of the city’s hotspots is the newly opened Hotel Indigo London Clerkenwell by IHG. The four-star boutique hotel sits in a welcoming neighbourhood, dubbed “one of London’s most creative postcodes”, which allowed us to comfortably slot into the lifestyle of locals during a weekend stay.

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It’s perfectly positioned to explore central London, including Barbican Centre, Little Italy and St. Paul’s Cathedral, being just a short walk away. If we needed to venture further into the city, Barbican underground tube station is just a five-minute walk from the hotel – that’s if we could tear ourselves away from our room.

Before we even reached our twin bedroom, we were impressed by the glowing clocks that were fixed outside every bedroom door, displaying the room number in time, and decorating the hotel halls. Once we stepped inside our room, we were welcomed into a chic retreat designed with sleek interiors, smart features, and a refined aesthetic that was as stylish as it was comfortable.

Plush twin beds with crisp white linens and a velvet forest green headboard anchored the room, while smart lighting, including a nifty reading light and an automatic light for the bathroom, along with built-in amenities, made our stay even more effortless. We made use of the espresso machine found in every room and the gorgeous Urban Apothecary London bathroom amenities.

There were subtle notes of baby pink and mustard yellow that complemented the green hues perfectly, while oak wood furnishings with touches of gold added to the room’s sophistication and style. Other delicate touches include the old-fashioned style phone and the ambient circle light above the beds – we felt tucked away from the bustling capital inside our little haven.

When it came to food, we were spoilt for choice and found that there was absolutely no need to dine out anywhere else during our stay, with their restaurant, Wilderness Kitchen, pub, Hat & Feathers and Sabini Bar all under one roof. Because we know, choosing somewhere to dine in London is another minefield to navigate.

We started our evening with a pre-dinner drink in the hotel’s luxurious cocktail bar, Sabini Bar, which is themed around Charles Sabini, a notorious gangster who operated in London’s Clerkenwell during the 1920s and 30s. We opted for a spiced margarita, exquisitely made by cocktail attender Ope, and sat on one of the plush velvet seats in their cosy and elegant nook of the bar.

This area of the bar featured a dramatic red curtain covering half the floor-to-ceiling windows, a large partisan-style rug over wooden floors and a dazzling orange-hued chandelier that hung above. While we can only dream of our own house being this lavish, it offered a sense of relaxed comfort with a boujee edge.

For dinner, we dined in their gorgeous Wilderness Kitchen with table booths decorated in greenery and stylish rattan chairs. Served by the friendly food & beverage supervisor, Amal, we started with the garlic chilli prawns with ginger, before indulging in a 100Z ribeye medium-rare steak served with chunky chips and peppercorn sauce.

After gazing upon the dessert menu, we couldn’t resist the warming and lightly rich chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. It was all washed down with a refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio Rosé.

Another highlight of the hotel’s food and beverage options is the Grade II listed Hat & Feathers pub, which is accessible directly from the hotel or via a main entrance outside. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy classic British pub dishes, local and international beers, in a cosy and traditional London pub, which is marked as “a Clerkenwell icon”.

For breakfast, we returned to the Wilderness Kitchen for a selection of continental options and poached eggs and avocado from their main menu. There were plenty of fresh juices on offer, along with coffees to help kickstart the day!

To book your stay at Hotel Indigo London Clerkenwell, or for more details, visit their website here.

WITH its harbour, picturesque beaches and rugged countryside, the island of Guernsey could be any ordinary holiday destination at first glance.

But scratch below the surface and you’ll uncover the fascinating story of its five-year occupation by the Nazis — and about an an unlikely survivor of the invasion, Timmy the Tortoise.

I was keen to learn about it during my adventure on the second largest of the Channel Islands.

So I booked several short guided day trips with Tours Of Guernsey.

Guide Amanda Johns and I ticked off all the key sites, from museums to former bunkers and even a German underground hospital.

This medical centre — which incredibly doubled up as an ammunition store — had to be the highlight, and the extensive dark passages are a must-see for any history buff.

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The huge maze of tunnels were excavated by slave labourers, leading to wards, operation theatres, escape shafts, a cinema room and mortuary.

Above ground, I headed to the northern coast to Fort Hommet, a former Martello tower which was turned into a searchlight bunker.

After the war, part of the bunker was transformed into The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, featuring 30 Biblical pictures made from seashells.

Other sites include the German Occupation Museum, a warren of rooms containing one man’s extensive collection of items from 1940.

The Pleinmont Gun Battery has been restored and offers terrific views across the English Channel.

Batterie Mirus, the largest World War Two gun battery in the Channel Islands, was my last stop.

Its underground bunker can only be viewed by private tour.

Restored by Festung Guernsey, with many original features being reproduced using a 3D printer, the walls within are still dotted with German inscriptions, including the Nazi Eagle.

Potato peel pie

It was an honour to pay it a visit the day after Princess Anne was shown around while on the island for the Liberation Day celebrations.

The day marks when Allied troops freed the locals from Nazi rule on May 9, 1945.

On the 80th anniversary this year, I witnessed a cavalcade of military vehicles, fireworks and a drone light show.

One local making headlines during the celebrations was Timmy, 87 — actually a female — who survived Nazi occupation.

She was given to Maggie Cull as a christening present in 1941, not long after she and her parents were turfed out of their home by the Nazis.

After all that history I’d certainly worked up an appetite.

Luckily my base, St Pierre Park Hotel, was just a 25-minute walk into St Peter Port, where there are pubs and restaurants aplenty.

Fifty Seven restaurant is set over two floors and has stunning views of Castle Cornet and the coastline.

The menu features steaks cooked fresh on the grill as well as some excellent fish dishes including oven-baked monkfish on chilli linguine.

As you’re by the sea, grab yourself some fish and chips — the restaurant at Les Douvres Hotel dishes up one of the largest portions I’ve ever seen.

On my last night I dined on a special Liberation Day menu at the Old Government House Hotel, close to the harbour.

This 5H property was turned into the German General Staff Headquarters during the war and it still has an old-world feel about it today.

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The menu featured a delicious potato peel pie, a dish created by locals to cope with food shortages during Nazi occupation.

The perfect meal to end my historical adventure.

FANCY a bit of the royal treatment? I know just the, er, palace.

The Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort on Morocco’s north-west coast is regal in both size and design.

With its dreamy arches and soaring ceilings, traditional Zellij tiling, tree-lined atrium and central courtyards, this five-star wonder is truly fit for royalty.

Inside, everything smells of rich orange blossom. You could get lost here. In fact, you want to.

In the early Noughties, the country’s King Mohammed VI wanted the fortified city of El Jadida, a Unesco World Heritage Site, to be emblazoned on the tourist map.

The Mazagan, from the same luxury Kerzner hotel group as Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm, has helped him achieve this.

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It is drawing an impressive crowd.

Pop princess Paloma Faith stayed here with her family this year and Moroccan golf star Ayoub Lguirati — winner of the first Arab World Professional Championship in 2023 — often plays the resort’s beachfront course designed by one of the sport’s greats, Gary Player.

Oh, and now I was there.

The 500-room Mazagan is so grand that it is home to one of North Africa’s largest casinos — and one evening, my friends and I joined the guests trying their luck on its 37 gaming tables, 80 roulettes wheels and 370 slot machines.

Good news for risk-takers is that the casino stays open 23 hours a day, so this hotel almost never sleeps.

But as amateurs, we didn’t fancy losing a king’s ransom on Blackjack, so moved on to the 1940s-themed Studio 42 lounge bar next door which is swathed in royal-green velvet drapes.

It has live music at weekends and serves glam cocktails including a homemade rosé liquor and gin concoction for £10, or local beer from £5.50, so is a sure bet for a nightcap or two.

When it came time to hit the hay, my ocean-view room was similar in its grandeur to the rest of the hotel, with traditional metal hanging lanterns, dark-wood furniture, and a bed that could fit a family of four.

Thankfully, 80 per cent of the rooms are connecting, so parents do not have to share with little ’uns.

Even with the balconette doors to my room closed, I could hear the inviting roar of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is safe to swim here — there’s a lifeguard during the day — but you can also rent paddle and bodyboards, or make the most of the swell with surf lessons.

Even in late September, temperatures in El Jadida can reach 30C.

Animal-lovers will enjoy a trip to the Mazagan’s farm, which has goats, cows and chickens. Its beachfront stables are immaculately maintained and the horses and ponies have shiny, glowing coats.

Riding on the beach has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, so on an unusually grey afternoon I climbed on to a palomino-coloured mare called Rosa and headed for the shore.

She trotted along Haouzia Beach, steadily swerving the incoming tide, as I sat back — nay, upright — to enjoy the view. The next day, for something more fast-paced, our group zoomed along the sand — thankfully flat — on quad bikes.

The Mazagan also has laser games, go-karting, paintballing, a 22ft climbing wall, archery, a gym, and pickleball and tennis courts. There are daytime clubs for both kids and teens, too.

But a holiday in Morocco calls for a spot of haggling in the medina — and just the place for that is Casablanca which is the country’s largest, most cosmopolitan city, just an hour’s drive from the hotel.

Built in the early 19th century by the French, the New Medina is smaller and less chaotic than its walled older counterpart but just as authentic.

We find everything from artisan teapots and pottery, leather bags and hand-woven Berber rugs, to stalls piled high with native olives for a fraction of what we would pay at home.

Casablanca also has a striking mix of religious buildings, owing to its colonial history.

Many of these, such as the monumental Hassan II Mosque on the city’s promenade, offer guided tours.

Arabesque carvings

The Hassan II Mosque is a gem — with the world’s second-tallest minaret at 689ft and an elaborately decorated prayer room which can fit 20,000 worshippers.

As is customary if entering a mosque, we removed our shoes.

Our guide then recounted tales of its craftmanship as we quietly admired the stonework, arabesque carvings, Murano glass chandeliers, and titanium doors weighing several tonnes.

For many Brits, though, Casablanca will conjure memories of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s 1942 film — although the wartime classic was actually filmed in Hollywood.

Disappointed to discover Rick’s Cafe from the film did not exist, an American woman opened a replica bar, with grand piano and Moroccan hanging lanterns, in the Old Medina in 2004.

“Of all the gins joints in all the towns”, to quote from the film, this one was well worth walking into for a boozy pit-stop on the way back to the Mazagan.

But, of course, there’s nothing wrong with spending a week simply lazing beside the resort’s lagoon-style pool, having treatments in its award-winning spa and eating and drinking like royalty in its 13 restaurants and bars.

The Market Place evening buffet offers an abundance of local and international dishes, from salads to saffron slow-cooked lamb, shawarma and a wok station.

Or the hotel’s jewel in the crown, the dimly lit Bushra restaurant, serves up Middle Eastern dishes and a live band to its impressively receptive diners.

Sat under gigantic brass chandeliers and dramatic drapes, even the grannies sang and clapped cheerily between mouthfuls of hummus with beef fillet, grilled jumbo shrimps and the most tender slow-cooked lamb.

Just like the flavours, the service is five-star — waiter Wafae deserves mention.

But I had my favourite-ever starter in Sel de Mer.

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The nautically-themed seafood restaurant has an extraordinary signature dish of blue lobster salad with fennel remoulade and mustard jus. At £26, it is not cheap, but lobster never is.

I could get used to living like a queen.