This weekend, another Hallmark-friendly holiday approaches, but this one really is worth celebrating. Rather than inscribing a heart-shaped ‘mum’ tattoo on your right bicep, show your affection with a sumptuous spa retreat (where you get to be perfectly pampered, too)…
Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
This historic hotel and spa in the West Country is grade II-listed Cotswold stone, and set in magnificent grounds. The tastefully decorated interior is neither too contemporary nor too classic. Book in for a Saver Sunday & Monday this weekend – you’ll dine at the Michelin-starred restaurant on the first night and at the Swiss-style brasserie on the second. Leave a few hours spare to relax in the acclaimed Aquarias Spa and make full use of the hydrotherapy pool, heated steam cabins and essence-infused showers.
Rates From £670, based on two people sharing for a two-night stay (Sunday–Tuesday), including dinner and full English breakfast.
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Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath
English elegance is epitomised at this Bath hotel by the perfect proportions of the neo-classical architecture, the cobblestones underfoot and the views of the hills and honey-coloured city. The hotel, which occupies the centre of this terraced street, is beautiful – classical in decor, and as comfortable as can be. The Bath House spa is acclaimed for being small-scale, serene and very, very relaxing. Their Special Mother’s Day spa package includes a one-night luxury stay with free upgrade, full English breakfast, a three-course dinner at the Dower House restaurant, a half-hour treatment of your choice and a gift from the spa.
Rates From £330 a room (valid on 14th March 2010 only).
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Cowley Manor, Cotswolds
From the outside, the astonishing grandeur of this Italianate stone house near Cheltenham will make you think that nothing inside can match it. But the flamboyant aesthetic employed on the interior will soon make you realise otherwise. The effect of cowhide window seats and comical papier-mâché ‘hunting trophies’ is a world away from the usual country-house hotels. The C-Side spa has four treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym and a sauna. Buy your mum a Revitalising Retreat, which will get you an overnight stay in the best available room at booking, breakfast, an hour-long spa treatment each and a bottle of Green & Spring Revitalising Exfoliating Body Wash to take home with you.
Rates £275 based on two people sharing one room (valid until the end of March 2010).
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The Feversham Arms Hotel & Spa, North Yorkshire
The quaint and castle-toting North Yorkshire village of Helmsley is host to this award-winning, Victorian-built boutique hotel, where guests go to hide away from urban hubbub, ramble the majestic moors, or ensconce themselves for shooting season. This is a rural retreat that promises an irresistible combo of cosseting, duck-down-pillowed cosiness inside and wild, wuthering moorland out. Spoil your mother at the Verbena Spa which will be open till 9pm on the Sunday (so there’s lots of time to try out the aroma room, salt inhalation room, sauna, outdoor hot tub, heated outdoor pool, monsoon shower and ice fountain).
Rates £79 a person for the Spa Special, which includes full use of the spa, a 45-minute treatment, light lunch and a glass of champagne. Stay the night from £280 B&B.
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Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa, County Durham
This clifftop coastal hotel was the scene of Lord Byron’s wedding to Annabella Milbanke in 1815. What’s more, the ancient stones of Hadrian’s Wall are only a short drive away. But if you’re all about the holistic rather than the historic, you won’t want to venture far from the spa at this hi-tech design hotel. Opt for the Mother and Daughter day package, on offer six days a week (excluding Saturday) until the end of March. Both guests will have lunch and full use of the spa, but it’s the mothers who get to feel really special with two spa treatments – a 35-minute massage and an Elemis Lime and Ginger Salt Glow.
Rates £210 for two people, without accommodation.
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To book any of these spa delights, call our 24-hour Travel Team on 0845 034 0701.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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The 2010 La Dolce Vita show is set to honour all things Italian this week. We’ll be there of course – look out for our Graham and Green-styled stall, G1. In greedy anticipation, we’re playing foodie Top Trumps with six of Italy’s regions, highlighting their signature plate-toppers and suggesting where to sleep off the calories…
UMBRIA
Countryside Rolling hills, Roman ruins
Country Life Walk like an Etruscan
Style Italy’s landlocked heart lies dead centre between Florence and Rome – a bucolic blanket of hills, peaks and plains.
Eat Wild boar, mountain lamb and game are typical meats of the region. Umbria’s ricotta cheese is salted and rolled in bran – perfect for crumbling over pasta. Castelluccio lentils – DOC regulated – are from the high-altitude plains of the Monti Sibillini and, like puy, make a really toothsome soup with some nuttiness. Truffles, aka tartufi, are highly prized in Umbria.
Sleep Bed down in Palazzo Senecca, a peaceful palace with a restaurant and spa, tucked away down narrow Norcian streets. Or make Locanda Palazzone – a volcanic-stone vineyard barn overlooking Orvieto – your boutique basecamp, and picnic in the glorious grounds, planted with beds of lavender and roses.
PUGLIA
Coastline The shapely heel of Italy
Coast life Trulli, madly, deeply
Style Located in Italy’s sunny south, Puglia has a unique character and charm, little known to outsiders; the Italians who flock here in the summer keep this laid-back playground of blue sea, golden sands and olive groves strictly a family affair.
Eat Enjoy an abundance of sun-ripened fruit and vegetables and delicious olive oil. Definitely try the local pasta, orecchiette (or ‘little ears’). The region produces huge amounts of wine, too: Salice Salentino, a full-bodied red, is one of the best.
Sleep Stay at Masseria Cimino, a romantic, tiny terracotta farmstead set among coastal olive groves, ornamented with artfully rusted farm tools, dried plants and flowers, and jars of preserves. Or head to La Sommità, a converted 16-century palace in Ostuni, with a spa and a restaurant specialising in excellent Puglian cuisine.
TUSCANY
Countryside Ancient towns, fertile slopes
Country life Pleasures for every palate
Style If the slopes dotted with cypress trees and olive groves don’t win your heart, the aromas and flavours of the flourishing farmlands will.
Eat Peasant fare at its finest: fagioli-filled soups and stews, cold-pressed olive oil, pecorino cheese, mushrooms and wild boar from Maremma’s pine forests. The sweet-toothed should try a slice of Panforte di Siena: a spicy, chewy calorie bomb of almonds, honey, cocoa and candied peel.
Sleep Retreat from the restaurants to JK Place’s private perfection, perched on a Florentine piazza. Or try Riva Lofts, a dreamily rustic boutique B&B on a leafy Arno riverside, filled with contemporary artworks and an array of vintage chairs ranging from Louis XIV to Mies van der Rohe.
SICILY
Countryside Vineyards, villages, volcanoes
Country life Exotic architecture, passionate people
Style Bustling cities, miles of coastline, and world-class wining and dining – this Southern Italian island showcases Med living at its most vibrant.
Eat Feast on pasta and risotto, freshly baked focaccia and tasty seafood, such as grilled swordfish or stuffed squid, all in one sitting. This is also the land of the sweet fortified wine, Marsala, named after the city on the west coast from where it originates.
Sleep Stay at Azienda Agricola Mandranova and you’ll be thrust into the heart of Sicilian family life – with its emphasis on conviviality and the cucina. Casa Talia is an intimate, seven-room B&B overlooking ancient Modica, styled by two Milanese designers. Then there’s Le Lumie, set in a secret courtyard, with just three understated modern rooms, each elegantly colour-themed.
PIEDMONT
Countryside Prosperous foothills
Country life Farming and feasting
Style Until the 19th century, folk in this aristocratic province spoke French and, geographically, it has a multiple personality too, with its rolling farmland punctuated by perfectly preserved mediaeval villages and energetic industrial towns.
Eat Ditch diet thoughts and revel in a serving of Castelmagno cheese melted over gnocchi, washed down with a full-bodied Barbera, Barbaresco or Barolo, or the ubiquitous Asti Spumante. Try bônet, a local pud made with amaretti biscuits.
Sleep Welcome to La Villa, a cheap-chic palazzo in Monferrato vineyards, surrounded by spectacular scenery and some of the finest restaurants in Italy. Each room in the 17th-century building has been decorated with impeccable taste, blending historic features with modern essentials.
SARDINIA
Coastline Emerald sea and rocky mountain
Coast life Yachts and fishing boats
Style This Mediterranean island has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and if you venture inland you’ll find breathtaking countryside.
Eat As an island culture poised between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, Sardinia has the fresh, tasty food that you’d expect, from home-style simple produce to Michelin-starred cuisine. The north of the island is famous for its shellfish in particular.
Sleep La Coluccia occupies a gorgeous whitewashed building a few metres from its own private beach. It’s the perfect spot to soak up the sun poolside or bliss out in the spa, and the billionaire’s playground of Costa Esmeralda is within easy reach.
As if all this wasn’t enticement enough, sign up for Smith membership before 11 March and you’ll receive a pair of free tickets to La Dolce Vita (worth £28). Join us at the exhibition and you could win one of three Mr & Mrs Smith prizes (two-night weekend stays in Italy, including accommodation, breakfast, dinner in the hotel’s restaurant on one night, return air travel from a London airport, and transfers or car hire in Italy), along with a host of other treats…
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Travel buyers for the first time this year rated Crowne Plaza as the top upscale/select-service brand in the U.S. Hotel Chain survey, as the brand surged past its competition amid several years of expansion and multimillion-dollar renovations.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ artsy Le Meridien brand this year by a hair ended JW Marriott’s three-year reign atop the upper upscale tier in Business Travel News’ 2010 U.S. Hotel Chain Survey, which tabulated ratings from 387 buyers.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Ritz-Carlton wrested top honors in the U.S. Hotel Chain Survey’s deluxe tier after a year luxury hoteliers called the most challenging in the tier’s history.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. president and COO Simon Cooper recently spoke with Business Travel News hotel editor Michael B. Baker about corporate travel’s role in the luxury tier and changes within parent company Marriott International.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Marriott International today announced plans to double its European portfolio in the next five years, growing from 40,000 to 80,000 rooms in the region by 2015.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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Hampton Inn this year strengthened its position at the top of the U.S. Hotel Chain Survey’s midprice tier, improving its overall score with a near-sweep of every criterion.
Written by Travel News on March 11th, 2010 with no comments.
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A flight to Geneva, a train to Martigny and a 100 minutes of driving will get you to Switzerland’s sunniest ski resort: Verbier. Nothing prepared me for quite how special a few days here would be: it’s upmarket but down-to-earth; sophisticated yet unsnooty; and when the weather’s right, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
This weekend, it was fantastically snowy and conditions were perfect; the chaps hit the slopes while we went snowshoeing, spaing and swimming. We stayed at Le Ti Chalet, one of Smith Ski’s luxury Verbier lodges, where the attention to detail and everything-thought-of service were first-class in every way; chalet girls Sally and Marcelle were as helpful as they were delightful. But wow, the dining – we ate and drank like kings! Steve Carss, our chef, wowed us at every turn. Sweet-adorned cupcakes fast-tracked their way to our hearts; later, a traditional Raclette (a typical melted Swiss cheese dish that beats fondue into submission) won us over anew. Incredible house wines selected from the chalet’s cellar included a delicious Argentinian chardonnay from Mendoza.
Allowing these two Mrs Smiths a little time off while our Mr Smiths enjoyed the downhill action outside was babysitting service Petit Verbier, who sent the loveliest nannies to help with our toddlers (thank you to Charlotte for making the pretty pasta necklace with Kitty). While they played, we pampered, enjoying expert de-stressing treatments from Rosie, one of the mobile masseurs from Chilali.
The season ends at the end of April and, if you’re lucky, you could snap up a couple of midweek spots before it’s too late. And remember, if you book Chalet Le Ti with Mr & Mrs Smith, you’ll earn lots of Smith Pounds to enjoy on some après-ski fun a little closer to home…
Written by Travel News on March 8th, 2010 with no comments.
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Fraser Suites Seef Bahrain
Al Seef, Road 2825, Block Al Seef 428, Bldg 2109
Fraser Suites Seef Bahrain offers luxurious, fully serviced accommodation in Seef Mall, where the best in shopping, dining, and entertainment await you. At this great location, 15 minutes from Bahrain International Airport, major businesses are just moments away.
The hotel has a long list of recreational facilities including an outdoor swimming pool with Jacuzzi and children’s wading pool with whirlpool, a well-equipped gym with panoramic view, and a spa area with spa pools, sauna and steam rooms.
Al Raya Suites
Seef, facing BIEC
In the Seef area in front of the exhibition centre, the Al Raya Suites offers stylish, luxurious and modern accommodation, conveniently located in the business district.
Situated between the Bahrain Shopping Mall and Dana Mall, the hotel is very close to the central market and the famous Al Seef and City Centre shopping malls.
The Al Raya Suites offers great services and facilities which include free wireless internet in the entire hotel, a quality restaurant, and an outdoor swimming pool.
Ewa Hotel Apartments
Seef Central Area
Overlooking the pristine waters of the Gulf in the heart of Manama City, the Ewa Hotel Apartments offers a range of guest accommodation and self-catering accommodation.
This aparthotel features a selection of guest rooms and apartments, ranging from deluxe hotel rooms to 3 bedroom apartments with kitchen facilities. Guest accommodation is modern and contemporary in style.
The Ewa Hotel Apartments has its own on-site café that serves a range of snacks and drinks. Guests can also enjoy pre-ordered continental breakfast served in their rooms or order food in through neighbouring outlets to enjoy in the apartment.
The property is within walking distance of Marina Mall, Lulu Centre and Bab Al Bahrain. Ewa Hotel Apartments is also close to Bahrain Financial Harbour and Bahrain Exhibition Centre.
Written by Travel News on March 8th, 2010 with no comments.
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