Great ESCAPES

ART DECO AMBIENCE: Allow yourself a decadent trip back in time - think New York in the Roaring Twenties – with a stay in Hotel Gotham, which may just be the coolest hotel to open for some time. The Edwin Lutyens-designed Art Deco gem offers panoramic views of Manchester and is located in the heart of the city’s designer shopping district.

With such a landmark building, to skimp on the interiors would have been criminal. But Bespoke Hotels have pulled it off with a decadent design peppered with nods – such as laundry ‘swag’ bags – to the building’s past as a bank. Rooms start from £150, see hotelgotham. co.uk. AFFORDABLE AFRICA: If seeing the big five on an African safari has always seemed beyond your budget, you may want to check out GoHop.ie which offers a range of safari and city or beach combinations starting from €746pp for a six-day tour dep. May 16. (This week’s flight quote is €795) That’s for the Victoria Falls to Johannesburg tour which also takes in Kruger National Park to satisfy safari enthusiasts. Flights are not included and vary, but you could expect to pay €795. Of course, if you want to blow the budget, there are plenty of options including a 45-day journey dep. June 3 from the sand dunes of Cape Town to the Serengeti in Kenya, taking in seven countries in all, for €3,129pp plus flights (approx €650). See Gohop.ie for more. Note flight prices can vary so call (01) 241 2389 for an exact quote. See Gohop.ie EXOTIC ESCAPE: The Indian Ocean is another place that has an expensive ring to it, with plenty of once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon-type prices. But Tropical Sky has seven nights’ half board at the four-star Tangerine Beach resort in Kalutara on Sri Lanka’s western coast from €1,109pps – down from €1,599 – for May 1-July 23 departures. Price is for a deluxe room and includes Etihad flights from Dublin. See tropicalsky.ie or call (01) 664 9999 or (066) 716 4410.