CHECK IN AND HELP OUT
From aiding local charities to supporting ex-servicemen, these places to stay offer more than just a welcome
THERE are all sorts of ways to help good causes, besides putting money in a box or setting up a standing order. So raise your philanthropic profile and check in at one of these places to stay. All profits go to charity.
Saluting Nelson The Royal Maritime Hotel & Club, Portsmouth
A FORMER sailors’ home, this 100-bedroom hotel is run by a charitable foundation. For admirers of the admiral, the main attraction is that it’s just a cannonball shot away from his superbly preserved flagship, HMS Victory, in the historic dockyard. DO GOOD: Veterans enjoy reduced rates; in certain cases free or reduced price respite holidays are offered to ex-servicemen. DETAILS: Doubles with breakfast from £70 (royalmaritimeclub.co.uk).
Dreaming Spires The Tower House, Oxford
THIS charming guest house with just eight rooms could hardly be in a better position for exploring Blackwell’s bookshop. Jesus College and Merton College are near by. DO GOOD: All profits support Oxford Hub, helping university students start local community projects. DETAILS: Some rooms share bathrooms. Ensuite doubles with breakfast from £130 (towerhouseoxford.co.uk).
Magic lantern Galloway Lighthouse Cottages, Mull of Galloway, Wigtownshire
THIS trio of self-catering cottages lies on Scotland’s most southerly point. The cottages, which sleep between four and six, are run as holiday lets by the Mull of Galloway Trust, which helped the commu-nity turn surrounding heathland into a nature reserve. You may need earplugs: the Mull of Galloway is home to mainland Scotland’s only operational foghorn. DO GOOD: The trust awards grants to local community groups and businesses. DETAILS: A week in low season (January to late March) from £530 (lighthouseholiday cottages.co.uk).
Somerset-on-Sea The Beach Hotel, Minehead
THIS is a great location for exploring Exmoor National Park. The South West Coast Path is on your doorstep, and the West Somerset heritage railway runs for 20 miles to Bishops Lydeard. DO GOOD: The hotel is staffed largely by apprentices, with some employees coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. DETAILS: Doubles with breakfast from £85 (thebeachhotel.org).
A greener week
Centre For Alternative Technology (CAT), Snowdonia
CAT is an educational centre which explores all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic farming.
On the site of a disused slate quarry, the eco-friendly complex lies in the South Snowdonia National Park and offers 24 rooms with inspiring mountain views. DO GOOD: All profits support the charity’s educational activities. DETAILS: Doubles from £80 a night including breakfast (cat.org.uk).
Harbour delight Lifeboat College, Poole
ENJOY the tremendous view from this swanky corner of Dorset. The college, the home of RNLI training, is by Holes Bay in Poole Harbour.
Explore nearby the Sandbanks peninsula or hop on the ferry to the nature reserve on Brownsea Island, which has red squirrels and is said to have inspired Enid Blyton.
DO GOOD: All profits go toward upkeep, training and funding lifesaving equipment. DETAILS: Doubles with breakfast from £89 (rnli.org).
Float Your Boat Good Hotel, London
ENJOY views of the O2 and Canary Wharf Tower from the Good Hotel, berthed in Royal Victoria Dock, in the redeveloped London Docklands.
Built on a large floating platform, it is the brainchild of a Dutch social entrepreneur and has 148 rooms. DO GOOD: All profits go to educating children in Guatemala and helping local long-term unemployed people train in hospitality at the hotel or elsewhere. DETAILS: B&B doubles from £85, with river view £110 (goodhotel.co/london).