HELLO, HOTELS
Keep your options open for half term
The summer half-term break will be many families’ first chance for a holiday this year. However, with self-catering stays in short supply and a recent rush on hotels, some favourites might be fully booked. Here are five spots that make a worthy plan B.
COTSWOLDS If you like... The Fish Hotel, Broadway Try... The Lygon Arms, Broadway
The three magical treehouses at top Cotswolds spot The Fish are perfect for families, but booked up until October. Lucky, then, that only a 10-minute drive away is the venerable Lygon Arms, a coaching inn with roots dating back to the 13th century and an eclectic roster of former guests, from Oliver Cromwell to Elizabeth Taylor. The historic feel, well-thought-out children’s menus and a swimming pool make it a good choice for your brood. Dogs are welcome to stay in certain rooms and even leave with a Le Chameau (known for their designer wellies) bed and bowl. If you can’t get away at half-term, the hotel is free stays for children under 16 during the summer holidays. Rooms from £220; lygonarmshotel.co.uk
LONDON If you like... Claridge’s, Mayfair Try... The Dilly, Mayfair
Good news: Claridge’s still has rooms in early June, so you can whisk your family away for a stay in this grandest of grand hotels, preferably in one of their signature suites filled with history and royal grandeur. If the price point is an issue, try The Dilly instead, a rebranding (and ongoing refurb) of Le Méridien Piccadilly. Behind the Regency-era facade, the style is generally pared back, though flourishes include the large indoor pool and banquet hall, which will host a pop-up from Indian restaurant Madhu’s this summer. The hotel is relaunching with family-focused packages, such as a stay in a family room with breakfast for four, plus a walking tour of the West End followed by milk and cookies. Rooms from £219; thedillylondon.com
CORNWALL If you like... Fowey Hall Try... Padstow Harbour Hotel
Finding somewhere to stay in Cornwall for half-term is becoming tougher by the day. Family favourite Fowey Hall (said to have inspired Toad Hall in The
Wind in the Willows) is out, but if you get in quickly, Padstow Harbour Hotel still has a few rooms left. Part of the burgeoning beachy Harbour Hotels group (its outposts in Christchurch and Brighton also have half-term availability), expect a cheery coastal style in a renovated Victorian hotel. Order a round of seafood burgers at the breezy restaurant with harbour views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Out and about, the hotel can arrange “sea safaris”, cycling along the Camel Valley Trail and lessons at a nearby surf school. Rooms from £204; harbourhotels.co.uk/ padstow
LAKE DISTRICT If you like... Another Place, Ullswater Try... Armathwaite Hall, Keswick
Ullswater’s Another Place is a hit with families, thanks to its array of water sports and relaxed eco-friendly style. Like its Cornish sibling Watergate Bay, it’s packed at half-term, but fortunately the Lakes has other good options. Hotels don’t come more family-friendly than Armathwaite Hall, an old stately home at the head of the mighty Bassenthwaite Lake and surrounded by 400 acres of woodland. More like a mini-resort, with its tennis courts, pool and spa, there’s an array of activities on offer including archery, kayaking and wild swimming. Guests also have disoffering counted entry to the next-door wildlife park, with children going free. Be sure to book ahead for the alpaca walks. Rooms from £240; armathwaite-hall. com
NORTH YORKSHIRE If you like... Swinton Park, Ripon Try... Rudding Park, Harrogate
After its recent role in BBC Two’s Amazing Hotels, Swinton Park’s phones have no doubt been ringing off the hook, and you’ll struggle to find a room at halfterm. For an alternative Yorkshire country pile, try nearby Rudding Park, a more contemporary take on the theme. A fresh-feeling family suite has access to a private garden, plus a bunk room kitted out with a flat-screen television and reading lights. For older children there are interconnecting rooms. Other draws are the extensive grounds, large pool and spa complex, and the golf course. Rooms from £275; ruddingpark.co.uk