Category: UK

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London

Cool Things to do in London

1. BREAKFAST UP HIGH

Big Bus Tour: Stop 18

An interesting way to enjoy the spectacular views of London from
The Shard is to go for breakfast at Aqua Shard. Although you are ‘only’ on the 31st fl oor, the views are almost as stunning as the top and you don’t have to pay any extra for them. Even a full English (£14.50)costs less than the trip to the top.

Open: Breakfast is served Monday to Fridays from 7am to 10.30am (9am to 10am at weekends).

Info: 020 3011 1256; aquashard.co.uk.

Tube: London Bridge

Categories
London

Our Favorite Family-Friendly Hotels in London

The most stylish and family-friendly places to stay across London.

NOVOTEL IN BLACKFRIARS

At the Novotel in Blackfriars , children under 16 stay free or, for more independence, you can book them a second room at half the price of your own. The hotel will appeal to tech-savvy youngsters with its self-check-in desks, digital art, interactive virtual concierge system, iMac corner in the lobby, iPod docks and a video depicting underwater scenes on a wall alongside the hotel swimming pool.

Price: From £145 per night.

Info: 020 7660 0834, novotel.com

TOWER BRIDGE DOUBLETREE BY HILTON

At Tower Bridge DoubleTree by Hilton, families of four can book two interconnecting rooms from £193.50 per night, while its West End sister hotel in Bloomsbury, around the corner from the British Museum, has one- or two-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes (good for preparing the odd meal), from either £250 or £300 per night.

Price: From £193.50

Info: 0870 590 9090; doubletree.com

 

GRENVILLE HOTEL

A good value-for-money option within walking distance of many central attractions is the Grenville Hotel.

Price: Family rooms from £130 per night, including continental breakfast.

Info: grenvillehotel.co.uk

CHURCH STREET HOTEL

The Church Street Hotel in Camberwell Green is a unique, boutique B&B that could almost have been airlifted from Mexico. Older children will love its quirkiness, exotic decor and the Angels & Gypsies restaurant with its great tapas menu.

Price: From £125 per night.

Info: churchstreethotel.com

 

AIRBNB.CO.UK

Airbnb.co.uk has several privately owned properties all over London. Prices vary mainly according to location – for example, a two-bedroom apartment in Notting Hill costs around £200 per night; a two-bedroom, one-bathroom flat in an art deco block next to Grove Park station costs £92 per night.

Info: Airbnb.co.uk

 

CHISWICK MORAN HOTEL

You can save money by moving away from central London and still have access to central London and some of the city’s beautiful surroundings. At the Chiswick Moran Hotel, stay for two nights with breakfast and one family evening meal, plus entry to Kew Gardens (a 15-minute walk away).

Price: From £399 for a family of four.

Info: 020 8996 5200; chiswickmoranhotel.com

 

EDITION HOTEL

Treat the family to either a loft or a loft suite at the Edition Hotel in Fitzrovia (pictured) and enjoy a complimentary connecting room and ‘Big Kid, Little Kid’ treats, including a kid’s guide to London, movie night and a ‘London-inspired’ in-room tent (suitable for three- to eight-year-olds).

Price: From £515 per night.

Info: 020 7908 7900; edition-hotels.marriott.com

 

THE ATHENEUM

The Atheneum on Piccadilly, opposite Green Park, offers a range of options to suit families of all sizes and ages; adjoining bedrooms, suites and apartments with a kitchen, dining area and separate lounge. It also has a ‘kid’s concierge’ who can arrange tickets to shows or events and restaurant bookings, plus find out what your children love to read, watch and eat in order to stock up ready for your arrival.

Price: From £599 per night, including mini bar and the kids’ treats.

Info: atheneumhotel.com

 

THE GORING

If you fancy pushing the boat out, stay at The Goring, the hotel where Kate spent the night before the Royal wedding. Close to Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge and London’s many museums, it has a ‘VI(little) Ps exclusive’ offer that includes a pack with crayons, an activity book and a Goring passport so children can collect stamps from each area of the hotel. Children are also very welcome to don chef’s aprons in the kitchen and decorate freshly-baked cakes and cookies. And don’t miss the fabulous family afternoon tea (pictured below).

Price: Two interconnecting queen-bedded rooms cost from £720 per night, room-only.

Info: 0808 163 9094; prideofbritainhotels.com

 

THE GEORGIAN HOUSE HOTEL

Any wannabee wizards in the family? The Georgian House Hotel has two Wizard Chambers. The hotel also provides baby monitors, sterilisers, baby bath, high chairs and plastic cutlery and crockery. You can book a sitter through the website, as well as ordering nappies to arrive before you so you don’t have to bring them with you. There are toys and Lego available and cots are made up with a cuddly toy and bedtime story. There is a specially created children’s breakfast menu with organic ingredients.

The Wizard Chambers is modelled on a Hogwarts-like dormitory, with four-poster beds, faux castle detail such as stained glass windows, stonewalls, gothic arches and trunks, and beds hung with red and yellow velvet curtains. Wood-burning stoves, cauldrons in fireplaces and tapestries complete the look.

Packages can also include the Warner Brothers Studio and the Muggle Tours, which depart from nearby Victoria station.

Price: For a family of four in the Wizard Chambers, from £249 per night with breakfast.

Info: georgianhousehotel.co.uk

Categories
London

Park Plaza County Hall, London

With pizza classes and movie nights, Park Plaza County Hall is a boutique take on a child-friendly hotel; ideal for a quick family city break and a Family Traveller favourite.

Why go?

With the rare ability to make all ages feel welcome, Park Plaza County Hall is a special find. 

A sophisticated, modern take on child-friendly, this is the quintessential London city pad. You’ll love the warm family atmosphere and have hours of fun playing I-spy with the panoramic view of the Thames; remember to look out for Big Ben and the London Eye.

The lowdown

Price: From £159 per night and there are lots of room combination options. Also, check out the year-round Family Fun in the City package.

How to get there: Adjacent to Waterloo station, Park Plaza County Hall is easy to get to by train from all major cities in the UK. If you want to drive, it’s advisable to book a car park in advance as the hotel does not it’s own. We suggest Upark as it’s next door.

Activities

Throw some dough at the Park Plaza County Hall pizza-making class. A lovely alternative to London’s weekend crowds, the class is held on Saturday afternoons and is free for guests. And, when the stone-baking’s done, you’re encouraged to try your tasty creations. 

Family movie nights with popcorn and fizzy pop also offer hours fun, while you indulge at the spa.

In addition to the hotels’ entertainment, there’s the city of London where children will delight in historic sites and fun entertaihment including the theatre, shopping disctrict and boat and bus tours around the city.

Accommodation

Enchanted by the glittering water-side view of London, and in the mood for a treat, we booked into one of Park Plaza County Hall’s seven individually-styled penthouses. 

Life is rather beautiful from this fourteenth floor suite: the fully-equipped kitchen area has a dining table that’s handy for eating a quick snack together, the TV comes with hours of children’s entertainment (Wreck it Ralph being a particular favourite), and the magificent Thames-facing balcony is entirely child-safe with a sturdy barrier that even the most nimble little one couldn’t ascend.

If, however, you don’t feel like splurging on a penthouse, Park Plaza County Hall has a selection of spacious, reasonably priced rooms that will provide a stylish base for families on a city break. 

Food: Meal times are a family affair, with all ages encouraged to partake in a little colouring-in.

A morning feast is essential for a successful day in the city and, at Park Plaza County Hall, breakfast is a joy. Families are treated to a continental spread in a designated space, complete with film projector and soft-play area, and there’s no pressure for kids to be quiet.

Keeping with the family vibe, the hotel’s Italian restaurant, L’Italiano, encourages you to eat the Mediterranean way, around the table together.

This eatery is extremely spacious, with glassy walls and an amazing ceiling that stretches up fourteen floors high.

Child-friendly sophistication is personified in the hotel menu, which offers everything from scallops and quails eggs, to seasoned favourites like pizza and pasta.  

 

Categories
Wales

Pembrokeshire, Whales

A fabulous UK weekend break for the family with one of the most beautiful shorelines on mainland Britain.

Why go?

Known locally as ‘little England’ due to all the second-homers who spend huge portions of their holiday allowance in this far-flung corner of southwest Wales, the Pembrokeshire coast is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful shorelines on mainland Britain.

Paths wind along the top of green-headed rocky cliffs, which plummet down into churning, dark turquoise water, and the views out to sea never dip below spectacular. There are steep climbs and gentle downhill sections; pockets of woodland, reed-carpeted hollows and secluded beaches upon which the only sunbathers tend to be seals.

Pembrokeshire is made for children that like the outdoors, don’t mind walking and love the beach. The area is like a less-touristy version of Cornwall, but with a heavy Welsh accent and much more reliance on its natural beauty.

You won’t find many theme parks or kids’ attractions here; instead children are invited to make the most of the startlingly fresh, salt-drenched air and the relatively easy walking routes that criss-cross the gorse-swathed clifftops. That’s not to say child-friendly destinations don’t exist here.

Activities

The seaside town of Tenby is a glorious buckets-and-spades and sticks-of-rock destination, with three glorious beaches renowned for their clear, clean water, and a glorious 12th-century castle overlooking the harbour.

More atmospheric medievalism can be found at the remarkably well-preserved Pembroke Castle, the birthplace of King Henry VII and a dream daytrip for any child who’s ever buried their head in a Horrible Histories book.

And if that doesn’t do it for your kids, you could always take them to The Dinosaur Park in Tenby, a kind of Jurassic Park on sea, which is home to 30 life-sized recreations of the most popular giant reptiles.

Older children and teenagers will enjoy wildlife excursions out to Skomer Island, where grey seals and puffins reside throughout the summer. Thousand Island Expeditions’ offers boat trips out from St David’s into the Irish Sea, where you will see minke and pilot whales, plus dolphin and porpoise heaving in and out of the swell.

The lowdown

How to get there: From the east, you will come via the M4 and then via the A48 to Carmarthen followed by the A40 west to St.Clears. If you’re coming from the south, follow the A477 signposted for Pembroke Dock and Tenby. From the rest of the country, stay on the A40 for Haverfordwest and Fishguard.

Travel time: Driving from London takes approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Where to stay: Stylish guesthouse Llys Meddyg is located in a Grade II-listed Georgian building in the idyllic seaside village of Newport. As well as offering eight luxurious bedrooms (several of which accommodate children), it is also one of finest restaurants in West Wales. Perfect for hungry families returning from a day’s walking. Family rooms from £120 per night, including breakfast, based on two adults and two children under 12.

Categories
Wales

Plas Rhianfa Hotel, Anglesey

The family can discover this Welsh chateaux straight out of a children’s fairytale.

Why go?

For a good old-fashioned family jaunt, pack up the kids and head to the Isle of Anglesey on the glorious north-west coast of Wales. While not quite abroad, one of the joys of this hidden corner of Britain, with its craggy coastline, stone-clad villages and secret beaches, is that it feels like a million miles from home.  

Who is it good for? Children between the ages of 3 and 12 will love staying at Plas Rhianfa, a fairytale château-come-boutique hotel on the banks of the Menai Strait. Despite its obvious glamour, children are happily catered for with interconnecting bedrooms, a fully-equipped games room and excellent children’s menu. 

Activities

For a day out, pack a picnic and head to the nearby town of Beaumaris, a pretty little seaside resort with a medieval castle and tiny Victorian pier where crabs shimmy up crabbing lines by the dozen. Take a meander along the Anglesey Coastal Path, make sandcastles on the beach but be sure to end up at the Red Boat icecream parlour which serves delicious jelly bean gelato.

The best way to see any island is from the water. Jump aboard a RIB speedboat and take a (literally) hair-raising ride along the Strait to Puffin Island where dozens of smiling seals frolic in the shallow waters.

Back on land shake off your sea legs with a treasure hunt around the hotel’s manicured gardens followed by a proper Welsh cream tea, complete with cupcakes hand-decorated by the children. A

s the sun sets over Snowdonia, kick back with a glass of fine shiraz while the kids indulge in the world’s best game of hide and seek in the nooks, snugs and dark panelled corridors of this decadent Welsh chateau.

The lowdown

Price: Family rooms start from £199 per night on a B&B basis or £310 for two classic rooms with interconnecting doors.

Getting there: Virgin operates direct trains from London Euston to Bangor; from £76 return for an adult.

Travel time: Trains from London to Bangor take 3 hours 30 minutes, it’s then a 10 minute transfer by taxi from Bangor to the hotel. Pictures by Celynnen Photography, Plas Rhianfa Hotel.

Categories
England

20 Holidays Under £500

1) A HOUSEBOAT IN SUFFOLK

Climb aboard Twee Gebroeders, a restored 1914 Dutch sailing barge moored at Pin Mill on the River Orwell, for walking, skippered sailing trips and fishing. £465 (Easter), £480 (summer).

 

2) UNDER CANVAS IN WEST WALES

Book a ‘threepi’ (a large tipi with woodburner, sundeck and cooking facilities) at Fforest, a rural 200-acre site next to the river Teifi gorge, near Cardigan. Kayaking, coasteering and archery are available. £418 (Easter), £468 (summer), including breakfast.

 

3) CULTURAL FUN IN LONDON

Keep costs down by self-catering. Citadines Apart’hotels have fully equipped kitchens and sofa beds for children making them the perfect base for exploring the capital; £456.

 

4) CYCLING IN THE NEW FOREST

Rent some bikes and free-wheel along leafy routes through scenic woodland. A day’s hire is £16 for adults and £7 for children. Stay at nearby Forest Yurts. £390–£495.

 

5) EXPLORE NATURE IN SNOWDONIA

Enjoy bat walks, pond-dipping or bushcraft at the Rhyd-y-Creuau Field Studies Centre near Betws-y-Coed, a Georgian house with family rooms. £240, including meals and activities. For more information, visit Real Family Holidays.

 

6) WHITE-WATER RAFTING IN NORTH WALES

Try a Raft Safari adventure on the Tryweryn River. A two-hour trip costs £44 per person. Stay in the Bunk Room at St Curigs Church at Capel Curig. £240, including breakfast.

 

7) A HORSE-DRAWN GYPSY CARAVAN IN WILTSHIRE

Clip-clop through the Vale of Pewsey pulled by either Jack, Ned or Jimmy. The horses follow a set route, which includes lunch and overnight stops at local hostelries. Tuition and back-up available. £490. For more information, visitWhite Horse Gypsy Caravans.

 

8) FARM-BASED ACTIVITIES IN NORFOLK

Get a taste of rural life at College Farm near Beccles (voted Farm of the Year in 2013), where luxurious tents are equipped with a woodburning stove, beds, flushing toilets and running water. £399 for four nights.

 

9) AN ADRENALINE RUSH IN LLANGOLLEN

Try quad biking, archery, kayaking, high ropes or canyoning with Whitewater Active in North Wales (£50 per person for half a day). Stay at Llangollen Hostel; £240.

 

10) STEP BACK IN TIME IN SHROPSHIRE

Ironbridge Gorge is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and has 10 child-friendly museums. A family ticket costs £68. Stay at 1 Sternsmill Cottage; £420.

 

11) PONY TREKKING IN BRECON

Saddle up and explore the beautiful Welsh countryside on horseback. A half-day trek costs £144 for a family of four with two children under 16. £240 for two nights’ b&b. For more information, visit Tregoyd Mountain Riders.

 

12) A NARROWBOAT IN OXFORDSHIRE

Travel through the Cherwell Valley in a traditional canal boat. Boats take a maximum of 10, plus two dogs. £150–£240 per day. Two nights’ b&b in a canal cottage costs £260.

 

13) CAMP IN SHERWOOD FOREST

Base yourselves in a cosy wooden ‘pod’ at Clumber Park, with more than 20 miles of cycle routes to explore; £179.

 

14) COASTAL WALKS IN CORNWALL

Book the family suite at Bre-Pen, a working National Trust farm in Mawgan Porth that overlooks the sea. £297, including breakfast.

 

15) SEALS AND BEACHES IN NORTH NORFOLK

Take a seal-watching trip to Blakeney Point (adults £10, children £5). Stay at Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, £240.

 

16) A HEAD FOR HEIGHTS IN WALES

Challenge yourselves on Titan, a four-person zipline at Llechwedd Slate Caverns (£180 for four). Rooms at Pen-y-Gwynant Hotel cost £43 per person per night.

 

17) MEET THE ROMANS IN NORTHUMBERLAND

Stay at Causeway House in Bardon Mill, an 18th-century farmhouse with a roof thatched in heather. Ideal for exploring Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman fort of Vindolanda. £418.

 

18) LITERARY BREAK IN DORSET

Introduce your children to Thomas Hardy country by exploring Dorchester and the surrounding area. Yalbury Cottagein Lower Bockhampton costs £360 b&b.

 

19) STEAM TRAINS IN SCOTLAND

Board the Jacobite steam train, made famous by the Harry Potter films, for a day trip from Fort William to Mallaig. £34 for adults and £19 for children, return. Stay at Glenfinnan House Hotel. £300 for two nights.

 

20) AN ARTY BREAK IN CORNWALL

Explore Penzance and the west Cornish coast from the endearingly eccentric Artist Residence, complete with original works of art. £360 for a family room.

 

For more of what you love…

Read Make the most of your money for valuable travel advice and check out these money saving tips from American Express. For more cheap holiday ideas, choose from this list of 17 days out in the UK.

Categories
Scotland

Homecoming in Scotland

Homecoming in Scotland

Along with the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, this is a landmark year for Scotland with world-class events celebrating the Year of Homecoming.

ACTIVITIES

With such a rich and varied history, culture vultures will feel totally at home here. Scotland’s creative scene is buzzing and all across the country you’ll find museums and attractions to keep every member of the family happy, on top of that there will be a bumper programme of events running throughout the country. Here’s some of our favourites:

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Gastrofest (5-20 April)
Molecular gastronomy enthusiasts will love this Science Festival, which brings together science and food with wacky workshops like Nature’s Larder, showing you how to create novel meals using the biodiversity around; SciMart, ascientfic take on the standard farmer’s market and GastroLab, an evening of gastronomical surprises for all the senses.

TweedLove Bike Festival (24 May-8 June)
Active clans will love taking in the Highland air from two wheels at this bike festival.

Wickerman Festival (25-26 July)
If dancing in fields is your thing, pack up the troops for a weekend. Don’t worry, there will be no child sacrifices here. Instead sway to big name music acts, which play alongside a fun fair, circus acts, arts and crafts, segway hire and mountain biking. And there’s boutique camping in the form of yurts, tipis and cloud houses. 

Edinburgh Fringe (all of August)
The capital’s much-loved Fringe more than doubles its population as people flock for a month of comedy, theatre, dance and music.

Flavour Fortnight (8 August-14 September)
Visit this foodie festival in Dumfries & Galloway for chocolate making sessions, to learn about foraging and fishing, and head off for tours around local farms. There’s also specialist tips like how to make artisan bread, gluten-free dishes or home-brewed cider.

Brodick Highland Games (8 August)
Soak up the Scottish heritage with traditional caber hurling, tug of wars, races for children and piping aplenty.

Findhorn Bay Arts Festival (24-28 September)
The lesser-known cousin of the Edinburgh Fringe will draw in the thespians among you, here Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish play’ will receive a new lease of life for the 21st century in the world premiere of Macbeth: the Red King in September. Promising high drama set against the stunning backdrop of Brodie Castle near Forres, it’s one of the highlights of this dynamic festival on the Moray coast.

For more infomation: VisitScotland

Categories
England

Sailaway, Constantine Bay

The secret ingredient to Constantine Bay on the north Cornish coast is this home-from-home holiday house just minutes from the beach.

Why go?

Constantine Bay, on the north Cornish coast, is a lovely spot for a laid-back UK break and if you’re visiting with the family be sure to check in to Sailaway, a holiday cottage on a quiet lane just five minutes from the soft sandy beach. 

Who’s it good for? Babies, toddlers or pre-teens will love this seaside holiday, and parents will find the child-friendly property’s location – right next to the beach – ideal. 

Activities

The coast: Children will love exploring Constantine Bay’s sheltered rock pools and building sandcastles.The walk to Treyarnon Bay across an easy stretch of headland and reef takes you past caves to a natural swimming pool. The Treyarnon YHA runs a café here too, so have a hot chocolate pit-stop. 

Walking: Older children and adults will enjoy longer walks from Constantine Bay to the next beach, Boobys Bay (no sniggering!) and may want to carry on along the coast path to Trevose Head and its lighthouse, a brisk 45-minute hike. There’s kite-flying and surfing lessons from the beach – kit for all ages can be rented at the Constantine Bay Surf School, a few minute’s walk from the house. 

Nearby: Constantine Bay Store, next door, is well stocked with local goodies – picnic hampers can be arranged, and you can pre-order fish in the morning, knowing it’ll be ready to pick-up in the afternoon, having been freshly caught. When the kids tire of the beach, take them to Crealy Great Adventure Park, a 10-minute drive away, and there’s junior golf to try at the renowned Trevose Golf Club, on Sailaway’s doorstep (membership fees apply). 

Padstow: Famous for its many celebrity-owned restaurants, the town is also the start of the scenic Camel Trail, a cycle route that is gentle enough for the whole family to enjoy. Bikes can be hired from Padstow Cycle Hire, which is right on the waterfront (and they have tag-along bikes to attach to yours, trailers and children’s bikes too.)

Accommodation

Sailaway is full of natural light, it’s spacious and decorated in lovely nautical colours, all blues and whites. It is also fully-equipped to make it feel like a home-from-home. Practical family items such as cots, high chairs, boxes stuffed full of toys, a child-sized table and chairs, and potties will save on your luggage space.

The split-level house sleeps eight: there are four bedrooms (one en-suite, and two with twin beds), an open-plan living room with sea views, a separate living area leading to a big garden, a balcony, laundry facilities and plenty of parking space. There’s also a modern kitchen with a stack of latest cookery books. And if you and your brood are feeling lazy or it’s raining, the house is kitted out with two flatscreen TVs, DVDs, WiFi, and a Playstation 2.

The lowdown

Price: Weekly rental rates are from £900-£2795 dependent on the time of year. For more information, visit sailaway-constantine.co.uk, or call 07515 663799.

How to get there: Constantine Bay is around 300 miles from London, right next to Padstow, in Cornwall. To get there take the M4, and then the M5 towards Bristol (West). Then take the A39, onto the B3276 into Constantine Bay. The postcode is PL28 8JJ. First Great Western runs from London Paddington to Newquay, and an hourly bus, (number 556) runs from Newquay to Padstow, stopping in Constantine Bay.

Travel time: Driving from London takes around 4 hours and 30 minutes. The train from London Paddington takes just over 5 hours.

Categories
England

Sea Garden Cottages, Tresco

Have some old-school fun on Tresco, the car-free island where parents and kids can cycle safely, stopping for a picnic to explore hidden coves.

Why go?

An absence of cars, swathes of sandy beaches and a tropical garden to get lost in: Tresco Island is packed to the gunnels with old-fashioned family fun.

Activities

The joys of staying here include wrap-around views of the gin-clear ocean, St Martins and the Eastern Islands, which emerge atmospherically on the horizon. Days are spent exploring sheltered coves, picnicking on the rocks, going on a shipwreck trail, cycling the quiet roads, kayaking, eating fresh fish and hanging out with family and friends.  Food: Guests on a dinner, bed and breakfast tariff eat at the Ruin Beach Café, which serves a Mediterranean-style menu. Those self-catering are limited to supplies from the Tresco Stores, which is costlier than the mainland, but also look out for farmer’s roadside stalls.

The lowdown

Nine new one-bed cottages, alongside 16 larger properties, form the Sea Garden Cottages, and each of the cottages has a roomy living area complete with a sofa bed. Seven larger properties sleep up to 10 and are available on a self-catering basis. Strollers and travel cots are available, babysitters are on hand and there’s an indoor pool and Jacuzzi.

Price: One night bed and breakfast in a one-bed Sea Garden Cottage; from £160 per person. Children under 12 years are charged at 70 percent of the daily rate. Children under 12 years occupying a sofa bed are charged £50 each daily. A larger cottage starts from £1,615 per week on a self-catering basis.

How to get there: Skybus flights to St Mary’s Airport go from Exeter, Newquay and Lands End airports. You can also take the Scillonian III from Penzance, which sails Monday to Saturday and takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to reach St Mary’s. Once there, you can take a 20 minute boat trip from the main quay St Mary’s.

Categories
Scotland

Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh

Two old friends leave the kids behind and head to the Scottish capital to rediscover the joys of long, leisurely meals and uninterrupted conversation.

Why go?

As any parent of young children knows, the opportunity to catch up with friends on a child-free break doesn’t come around all that often. So when my friend Brenda suggested we have a girls’ weekend away in Edinburgh, I jumped at the chance.

We both live close to Edinburgh, so the Scottish capital seemed the perfect place to head to for a girls weekend. After all, the city combines cosmopolitan elegance with spectacular scenery. Oh – and some seriously stylish hotels. 

We opt for the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, close to the bars and shops on Princes Street, and therefore ideally situated for an indulgent child-free break. The hotel looks as though it’s been lifted from the pages of an upmarket interiors magazine. There are velvet chairs, luxurious beds and a glass-walled bathroom. And a glance out the window reveals stunning views of the castle. 

Activities

Spa: When we step through the glorious One Spa’s doors, the first thing I am struck by is the noise – or the complete lack of it. Brenda’s booked in for a special pregnancy massage and, as she heads off with her spa therapist, I try to decide how best to spend the 55 minutes in which she’s being pampered. I’m spoilt for choice. The spa is home to a pool, gym and café, as well as a hammam, several saunas and even a tepidarium (no, I’m not sure either). But none of these can compete with the lure of a heated spa chair and the space to read a magazine in peace.

Food: That evening, we sit down to dinner in the hotel’s One Square restaurant, which overlooks Festival Square and beautiful Usher Hall. There’s a very refined cocktail bar but, as we’re both starving, we cut straight to our table in the dining area, with its stylish multi-coloured lighting and Ercol-style seats.

And unlike many top-class dining experiences, the service is natural, relaxed and lacking insnootiness. For our mains, we both opt for cuts of prime fillet Scottish steak and crispy fries, cooked to perfection.

The highlight of the meal, though, comes in the form of puddings. One Square ingeniously matches its dishes to specialist dessert cocktails, so my rhubarb cheesecake with a crunchy ginger-nut base is served with a fabulous rhubarb daiquiri made with Havana Club rum, homemade sorbet and freshly squeezed lime juice. Brenda’s dessert tops mine. We both marvel as her After Eight mint sphere, served with ice-cream, melts enticingly as the waiter pours hot chocolate sauce onto it from a height.

The Lowdown

Getting there: easyJet, Virgin and British Airways all fly daily from London to Edinburgh, from £120 return. East Coast (08457 225 333; eastcoast.co.uk) offers trains, from £40 return.

The hotel: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa (0131 229 9131). Club rooms from £235 per night, including breakfast. Doubles from £185.

Where to eat and drink: Brambles (0131 226 6343); Ecco Vino (0131 225 1441); The Living Room (0131 226 0880); Tigerlily (0131 225 5005).