Yahoo News Looking to escape for a weekend away? Check out our favourite ideas
- 1/16
Looking to escape for a weekend away? Check out our favourite ideas
Looking for ideas for the perfect weekend break? We've rounded up our favourite places to book for weekends away at home and abroad.
From the Cotswolds to Paris and Somerset to Lisbon, we've picked the perfect places to escape from it all for a mini-break this year.
Whether you're looking for two-night breaks or a slightly longer trip, perhaps for a Bank Holiday weekend, our ideas for weekends away will take you to a variety of places at home and abroad.
Weekend getaways are perfect for travellers who are short on time or budget. They can be a fantastic way to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, too. Or simply for taking a little time out of our busy schedules and enjoying some me-time somewhere new.
In the UK, you can hop on a train to London for a stay at The Goring, the only hotel in the capital with a royal warrant – it’s where the Duchess of Cambridge stayed on the night before her wedding to Prince William back in 2011.
Another UK favourite is Bath, for its golden stone buildings, Georgian crescents and healing waters, all of which can be explored during a stay at No15 by GuestHouse.
Or head to Europe – the obvious choice is Paris, for the ease of the Eurostar, which will get you to The Peninsula in hours. Just north of Milan, Lake Como is another easy-to-reach option – its legendary stay Grand Hotel Tremezzo (of floating pool fame) is one of the most spectacular hotels in Italy.
Read on for some holiday inspiration for perfect weekends away at home and abroad…
© Grand Hotel Tremezzo - 2/16
1) Mullion Cove, Cornwall
Anyone in search of an active weekend away will enjoy a trip to Mullion Cove in Cornwall. The Lizard Peninsula setting is perfect for cliff-top walks along the South West Coast Path. Other activities on offer include yoga overlooking the sea and cold-water swimming. This year, the hotel is hosting various dance retreats, too.
The spa is ready to soothe sore limbs afterwards, with treatments by organic brand Voya, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, and an indoor infinity pool. You’ll also be able to book a sea-facing apartment, either down by the harbour or on the cliff, with a hot tub on its terrace.Courtesy of the hotel - 3/16
2) The Goring, London
London has lots of grand hotels, but only The Goring can lay claim to being the proud owner of a royal warrant (it’s practically neighbours with Buckingham Palace, after all). The discreet retreat in Victoria is one of those timeless hotels, with gracious staff, an elegant restaurant on its veranda and classic rooms.
The highlight is undoubtedly its garden, surprisingly big for such a central setting and one of the most peaceful spots in the capital. The hotel has been busy celebrating the Platinum Jubilee, of course, and guests can still enjoy its menu of iconic British dishes from the past seven decades at the restaurant (along with the Union Jack deckchairs gracing the lawn).Courtesy of the hotel - 4/16
3) The Double Red Duke, Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are full of lovely villages, perfect for a weekend away – and the Oxfordshire hamlet of Clanfield is one such destination. There’s little more than a bakery and two pubs, one of which is the Double Red Duke, which has a garden that’s an ideal spot to enjoy the sun this summer, with the striped red parasols providing the shade and frozen margaritas the refreshment. Guests will also be able to enjoy the delicious food, which includes balls of burrata, flatbreads with miso and aubergine dip, and Dublin Bay scampi.
The decor has kept much of the original charm, including wooden beams and cosy corners, adding copper slipper bath tubs, statement wallpaper and patterned headboards. It’s close to Kelmscott Manor, William Morris’s summer retreat, and Blenheim Palace, or you can spend your days fly-fishing for wild trout in nearby streams.Courtesy of the hotel - 5/16
4) The Peninsula, Paris
As the saying goes, Paris is always a good idea – especially when you can check in to the city’s Peninsula outpost. The superb location on Avenue Kléber in the 16th arrondissement puts guests within walking distance of the city’s major sights and shops.
Waiting for you on your return is Le Rooftop, the hotel’s sunset-ready, rose-covered terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower (also used for yoga classes); House of Gucci-themed afternoon teas; and Michelin-starred meals at L’Oiseau Blanc.Courtesy of the hotel - 6/16
5) Homewood, Somerset
Just a few miles south of Bath, Homewood is a honey-coloured country pile with a heated outdoor pool, a gorgeous garden with a restaurant on the terrace, and a spa with a hot tub overlooking the valley and CBD treatments. You can help yourself to the larder under the stairs, stocked with ice-creams, soft drinks and snacks.
The owners have an impressive collection of antiques, with several clocks adorning the walls behind reception and lots of unusual installations to discover in the grounds, from a yellow submarine to a horticultural giraffe.Courtesy of the hotel - 7/16
6) Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como
This family-owned retreat is one of the most hallowed places to stay in Como – it was the region’s first hotel and has been welcoming guests for more than a century. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is famous for its pool suspended above the lake, exquisite interiors and beautiful gardens – and has its own marina for boat trips to lakeside towns such as Bellagio.
Today, the art nouveau palazzo has five restaurants, three swimming pools and extensive private parkland. At the spa, you can keep enjoying views of the lake thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows.Courtesy of the hotel - 8/16
7) Memmo Alfama, Lisbon
Lisbon is the perfect short break from the UK for a weekend of sunshine, custard tarts, sardines and much more. Memmo Alfama is in the city’s oldest district, with a rooftop terrace for panoramic views as you enjoy the wine bar and infinity pool.
The 19th-century building was once a bakery, now with added modernist touches, such as Arne Jacobsen chairs – and the vaulted bread oven has been turned into a cosy reading space. You’ll be in the heart of the Moorish Quarter, ready to explore its shops, fado-soundtracked restaurants and narrow streets.Booking.com - 9/16
8) Porto Zante, Zakynthos
A little further away but worth it for the sun and sea that is guaranteed to await, Porto Zante is a collection of private villas on the Greek island of Zakynthos. The nine retreats are on a sandy beach in a quiet bay, with room for all of the family – the villas range from one to four bedrooms, each with a private pool and stretch of sand on the Ionian shore.
There are two restaurants, both of which are open-air, with locally caught fish and herbs and produce grown on the estate served in the Greek, Mediterranean and Asian fusion dishes. Residents will also be able to use the waterfront spa, or book an in-villa treatment.Courtesy of the hotel - 10/16
9) No15 by GuestHouse, Bath
The city of Bath is one of the UK’s most handsome, famous for its sweeping Georgian terraces, golden stone buildings and Roman baths. Enjoy all that the city has to offer by checking in to No15 by GuestHouse, Bath, a townhouse on one of the grandest Georgian streets, with fun interiors that include giant chandeliers, displays of gravy boats and its very own Big Ben.
There are record players in the bedrooms, a pantry full of treats and a restaurant downstairs serving classic British dishes, along with a spa in the stone vaults below the hotel where treatments by expert therapists are matched with an oil and soundtrack according to your mood.Courtesy of the hotel - 11/16
10) Hotel de Russie, Rome
The Eternal City is a perennial favourite for mini-breaks and it’s not hard to see why. Rome has lots of hallowed hotels, but one of the most famous is Hotel de Russie, a stylish sanctuary with terraced gardens in between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. Famous former guests have included Picasso and Hemingway, and Jean Cocteau was a fan, too, declaring it ‘paradise on Earth’ in 1917.
Olga Polizzi has ensured the rooms have kept with the times – be sure to book one with a terrace to admire the city’s terracotta rooftops and, of course, glimpse its many famous monuments.Courtesy of the hotel - 12/16
11) Harbour Hotel Salcombe, Devon
Even if the weather isn’t up to its sunnier Continental counterparts, Devon is always a lovely place to visit – and it doesn’t get much more picturesque than the town of Salcombe, near the Kingsbridge Estuary and within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
At the Harbour Hotel, you’ll be able to enjoy seafood overlooking the water, drinks on its breezy terrace and the nautical charm of its decor. Just down the road, sister property Harbour Beach Club recently opened with a shiny new spa.
Booking.com - 13/16
12) Inverlochy Castle, Highlands
This Highland hotel once hosted Queen Victoria, who declared she ‘never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot’ after spending a week here sketching and painting. We couldn’t agree more: the castle, near Fort William, is in the foothills of the highest mountain in the United Kingdom.
At Inverlochy Castle, you’ll be able to hike Ben Nevis or the other mountains of Glen Coe, visit the Glenfinnan monument and the falls at Glen Nevis, before retreating to your stately residence in the castle for the night.
Courtesy of the hotel - 14/16
13) Stock Exchange Hotel, Manchester
Book a weekend away to the UK’s second city with a trip to Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel, which is co-owned by the footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. The hotel is set within the city’s former stock exchange and it’s just as grand as you’d hope.
The decor includes marble floors, brass accents and chequerboard floors, along with photographs of Manchester through the ages. It’s close to many of the city’s best restaurants, but there’s an excellent one by Tom Kerridge right at the hotel.
Courtesy of the hotel - 15/16
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