You don't need an excuse to whisk your loved one away. Travel writers Jeannine Williamson, Claire Gervat, Jane Turney and Jo Cooke reveal their favourite romantic hideaways where you can enjoy a blissful weekend break at any time of the year.
17 June 2007
For Art Deco Lovers
Burgh Island
Bigbury-on-Sea, South Devon
Whether you arrive when the sun is glinting on the white Art Deco building or a winter mist covers the tidal beach, few hotels make such a dramatic first impression as Burgh Island. The romantic retreat off Bigbury-on-Sea, on the south Devon coast, oozes the glamour and decadence of the roaring twenties and sophisticated thirties and today’s guests follow the likes of Noel Coward, Wallis Simpson and Agatha Christie, who wrote two of her novels there.
It’s the ultimate getaway, as twice a day the hotel is completely cut off by the tide. If you still have an urge to get back to the mainland, the hotel’s four-wheel-drive towering sea tractor acts as a shuttle, ploughing through the waves.
The rooms are unique and individual some have balconies, most dramatic sea views and all have retro radios. In the Palm Court Gary ‘McBar’ dispenses cocktails and gossip in equal measure and meals combine fresh local ingredients with a contemporary twist. There are twice-weekly dances and dressing for dinner is a must - and part of the unique island experience.
This year the 30’s-built Beach House, where Agatha Christie wrote And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun, opens as a stylish guest apartment, adding to the hotel’s 23 rooms and flat on the mainland.
Double rooms, including dinner and breakfast, start at £320 per night.
Call 01548 810514 or visit www.burghisland.com
For History Lovers
Great Fosters
Egham, Surrey
Great Fosters is a magnificent grade-one listed building, set within 50 acres of delightful formal gardens. It combines the grandeur of a 16th century royal residence with all the comforts you’d expect in a top hotel.
Formerly used by Henry VIII as a half-way hunting lodge between Hampton Court and Windsor Castle, its walls reek of history. Follow in the footsteps of generations of British nobles as you climb the 17th century oak staircase to the Tower; relax in a magnificent suite formerly graced by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles; wander across landscaped gardens where black swans drift on a Saxon moat… if it’s originality and atmosphere you’re after, Great Fosters has it aplenty.
All of the suites and bedrooms are individually decorated, some with four poster beds, antiques and artifacts dating back hundreds of years. Splash out on the Tapestry Room and you’ll even find the story of Adam and Eve carved into the 16th-century fireplace.
You can enjoy gourmet modern English cuisine; take a romantic stroll through the fragrant rose and formal knot gardens, or, if you’re feeling energetic, take a dip in the heated outdoor swimming pool (open May to September), play tennis or croquet.
Ask about the ‘luxury for less’ packages – champagne, handmade truffles, dinner for two, a standard double room and full English breakfast for £199 per couple per night. King Henry would have approved!
Double rooms cost from £150; suites from £295; historic bedrooms from £350.
Call 01784 480404 or visit www.greatfosters.co.uk
For City Lovers
42 The Calls
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Britain’s cities have undergone a miraculous make-over in recent years and perhaps none more so than Leeds. If your idea of a fabulous weekend away is to hole up in a luxury hotel, nipping out only for delicious food and luxury shopping then this is the place.
Boutique hotel 42 The Calls is a converted canal-side warehouse that has a feel of a members-only club. The rooms are chic, functional and intimate – with sumptuous beds and bathrooms busy with Molton Brown toiletries. Located a short walk from the centre, 42 The Calls is a haven from the buzz of the city, but just close enough to it.
Take a stroll to the Victoria Quarter where you’ll find Harvey Nichols and a feast of boutiques and specialty shops in the ornate arcades, then drop into Epernay champagne bar and toast each other with a glass of bubbly in the pretty indoor courtyard.
After dressing for dinner, head into town where myriad fine restaurants await. But if you prefer not to stray too far from that luxurious bedroom, head next door to Brasserie Forty 4. They cook up a feast of Mediterranean dishes accompanied by soft music and candlelight.
That should keep you going until the hotel’s breakfast is served – a delicious array of fresh-baked Danish and traditional hot favourites.
Rooms cost from £130 per night including breakfast.
Call 0113 2440099 for reservations or visit www.42thecalls.co.uk
For further information on Leeds and Yorkshire visit www.yorkshirevisitor.com or call 0870 609 0000 for a free brochure.
For Spa Lovers
The OGH
St Peter Port, Guernsey
If you love being pampered, whisk yourself away to The Old Government House Hotel and Spa on the Channel Island of Guernsey.The building dates back to 1857 and has many original features, while the Beauty and the East spa offers the latest treatments.
Once you’ve been massaged, exfoliated, buffed and scrubbed, dine à deux in the intimate Governor’s restaurant. The French chef, Jerome Barbançon, creates seasonal menus based on regional favourites from his native France. Try the seven-course Degustation Surprise menu for £35 per head.
If you can tear yourself away from the hotel, do explore Guernsey. The Castle Cornet, for example, is a magical spot. Perched on a headland looking out to sea, its outer walls hide a honeycomb of small gardens and museums. In the summer guests are encouraged to bring their own picnics, and to enjoy the open-air Shakespeare performances and evening concerts.
Guernsey also boasts a succession of romantic beaches including Vazon Bay and Cobo Bay, both sweeping crescents of fine white sand. Trips to the wild and beautiful neighbouring islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm also make for memorable days out.
A Spa Stay at the Old Government House Hotel and Spa costs from £245 per person including two nights’ bed and breakfast in a Queen room, one dinner in the Brasserie, half a bottle of champagne, a Molton Brown gift set, an Elemis Aroma Stone Therapy treatment, unlimited use of the health club and spa, and complimentary magazines.
Visit www.theoghhotel.com.
Return flights from London Gatwick cost from £80.
Call: 01481 724921 or visit www.aurigny.com.
You can also fly direct from 8 other UK airports.
For more information on Guernsey call 01481 723552 or visit www.visitguernsey.com
For Country Lovers
Ednam House Hotel
Kelso
Scottish Borders
Few things are as subjective as romance; one couple's idea of perfection is another one's schmaltz. If you find yourself at the less fluffy end of the spectrum and you love country pursuits, then the family-run Ednam House Hotel could be for you. Enjoying a unique location on the banks of the River Tweed salmon and trout fishing can be arranged, so too shooting, stalking and golf. Surely, there are few things better for love and all-round harmony than sharing a hobby in such a beautiful setting.
As your base, the Ednam House Hotel is wonderfully old-school, an 18th-century mansion full of antiques and paintings and plenty of floral patterns of uncertain vintage.However, it's not in the least bit stuffy; they don't bat an eyelid when guests trample into the hall in full fishing gear, muddy gum boots and all. Even better, they don't just grudgingly allow dogs, they really like them. So if leaving man’s best friend at home breaks your heart, there is no need to.
After all that fresh air, reserve a table at the hotel’s restaurant and enjoy traditional fare with a contemporary twist. Dine on braised lamb kidneys served with potato scone, haggis with neeps and stovies or divine Highland Venison.
A standard double room costs from £160.50 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast.
Call 01573 224168 or visit www.ednamhouse.com
For Contemporary Lovers
The Cawdor Hotel
Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
This traditional coaching inn in the heart of sleepy Llandeilo village has been transformed into a contemporary boutique hotel. It’s the perfect place to lock yourselves away after a day exploring the brooding Black Mountains or Brecon Beacons.
All the rooms, named after local castles, are well appointed, but if you can, splash out and book the Dinefwr suite. You’ll not want to leave this sumptuous, spacious and sexy loft room with its king-size bed. The bathroom is a revelation, too with a giant stainless-steel shower - big enough for two – that has four-powerful jets.
For dinner head downstairs to the Bistro, a favourite eatery with the locals, or better still order room service which is delivered promptly and without fuss.
Film lovers will be pleased by the hotel’s DVD library which can be borrowed and viewed on the room’s giant flat-screen TV. By day a nearby must-see is Carreg Cennen - perhaps the most romantic and dramatic castle in the UK. Set on a craggy hilltop it offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.
Rooms cost from £80 per night including full welsh breakfast. The Dinefwr suite costs from £200 per night.
Call 01558 823 500 for reservations or visit www.thecawdor.com
For Coast Lovers
Fairy Hill
Reynoldston, Gower
If you seek five-star luxury without pretension; attentive service without fussy formality, then Fairyhill will soon become your favoured escape. It’s impossible not to be charmed by the welcome one receives on arrival and by the time you have finished breakfast the following morning you will simply not want to leave.
With only eight rooms within its ivy-clad 18th century house, Fairyhill staff can give each guest just enough personal attention to make them feel at home. Once you have been shown to your room you will be asked if you would like any drinks brought to you from the bar – how delightful after the winding drive across the Gower Peninsula to this 24-acre hideaway. Alternatively, on a clear day – and the Gower enjoys some of the UK’s best weather – you could ask for your drinks to be served on the terrace overlooking the croquet lawn.
Revived, it’s time to explore. The Gower Peninsula was Britain’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s a walkers’ paradise with 34 miles of coastline, rolling moorland and marsh to explore. Alternatively, admire the view from astride a horse. Parc-le-Breos stables at Parkmill should be able to assign you a steed to suit your ability.
When night falls, look no further than Fairyhill for dinner. The food is quite simply wonderful and with a wine list to match.
Rooms cost from £165 per night including full welsh breakfast.
Call 01792 390139 for reservations or visit www.fairyhill.net