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Holiday destinations in the UK reviewed by luxury leisure reviews blogger ALadyofLeisure.com

The best luxury hotel Christmas packages 2020 – my epic festive round-up

by Sarah Bridge
added October 20, 2020

Luxury hotel Christmas packages are getting booked early this year and with good reason. With the coronavirus pandemic far from over, it is uncertain what kind of restrictions there will be come Christmas Day but now more than ever, people want somet...

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Exploring the Cotswolds near Stroud with a stay at the Bear of Rodborough, Stroud

by Sarah Bridge
added September 18, 2020

After months of lockdown, exploring the Cotswolds near Stroud with a stay at the Bear of Rodborough hotel near Stroud, Gloucestershire was just the things to blow away the cobwebs. This 17th-century Cotswolds coaching inn, part of the excellent Fulle...

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A perfect Sunday roast and stay at Feversham Arms spa hotel in Yorkshire

by Sarah Bridge
added August 21, 2020

I had been told that the Sunday roast at Feversham Arms hotel and spa in Yorkshire was not to be missed and my informant had been bang on the money. It was pronounced: 'A ten out of ten, the best I've ever eaten' by my dining companion, who isn't giv...

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A luxurious foodie stay at Gravetye Manor, a West Sussex gem

by Sarah Bridge
added June 27, 2020

When I first arrived at Gravetye Manor, the Michelin-starred country house hotel with award-winning gardens, I soon decided that this was one of the best hotels in West Sussex and when I was fortunate to revisit recently, there was nothing to make me...

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The Headland: luxury hotel at the heart of Newquay Cornwall

by Sarah Bridge
added June 19, 2020

Now that hotels are able to open after lockdown, the Headland hotel in Cornwall might just be the place to blow away the hibernation cobwebs. Perched right at the end of the glorious Fistral Beach in Newquay and surrounded by, well, nothing but coast...

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A West Sussex spa hotel stay come rain or shine at South Lodge, Horsham

by Sarah Bridge
added February 28, 2020

Staying at a luxury country house hotel when the weather is terrible might seem like a bit of a waste – you can forget cocktails on the terrace, long country walks, or stunning photos to make your friends envious - so our trip to West Sussex spa hote...

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New Hall hotel and spa in Birmingham – it has its very own moat!

by Sarah Bridge
added February 12, 2020

What is it like to stay at New Hall hotel and spa? There are probably many historic hotels in Birmingham with a spa and swimming pool but I can't imagine that many of them come with a moat. In fact, I was trying to think of any hotels with a moat wh...

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11 incredibly romantic hotels in the UK for Valentine’s Day

by Sarah Bridge
added February 9, 2020

While everyone's idea of a romantic getaway weekend is different, I think it's fair to assume there are some things which you have to expect: gorgeous bedrooms, a top restaurant serving great food, spectacular gardens for a romantic pre-dinner strol...

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Cornish spa delight at Mullion Cove hotel in Cornwall

by Sarah Bridge
added October 31, 2019

Not having had the luxury of a clifftop spa hotel on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall before, I didn't have much to compare Mullion Cove hotel with, but judging on my first visit I think it will be hard to beat. The location of Mullion Cove ho...

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A room with a seaside view at Thurlestone hotel in south Devon

by Sarah Bridge
added October 15, 2019

Reaching Thurlestone hotel in south Devon is like going down Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole. You plunge off the main road along one of those high-hedged, single-track lanes which Devon specialises in and can do nothing but blindly follow its windi...

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A trip to Sherborne: an ancient castle and The Eastbury hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added September 26, 2019

My recent trip to Sherborne to review The Eastbury hotel was an unexpected delight. I had been looking forward to a stay at this luxury hotel as I'd heard great things about it but I knew almost nothing about Sherborne itself. I knew there was a cast...

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Finding sleep with Sleeptember: a stay at The Resident Covent Garden hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added September 18, 2019

In terms of location, The Resident Covent Garden in London is hard to beat. A hotel right on The Strand and possibly the closest hotel to Covent Garden, you’ll find several hundred restaurants and bars less than two minutes walk away. It’s one of tho...

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The best luxury hotels for Christmas 2019 – my epic festive round-up

by Sarah Bridge
added September 5, 2019

Luxury country house hotels get booked up early for Christmas and with good reason: luxury hotels could be made for Christmas. Think of the best luxury country house hotels for Christmas and instantly you can picture the festive scene: comfy sofas, ...

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A most relaxing spa break at Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire

by Sarah Bridge
added August 8, 2019

There are some hotels with spas and there are some hotels which ARE spas. Ragdale Hall health spa in Leicestershire most definitely falls into the latter camp, making a spa break at Ragdale Hall a must for any spa fans. The moment you arrive you are ...

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Trying out Park House hotel’s new Germaine de Capuccini spa treatments

by Sarah Bridge
added July 9, 2019

Fans of Germaine de Capuccini who are wondering where to get Germaine de Capuccini spa treatments in the UK, will be delighted to hear that award-winning hotel Park House hotel and spa in West Sussex is the latest hotel to offer the skin care special...

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Medieval magic with a modern twist at The Swan hotel and spa in Lavenham, Suffolk

by Sarah Bridge
added May 29, 2019

Returning to The Swan hotel at Lavenham in Suffolk several years after my original stay, I was relieved to find that it was just as lovely as I remembered it. This time it also had the added attraction of its new (to me) Weavers' House Spa which had ...

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Curry, bagels, fish and chips and bacon butties on a food tour of London’s East End

by Sarah Bridge
added April 11, 2019

In just four hours I ate curry, fish and chips, stilton cheese, salt beef bagels, bread and butter pudding, salted caramel cheesecake and a bacon sandwich. With ketchup. Why? You might well ask. It was because I had decided to be a tourist in London ...

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A spookily moving Halloween in Derry Northern Ireland

by Sarah Bridge
added January 14, 2019

If it's ghouls, ghosts and goblins you're after, then you have to spend Halloween in Derry Northern Ireland and experience its epic Halloween festival for yourself. Derry was voted 'Best Halloween destination in the world' by American newspaper USA T...

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A timely jackpot at the Hippodrome casino, Leicester Square, London

by Sarah Bridge
added July 2, 2018

The timing couldn’t have been better, at least not for the Hippodrome. The moment I walked past the gaming area in the central London casino, one of the slot machines paid out the entire jackpot, handing the person playing on the machine a cool £12,5...

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The Bull at Sonning: a perfect example of a great British pub

by Sarah Bridge
added April 10, 2018

If you were to try and describe a classically British pub, then you’d probably come up with something like The Bull Inn, Sonning, in Berkshire. It’s got roaring fires and low beams, it is more than 600 years old, does great food and drink and is at t...

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A memorable 48 hours on the Isle of Wight including blue cheese, garlic beer, beautiful beaches and charming B&Bs

by Sarah Bridge
added March 24, 2018

'We just fell in love with the Isle of Wight,' said owner David Barrett as he showed me around Haven Hall, one of the newest B&Bs on the Isle of Wight. 'It's exactly like England was, 40 or 50 years ago.' Now this could be a positive or a nega...

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What’s it like to drive a £150,000 Aston Martin DB11?

by Sarah Bridge
added March 23, 2018

It's the car marque of dreams (and Hollywood folklore): Aston Martin cars have been super-cool ever since James Bond fired up an Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger. While Britain's top spy has also driven an Aston Martin DBS, an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish...

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14 wines at dinner and a spa to recover in: a memorable stay at The Vineyard, Newbury

by Sarah Bridge
added March 20, 2018

Halfway through our meal at The Vineyard hotel and spa, Newbury, I was beginning to wonder if I knew as much about wine as I thought I did. Not only could I not guess what grape variety I was drinking or what country it came from, I couldn't even wor...

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Make yourself at home at the grand but friendly Lewtrenchard Manor, Devon

by Sarah Bridge
added March 4, 2018

Lewtrenchard Manor is one of those classic country house hotels which actually feels like someone's home (a rather impressive stately home, that's true) rather than a hotel. Tucked away in the Dartmoor hills between Tavistock and Okehampton, Lewtrenc...

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Stanwell House hotel, Lymington: a New Forest welcome

by Sarah Bridge
added February 17, 2018

While I've explored all over the New Forest for ALadyofLeisure.com, visiting hotels such as Chewton Glen, Lime Wood, Montagu Arms, Burley Manor and The Bell Inn, I had yet to make it all the way through the National Park to Lymington, right at the so...

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Charming, boutique luxury at Daisybank Cottage bed and breakfast New Forest

by Sarah Bridge
added February 15, 2018

I'll be honest and confess I wasn't entirely sure about reviewing a B&B for ALadyofLeisure.com - not out of reasons of snobbery but because I usually write about hotels with massive restaurants, spa, acres of land and all the paraphernalia that c...

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Burley Manor hotel New Forest: relaxing country charm

by Sarah Bridge
added February 12, 2018

The first time I visited Burley Manor Hotel in the New Forest I had absolutely no expectations - not because I thought it was going to be terrible, but because it had never even crossed my radar before. It turned out there was a reason for this: whil...

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Bovey Castle: a friendly, historic, luxury Dartmoor hotel stay

by Sarah Bridge
added February 9, 2018

If you're going to spend the night in a castle, then it's appropriate to look the part, which is why it felt very fitting arriving at the luxury hotel Bovey Castle in the heart of Dartmoor in a £150,000 Aston Martin DB11. A trio of valets clad...

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A romantic seaside stay in a beach suite at Cary Arms and Spa hotel, Devon

by Sarah Bridge
added February 6, 2018

I've been lucky to stay in some of the best hotel rooms in the country but for sheer romance it's hard to beat a Beach Suite at the delightful Cary Arms and Spa on Babbacombe Bay, Devon - in the heart of the 'English Riviera'. With a private terrace ...

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The Pig near Bath: a heavenly, foodie, country retreat

by Sarah Bridge
added January 29, 2018

Arriving at The Pig near Bath It is always nice to be greeted on arriving at a hotel by someone saying enthusiastically: 'You're just in time for lunch!' and even better when you are promptly whisked off to sit in the sun with a large G&T while ...

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Montcalm at the Brewery and The Jugged Hare: brewing history and the wow factor

by Sarah Bridge
added January 18, 2018

The joy of reviewing hotels and restaurants is that with every new visit there is often something which will surprise, delight or even shock you. The Montcalm at the Brewery hotel in Chiswell Street in central London and its adjoining gastro-pub, the...

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Chewton Glen hotel, New Forest – luxury from spa to treehouse

by Sarah Bridge
added January 16, 2018

It isn't often you plan on spending the night at a rather grand country house hotel and find yourself sleeping in a treehouse on stilts in the middle of a forest. But the treehouses at Chewton Glen, the five-star hotel and spa located deep in the hea...

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A relaxing stay at the historic Spread Eagle hotel, Midhurst

by Sarah Bridge
added January 15, 2018

Just one night at the Spread Eagle Hotel Midhurst felt like a really long stay - but in a good way. I arrived there on Sunday afternoon, and by the time I left 24 hours later I'd had a 90 minute massage, swam, sauna'd, steamed and lounged in the spa,...

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Time for some serious pampering at Ockenden Manor hotel and spa

by Sarah Bridge
added January 13, 2018

Walking into a really gorgeous hotel room can be such a bittersweet moment. There is the initial reaction of 'Wow! This is really, really nice....!' and delight that this is actually all yours for the next 20 hours or so. Then there is the sudden rea...

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A luxurious country escape at Bailiffscourt hotel and spa, West Sussex

by Sarah Bridge
added January 12, 2018

If the holiday season left you feeling in serious need of a relaxing break with country walks, a first-class spa and restaurant and cosy rooms to hide away in, then Bailiffscourt hotel and spa is the place for you. Tucked away down a little countr...

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Langshott Manor, Surrey: regal luxury in an Elizabethan manor house

by Sarah Bridge
added December 15, 2017

To arrive at Langshott Manor hotel is to jump back in time. One moment you are in urban Surrey, passing through towns like Redhill and Horley and driving though a modern housing estate, and then all of a sudden you arrive at a building unlike no othe...

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The Bell Inn: a cosy New Forest coaching inn perfect for country walks

by Sarah Bridge
added December 13, 2017

There's a warm glow which comes when reading a newspaper article called 'Cosiest pubs to stay in this winter' and realising you are heading off to stay in one of those featured that very day. This happened to me recently when about to head off to Th...

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An unscheduled stay at former 18th century sugar house, Hotel du Vin Bristol

by Sarah Bridge
added November 28, 2017

With every cloud there comes a silver lining and the missing of our flight to Cape Verde meant an unexpected overnight stay in Bristol and my first experience of Hotel du Vin. I'd long been aware of the hotel chain founded by Gerard Basset and...

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Park House hotel and spa: a West Sussex secret (but not for much longer)

by Sarah Bridge
added October 17, 2017

It's been receiving guests for more than 60 years but Park House hotel and spa is only now making the transition from well-kept local secret to firm fixture on the British country house hotel scene. With a new general manager - Mark Yates, formerly o...

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Whatley Manor review: a Cotswolds gem revisited (with added oxygen)

by Sarah Bridge
added September 27, 2017

There is always a worry when it comes to revisiting a hotel which you totally adored on the first visit - what if it's not going to be as good as you remembered it? I know people who won't go to the same place twice for that very reason, and others w...

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A classically English estate at Bowood hotel, spa and golf

by Sarah Bridge
added September 25, 2017

If you like visiting beautiful English stately homes but hate the queues, the drive, the parking and the general hassle which usually goes with such visits, then Bowood hotel, spa and golf in Wiltshire has the perfect solution: its own fleet of golf ...

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Greenway hotel and spa, Cheltenham: a luxury hotel with the fizz factor

by Sarah Bridge
added August 21, 2017

I hadn't meant to embark on an impromptu Champagne cocktail-tasting session just after breakfast, but in keeping with the overall spirit of relaxation and pampering at The Greenway hotel and spa Cheltenham it seemed the right thing to do. It was m...

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Fine dining and summer cocktails at the 600-year old coaching inn Bel and The Dragon, Cookham

by Sarah Bridge
added June 26, 2017

Exactly 600 years ago, the Bel and The Dragon coaching inn was built in the pretty Berkshire town of Cookham and six centuries later, I took a friend with me to stay at the pub and see what it was actually like. Well, you don't want to rush these thi...

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A picture-perfect Cotswolds stay at The Manor House, Castle Combe

by Sarah Bridge
added May 27, 2017

If your idea of a perfect summer's day is afternoon tea (or a gin and tonic) on a beautiful lawn in the sunshine, The Manor House luxury hotel in the pretty Cotswolds village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, is the place to be. There you can immers...

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Pennyhill Park – a luxury hotel fit for the England rugby team

by Sarah Bridge
added April 4, 2017

If the England rugby team need somewhere to recharge their batteries after this year's bruising contest in which they finished a lowly fifth, then they needn't travel very far: their training ground at Pennyhill Park luxury hotel in Surrey is just a ...

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In defence (and memory) of little yellow photobombing cars

by Sarah Bridge
added February 4, 2017

Back in January 2015 I wrote a blog post in defence of little yellow photobombing cars, as the car owned by Peter Maddox, 82-year old resident of Bibury village in the Cotswolds, had attracted the ire of tourists come to photograph Arlington Row, sup...

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Rooftop cocktails and a spa make Montcalm Royal London House a top to toe destination

by Sarah Bridge
added January 31, 2017

There is something rather special about a rooftop bar in London. The views might not be spectacular - we're not taking Rio or Hong Kong harbour here - but to rise above the traffic and gaze down at the crowds from on high feels incredibly luxurious. ...

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A review of 2016 – a year of excitement and adventure for ALadyofLeisure

by Sarah Bridge
added January 17, 2017

It's been quite a year! It started with an amazing culinary tour of Japan - a week full of sushi, puffer fish and bullet trains - and ended with a trip to Antarctica (which felt at times like a trip to another planet). During the rest of the year I ...

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A stay at The Old Swan and Minster Mill, a classic Cotswolds country pub

by Sarah Bridge
added January 3, 2017

A trip to the Cotswolds is always a treat and if you're in need of some bracing countryside walks, a hearty pub meal and then a nightcap in front of a roaring fire, then The Old Swan and Minster Mill in the pretty Cotswolds village of Minster Lovell ...

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A very Christmassy stay at The Royal Horseguards Hotel, London

by Sarah Bridge
added December 2, 2016

I was feeling rather Christmassy anyway after ambling through Covent Garden with a glass of mulled wine and admiring the Christmas lights, but even the most Bah Humbug of Scrooges would have felt full of festive cheer arriving at the five-star The Ro...

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Cosy Cotswolds charm at The Painswick award-winning hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added November 11, 2016

Being named The Sunday Times' Hotel of the Year, which The Painswick was a few years ago, can be a double-edged sword. On the upside, the phone didn't stop ringing once the news came out, bookings went through the roof and for a newly-opened hotel, i...

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A deeply relaxing day at Lime Wood hotel spa in the New Forest

by Sarah Bridge
added November 2, 2016

You have to be deeply relaxed to nod off during a massage, so falling completely asleep, not once, but twice, during my treatment at the Lime Wood hotel spa shows what an incredibly relaxing spa treatment it was. This was quite an achievement con...

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My stay at The Marylebone: a room with a view and a seriously nice roof terrace

by Sarah Bridge
added October 17, 2016

A definite perk of reviewing luxury hotels is that 'wow!' feeling when you walk into a hotel bedroom for the first time and find something completely unexpected. Unlocking the door to my suite at The Marylebone in central London was one of those mome...

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A cooling terrace (and a cocktail or two) at The Bloomsbury, London

by Sarah Bridge
added September 20, 2016

When it's hot in the city, your first instinct might be to run for the hills (or the coast) but just steps from the sweltering heat of Tottenham Court Road tube station, The Bloomsbury hotel is a great spot in which to cool down. Its hidden se...

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The Gore Hotel: history, luxury and some rock and roll cocktails

by Sarah Bridge
added September 7, 2016

My bedroom at The Gore hotel in Kensington was definitely one with the 'wow' factor. There were oil-paintings and gilt-edged mirrors and the bed itself was so vast and so high it felt as if I needed a footstool to climb aboard. The epic theme ...

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Quintessential Cotswolds retreat at Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter

by Sarah Bridge
added June 29, 2016

The man who described Bibury as 'the most beautiful village in England' surely never went to Lower Slaughter. I've often driven past the road signposted to The Slaughters on my way through the Cotswolds but had never taken the turning. It was only...

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The best luxury hotels in the Cotswolds – A Lady of Leisure’s favourite five

by Sarah Bridge
added May 18, 2016

Searching for luxury hotels among the beautiful rolling hills of the Cotswolds may sound like an easy task - there seems to be one round every corner. However with so many to chose from, it's easy to be overwhelmed. With most insisting on a two-night...

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Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street, a welcome addition to memory lane

by Sarah Bridge
added May 18, 2016

It is hard not to start off a review of Noble Rot restaurant - as practically every other reviewer has done - with a nostalgic look back at days gone by, spent in the various pubs and wine bars of Lamb's Conduit Street. It seems that every journal...

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Review of the Kensington luxury hotel in South Kensington

by Sarah Bridge
added May 10, 2016

A night in Kensington luxury hotel in South Kensington I'd earlier I'd been at the Kensington luxury hotel in central London to drink cocktails at the launch of its bar, the K Bar. Now I was back at the luxury hotel close to many of London's museums...

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A room (and cocktails) with some serious views at ME London luxury hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added April 14, 2016

The view from the top of the five star luxury hotel ME London is a tourist's delight, taking in the essential sights of London, from the London Eye to Big Ben, St Paul's, Tower Bridge, The Shard and everything in between. Having evening cocktails on ...

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Dinner restaurant in Knightsbridge: Heston Blumenthal food for thought

by Sarah Bridge
added April 6, 2016

Turning up to lunch at Dinner restaurant in Knightsbridge - the restaurant from top chef Heston Blumenthal - with a copy of the menu from The Fat Duck at Bray (also by Heston Blumenthal, where my dining companion Simon had eaten just the week before)...

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The Levin hotel Knightsbridge: a luxury boutique hotel in London near Harrods

by Sarah Bridge
added March 4, 2016

It is just seconds from the shopping and traffic maelstrom which is Knightsbridge, but The Levin hotel Knightsbridge boutique hotel in central London is the very essence of calm and tranquility. If you are looking for a place where the party continue...

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Calcot Manor luxury hotel: a family-friendly hotel in the Cotswolds

by Sarah Bridge
added December 31, 2015

For those who love the idea of staying in a luxury spa hotel in the Cotswolds (and who doesn't?) and are travelling with children in tow, Calcot Manor luxury hotel, just the other side of Circencester, is a great choice - a Cotwolds hotel and spa f...

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Barnsley House hotel and spa – a wonderfully cosy Cotswolds hideaway

by Sarah Bridge
added December 19, 2015

Within two minutes of arriving at Barnsley House hotel and spa in the Cotswolds I had completely fallen in love with it - and that's before I'd even tried out the private cinema, outdoor hot tub or delicious food. All these things were yet to come, b...

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Sexy Fish: Mayfair’s slice of loud, brash, bling and fun

by Sarah Bridge
added December 8, 2015

Sexy Fish, the newly-opened £15 million restaurant from Richard Caring (The Ivy, Le Caprice, J Sheekey) doesn't actually look very sexy from the outside. It's rather plain and square and dull and looks not dissimilar from the NatWest bank it used to...

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The Arch hotel, London, unshowy but smart

by Sarah Bridge
added November 18, 2015

The Arch hotel is not a flashy hotel. For a luxury hotel near to Oxford Street and just across the road from Madonna's London home, the Arch is neat, calm, and quiet. It doesn't have the grand entrance or huge lobby of its immediate neighbours, th...

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The Capital hotel London: a luxury hotel stay with a cocktail masterclass

by Sarah Bridge
added October 15, 2015

Its claim to fame is that it is the closest hotel to Harrods, and it's true that less than 30 seconds walk will take you right into the iconic department store. But thankfully The Capital hotel, just next to Harrods on a quiet Knightsbridge street, i...

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Gravetye Manor West Sussex – food heaven in a luxury country house hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added September 1, 2015

There are some places that are so lovely you can't stop thinking about them after you leave, and Gravetye Manor in West Sussex is most definitely one of those. [Note: this review of Gravetye Manor in West Sussex was first published in 2015 and som...

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A stay at St James’s hotel and club in London: Michelin star in Mayfair hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added August 12, 2015

St James's Hotel in London might be five-star luxury but thankfully it has none of the formal starchiness you might expect from a super-posh hotel. The staff are so cheerful and relaxed that I found myself having all sorts of random conversations wit...

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Drinking martinis at the best hotel bars in London

by Sarah Bridge
added July 24, 2015

'Don't worry, you won't get a hangover,' insisted Pleurat Shabani, the maker of Konik's Tail vodka and the host of our martini marathon. 'I've never had a hangover drinking martinis.' [Note: this review of drinking martinis at the best hotel bars ...

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Qbic Hotel London City: friendly, fun hotel on a budget

by Sarah Bridge
added June 27, 2015

It might not be located in the most beautiful part of London, but Qbic Hotel London City in Aldgate, East London, scores highly on all the essentials for a budget hotel in London: price, location and cleanliness, not to mention a friendly and relaxed...

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Ashdown Park hotel East Sussex: luxury hotel in beautiful grounds

by Sarah Bridge
added June 16, 2015

As beautiful settings go, Ashdown Park hotel East Sussex certainly has the 'wow' factor. It's easily one of the best hotels in East Sussex and a hotel with stunning views: walking through a stone arch to the garden terrace, the view suddenly opens ou...

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Nirvana Spa: A hard day’s relaxing at this top day spa near London

by Sarah Bridge
added June 9, 2015

You would have to start pretty early and finish late to be able to squeeze in the maximum amount of relaxation possible at my Nirvana Spa day near Reading, the award-winning spa near London and one of the top day spas in the country. I spent the w...

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Amba Hotel Charing Cross: possibly the most central hotel in London

by Sarah Bridge
added April 14, 2015

One of the closest hotels to Charing Cross station in London, the Amba Hotel Charing Cross is surprisingly quiet, particularly for a luxury hotel in central London. In fact it turned out to be generally much nicer than I'd expected when I turned up a...

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Olivo restaurant in Victoria London: an Italian favourite revisited

by Sarah Bridge
added April 10, 2015

Olivo, the Italian restaurant in Victoria London, used to be a lunchtime favourite of mine but for some reason I haven't been back there for about ten years. However when I finally returned I was delighted to find it hadn't changed a bit, which isn'...

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El Pirata Mayfair: the friendliest tapas in this part of London

by Sarah Bridge
added April 10, 2015

Tucked away behind the grey anonymity of Park Lane's high-rise hotel district which includes the Dorchester, the Intercontinental and the Athenaeum, El Pirata's tapas bar is a welcome sight. You might not think of tapas in Mayfair but in spite of ...

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Cheval Residences serviced apartments London; a home rather than a hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added March 18, 2015

For frequent travellers to the capital who find hotels increasingly soulless - or just miss being able to cook dinner - there is another option: staying in a serviced apartment in London. Rather than having to inhabit just one room and go out for ...

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My stay at the Compleat Angler Marlow: location, location, location

by Sarah Bridge
added February 10, 2015

The Compleat Angler, Marlow, is proof that some hotels don't need to have swimming pools, hot tubs and the very latest in beauty treatments - they just need to be in a great spot. Hotels in Marlow are blessed with a great location anyway as Marlow is...

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Huntsham Court Devon: relaxed exclusive use country living

by Sarah Bridge
added February 7, 2015

Staying at Huntsham Court, an exclusive use manor house in Devon, provokes a mixture of emotions. Luxury wedding venue in Devon Two recurring regrets of mine are a) that my family is neither posh nor wealthy enough to have a massive ancestral home ...

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The Athenaeum hotel London: a charming boutique hotel in Piccadilly London

by Sarah Bridge
added December 31, 2014

All hotel visits linger in the memory afterwards but some leave a physical presence too - and in the case of the Athenaeum Hotel, a boutique hotel in Piccadilly London, it was Arthur. The teddy bear guarding my room was so sweet he just had to be lib...

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One Aldwych hotel London: a Lion King-sized bite of luxury in a West End hotel

by Sarah Bridge
added November 19, 2014

As befits the London hotel nearest the Lyceum Theatre, there was a lion right outside my hotel room at One Aldywch hotel. Well, to be more accurate, a Lion King. The Lyceum theatre in Covent Garden, which has been home to the hugely successful Lio...

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What it’s like to go on a boot camp to lose weight

by Sarah Bridge
added November 3, 2014

It was when I was hiking along the North Devon coast in the rain that I started to question whether my plan to go on a boot camp to lose weight was worth its hefty price tag. Would I actually lose weight on a boot camp? I was halfway through a week a...

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Luckham Park luxury hotel near Bath: my very own Palladian mansion for a night

by Sarah Bridge
added August 28, 2014

It isn't every day I stay in a 17th century Palladian mansion but after just a few hours at Luckham Park luxury hotel near Bath I was walking around as if I had lived there for years. Staying at Lucknam Park I would grandly descend the staircase fr...

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Center Parcs Woburn Forest: a reviewer-proof staycation destination

by Sarah Bridge
added June 3, 2014

Center Parcs is practically immune from criticism. With occupancy running at a staggering 97.2 per cent all year round, the private-equity owned leisure company is the envy of its peers. In spite of the complaints about high prices during school h...

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Cannizaro House Wimbledon: a country retreat in the city

by Sarah Bridge
added February 28, 2014

There is something rather delightful about packing to spend the weekend in a hotel just four miles from your home. It yields all the excitement and anticipation of a trip away without any of the angst and despair caused by realising you have to d...

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