Spas date back to Roman times where relaxation, rejuvenation and healing were sought through hot mineral spring water. Still today, spas offer many of the same services offered at spas in Roman times and they still stand for the same, relaxation, rejuvenation and healing.
Combining a spa treatment with a holiday or weekend away is becoming more and more popular and thankfully now, you do not have to go abroad and spend a fortune in order to do so. With the stresses of work and family life, the ability for total relaxation and making the most out of a much deserved weekend break is a must and places such as hotels Surrey have seen high quality spas hotels opening recently.
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Goosemire Cottages, the family owned and run Lake District self catering business, are pleased to launch their January sale.
Everyone is looking for a bargain at this time of year so why should the sales be confined to the high street? Goosemire Cottages are offering discounts on full weeks booked in each of their 46 self catering properties. The discounts range from £30 - £50 depending on the property size.
The number of self catering holidays in the UK has risen quite dramatically in the last 2 years. Various factors have contributed to this for example the poor Euro exchange rate resulting in tourists staying in the UK and the cost savings of self catering compared with a hotel stay. A self catering holiday allows freedom, the ability to cook within the property so saving on restaurant bills and is an excellent type of holiday for families and pet owners.
Goosemire Cottages have available 46 traditional Lake District cottages for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lakeland cottages or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each property are reflected on their website which offers full online booking facilities and information and images on each of their properties.
For more information on the Goosemire Lake District cottages January sale or their last minute booking discounts, visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk/special-offers
Hotels in the Lake District offer so much these days. Not only to they offer so many services and facilities but they offer great deals on short breaks combined with sampling the local produce of the area in their restaurants. What has been great to see in the last few years is the use of the magnificent local produce from Cumbria – the Lake District in the hotels in the county. Cumbria is known for a variety of produce but none more so than lamb. Herdwick and rough fell lamb has a very distinct taste and is extremely high quality. This lamb is now revered within the food industry with many top London restaurants requesting Herdwick and markets such as the famous Borough Market stocking it. Cumbrian rose veal is also being championed by top chefs and restaurants for its quality and it is great to see veal back in favour and on menus.
Cumbria and The Lake District are very lucky to have a diverse range of small and artisan producers from lamb, beef and sausages to chutney’s and real ales. Such produce can be found in abundance and the inhabitants and visitors to the area are very spoilt. There are even hotels that have their own Victorian kitchen garden and farms. Such gardens supply as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible to their hotels and the farms supply as much meat. Not only do many of hotels use local produce but they are taking it one step further and supplying themselves. This is a great marketing tool for a hotel and there are guests now having Lake District short breaks as much for the food as the scenery. In the south lakes especially, there are a huge number of local producers and suppliers.
Christmas is approaching fast and many people are starting to think about gifts for friends and family. Each year this task gets harder and harder!
Often, the gifts people remember the most are gift experiences not objects. Lake District Hotels Ltd are pleased to offer a solution to the age old gift buying problem in the form of gift vouchers which can be selected for use in any one of their six hotels.
The gift vouchers have been created to suit every taste, requirement and budget. For example, the hotel break vouchers are available for one or two nights and range from a standard room right up to a luxury four poster room. Other vouchers include food and drink vouchers which incorporate a two course lunch for four people voucher or a £25 wine voucher, vouchers for afternoon tea and spa vouchers which include luxury massages and manicure treatments or full “well being” spa breaks. If you aren’t sure or simply can’t decide on which voucher to buy, a monetary gift voucher for one of the hotels in an excellent idea. They come in values starting at £25 up to £250. Gift vouchers take away the worry of buying the correct size or colour for a present and they allow the versatility to be used at a time that suits them.
The Lake District Hotels Ltd group consists of six luxury hotels in the Lake District, The Inn on the Lake on the shores of Ullswater, The Lodore Falls on the shores of Derwentwater, The Borrowdale Hotel in the Borrowdale Valley, The George Hotel in Penrith and finally the Kings Arms and Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick.
For more information visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net and http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/giftvouchers/.
Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in the number of self catering properties to choose from. No longer is a self catering holiday spent within a dingy flat. Lake District self catering cottages can be found for 2 persons right up to 16 and from the basic small house to luxury cottages complete with flat screen TV’s, wood burners and luxury interiors with all the modern conveniences of TV’s, DVD players, washing machines, dryers and dish washers.
Self catering holidays benefit the environment too. The carbon footprint of a self catering holiday is significantly less than a hotel based holiday. Many factors contribute to this, the amount of lights, sheets and towels washed and spa and swimming pool facilities. Some self catering property owners and developers are creating a more eco friendly property, for example, installing solar panels, wind turbines and worming and composting facilities.
In areas such as Grasmere and Ambleside there some idyllic self catering properties such as traditional Lakeland houses dating back years. Staying in Grasmere cottages or Ambleside cottages means there are views in every direction. Located at the heart of The Lake District National, some properties have views of Helvellyn also Silver How, Steel Fell and Helm Crag. Grasmere is an idea base for walking with the foot of Helvellyn just minutes away and located on main A591 road which leads right up to Keswick for the highest concentration of fells in the Lake District.
The Costa Del Sol in the south of Spain has around 650 miles of coastline, mostly sandy beaches.
Marbella is an area on the Costa Del Sol and which is famous for many things but its beaches have to be one of its top attractions. Marbella alone has over 24 beaches on its 27 mile length. Quite a high concentration don’t you think! The weather station at Malaga Airport records around 2815 hours of sunshine each year which is an average of nearly 8 hours per day. With this amount of light, it isn’t hard to understand why the beaches on the Cost Del Sol and Marbella are some of the most popular in the world.
Probably the most famous of the Marbella beaches is Puerto Banus due to this town also being the most famous and visited parts of Marbella. Puerto Banus is teaming with the rich and famous who play on their boats moored in the beautiful harbour there. It is the place to be seen when staying in one of the luxury Marbella rentals which are available. Another playing ground for the rich and famous is Nikki beach. This beach is an exclusive beach and has beach front beds along with fantastic food. This beach may feel a little intimidating but it is well worth a visit.
The two longest beaches at 2000m long are Casablanca and Los Monteros. Both are heavily visited beaches near large Costa Del Sol apartment blocks. The smaller beaches of El Cable and La Vibora are frequented less and are in quieter areas for those who want to get away from it all.
Water sports are popular around Marbella and the surrounding areas. Nagueles beach offers good surfing potential and La Vibora beach is where water sports such as wind surfing and jet skiing are seen frequently. Other water sport activities that can be done are fun sports such as banana boats, tubes/ringos through to more skilled wakeboarding, kneeboarding and parasailing.
The beaches are very well equipped with most having amenities such as bars, showers and toilets along with a high level of cleanliness. Life guards are also present at most and a high number have the Blug Flag rating for safety and cleanliness. These factors are high priority for families with small children.
With the huge number of holiday rentals Costa Del Sol offers, this amount of coastline is most definitely required with over 2 million holidaymakers flying into Malaga airport each year. The 2 million visitors have a plethora of beaches to choose from along the Costa Del Sol. The largest, Calahonda is 4500 metres long through to the more modest 320 metres El Bombo beach. It is a destination for people of all ages and interests which is why its popularity has continued to grow throughout the years.
Nerja, on the east of the Costa Del Sol, has some lovely quiet coves and beaches with excellent views over the Mediterranean Sea. Cala de Maro at Nerja is made up of a number or coves and small beaches with some parts of it only accessible by foot making this area a great get away and for those wanting a more tranquil experience.
Grasmere is a village situated in the central region of the English Lake District. Grasmere is located approximately 5 miles north of Ambleside along the A591 and 13 miles south of Keswick.
Grasmere is stunning village, one of the most picturesque but what Grasmere is most famous for is one particular past inhabitant, William Wordsworth. Wordsworth lived in Grasmere for 14 years and was quoted in saying it is, “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found”. Dove Cottage is where he lived until 1808 and it is now a museum and art gallery dedicated to the life and work of Wordsworth and other influential poets and artists. Approximately 70,000 visitors walk through Dove Cottage every year with tours, exhibitions and children’s activities.
Grasmere is also famous for its gingerbread. Dating back to 1850, Sarah Nelson’s gingerbread is now sold all over the world. The Grasmere Gingerbread shop is located in the same building that the first batch of gingerbread was made all those years ago. It also has connections with Wordsworth.
Grasmere is an excellent base for fell walking on some of the most famous fells in the Lake District. Scafell, Helvellyn, Skiddaw and the Langdale Pikes are all very near. There is a number great hotels in Grasmere to stay in. The village is so geared up for tourism that there is accommodation of all types from luxury Grasmere hotels to small bed and breakfasts. All are used to having walkers stay and accommodate them readily but should complete peace and quiet be required, there are some lovely Grasmere self catering cottages. Many being traditional Lakeland slate cottages.
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With the Lake District being named most romantic destination this Valentine’s, it isn’t surprising that couples then want to return to get married. A staggering 31% of couples interviewed voted for the Lake District over destinations such as the Cotswolds, Bath and York.
The romantic nature of this area unsurprisingly attracts couples looking for a wedding destination. Year on year the Lake District is attracting more and more couples with hotels in the Lake District seeing steady increases in weddings throughout the year. There is an excellent choice of Lake District wedding venues due to the high number of hotels. Having this choice enables a wedding party to select the best venue for the size and theme of the wedding. Many hotels offer a cruise on one of the lakes on the wedding day. This can be for the bride and groom only or for the whole wedding party.
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