Living / 22 January, 2018 / Ellie Thompson
If you’re wanting to get away for a weekend break in the UK, you’ve come to the right place. Mr & Mrs Smith is the travel club for hotel lovers; an award winning boutique-hotel booking service specialising in the world’s most seductive stays.
With Mr & Mrs Smith’s unique collection of family-friendly hotels and villas – curated by experts and personally visited and approved parents – you’ll find the best places to stay. You’ll get the best prices guaranteed, a free Smith Extra on arrival, and round-the-clock service from Smith24:, their in-house team of travel specialists, available 24/7.
We’ve rounded up the hotels with the all-important Mr & Mrs Smith stamp of approval; all are recommended as some of the best family-friendly weekend-break spots in the UK. Read on to find stylish, child-welcoming hotels that go the extra mile to ensure that family time is enjoyed by Smiths of all ages.
Luxury hotel Chewton Glen is the perfect location for a babymoon with its restful green grounds, spoiling spa and award-winning traditional British restaurant. Voted ‘Best hotel in the British Isles’, this destination is also incredibly well set up for a fantastic family weekend away. There’s lots to do for those with children of all ages, including hands-on falconry, duck herding, country walks, pony trekking or treasure hunts in the New Forest – even sailing at nearby Lymington. Parents can even steal a little time to themselves: Chewton Glen’s children’s club runs on weekends and school holidays.
There’s so much on offer at Lucknam Park for those who love the outdoors. There are tennis and croquet courts, football pitches and plenty of countryside for the roaming… Pony enthusiasts should trot up to the on-site equestrian centre which offers daily pony expeditions around the picturesque estate. There are plenty of indoor activities to entertain the whole family too. Relax in the hotel’s country club, sign up for a cookery course in the restaurant, or check out the Little Miss treatments in Lucknam’s well-regarded spa.
Lime Wood hotel is the epitome of sophistication, with its grand imposing Regency-era exterior. Indeed, it’s steeped in history; it was once a mediaeval hunting lodge, dating back to the 13th century; and it’s improved with age, modernised into an informal, if not a luxurious, home-from-home. Lime Wood is extremely child-friendly too, the hotel is filled with families who can enjoy elegant dining in their choice of three restaurants, and have fun in the verdant grounds and surrounds. There’s also a super spa parents can sneak off to.
Located just an hour outside central London, Beaverbrook hotel is set on a 400-acre estate within the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Beauty. The hotel’s setting means your family have the chance to do as little or as much they’d like in the days they spend here. The surrounding woodland is perfect for rambling, mountain biking and horse riding. The hotel offers guided foraging and horticultural tours for budding Bear Grylls; and parents can relax while their little ones make friends at Beaverbrook’s weekend kids’ club (for 4-12 year-olds), hosted by the brilliant Sharky & George. Playtime often takes place outdoors, where there’s a very impressive treehouse.
Families craving a stylish break in the Cotswolds should have designs on Lakes by Yoo. This secluded and secure estate is home to a series of large country houses, some styled by different celebrities (most notably, Kate Moss). There are many activities for all the family, and so much for the kids to do: from bushcraft and fire-fighting lessons devised by adventurer Ben Fogle, to fishing, archery and kayaking sessions, there really is something for everyone. There are three children’s clubs, each catering specifically for a different age group. Ziplining, biking and swimming, to puppetry, pizza making and animal-petting: there are pastimes geared to all ages – so nobody will get bored. Perhaps the best thing about The Lakes by Yoo is that every villa is unique; some come with their own pool, while houses situated on the river come complete with a kayak. So, you can plan your stay and choose your villa, depending on what you’d like to do.
Mr & Mrs Smith is the travel club for hotel lovers: an award-winning boutique hotel booking service specialising in the world’s most seductive stays. Founded in 2003, there are now more than 1,000 boutique and luxury hotels in the Smith collection, all hand-picked and anonymously reviewed. With Smith you’ll get the best prices guaranteed, free extras on arrival and round-the-clock service from Smith24, our in-house travel specialists. The collection now also includes luxury villas, bespoke itineraries and unique experiences too. To find hotels and family-holiday villas that Smiths of all ages will love, go to Mr and Mrs Smith to browse and book.