Are you looking for that ultimate relaxation break just before the Christmas frenzy that we all love to hate?

Are you looking for that ultimate relaxation break just before the Christmas frenzy that we all love to hate? How about just after, when Auntie Edna has finally packed her bags and left you in peace. Well, look no further, the fabulous Burn Hall Hotel, set in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside and only a stone’s through from the fabulously festive York, has an absolutely astounding offer.

Burn Hall Hotel is a converted mansion house near York, set amidst 8 acres of attractive woodland grounds.  As you walk through in to the oldest section of the building, you immediately feel an overwhelming urge to stay a while and take the weight off your feet as relaxtion sweeps through your body. So, come and relax between 20-29 Dec (excluding Xmas Day as Santa needs a home to put his feet up and has chosen Burn Hall). Book for just 1 night or stay a few at a rate of just £99 per room including breakfast, dinner and a bottle of wine, you can’t say fairer than that.

HO, HO, HO…………….. (no bah humbugs here!).

Have yourself a Merry Chester Christmas!

Firstly I know that this may seem a bit too early for many of us to be thinking about Christmas but as with most things, like this offer, which have limited availability, you need to ‘book early to avoid disappointment’!

Chester is a fine English city, indeed it’s one of the oldest English cities with a beautiful mix of Roman, Saxon, Norman, Georgian and Victorian architecture all blended in a beautiful and seamless way  and overlooked by the magnificent Welsh Hills.

The Best Western Westminster Hotel, Chester,  stands as it has for many years, proudly close to Chester’s Railway station; so if you’re not travelling by car then fear not, you’ll have a 2 minute walk from the station entrance to meet your final destination!  The hotel is a mix of historical charm and modern touches.

The lovely staircase  as you enter the Reception and which winds around to the first floor is testament to how the hotel was revered as one of the finest in this great city when rail travel was the most popular mode of transport and people clamoured to stay at hotels near to train stations.  Nowadays this fine 3 star property retains some of these original features but has some modern styling to appeal to the modern day city-goer.

The well preserved stained glass windows offer something  that no modern glass and steel hotels are able to – a sense of history and status and along with the grandfather clock you can

sense that this hotel has been here for a while and has been well loved and looked after.  But in contrast the modern ‘Deva Bar’ works well within the history of this traditional hotel with it’s bright magenta black and silver design.  Deva comes from the Roman name ‘Deva Victrix’ for the original fort that stood on the site of what is now the City of Chester and not a name referencing some stroppy female pop star!

And so with all this tradition and history, what better way to spend your Christmas 2010 at this fine hotel?  There’s an outstanding 2 night Special Offer  which includes enough Festive Fayre to feed a Roman army starting on Christmas Eve and taking you all the way through to Boxing Day.  Just imagine – no dishes, no cooking, no thinking about what to buy and who to invite (or not!) …. sounds like bliss doesn’t it and the best part is that 2 nights bed, breakfast and other meals included costs just £169 per person!  

You’ll start your stay on Christmas Eve with an early check in at 2pm and Mulled Wine and mince pies served in your room.   To get you further in the mood there’s Dinner in the evening and then live entertainment in the bar taking you up until bedtime …. but don’t wait up too late because on Christmas Day you’ll enjoy your breakfast between 8am and 9.30am and there will be a visit from a ‘very Special someone’, bearing gifts for all on his way back to the North Pole!

A sumptuous and traditional Christmas Lunch with all the trimmings will be served and then Afternoon Tea and Christmas Cake can be enjoyed whilst watching the Queen’s speech, if that’s your thing.   To finish off your day a fabulous ‘Taste of Cheshire’ buffet will be served in the evening and the Deva Bar will host your Christmas night festivities with more live entertainment.   So why not try something different this Christmas, forget about the mundane aspects and worrying if you’ll run out of drinks and book this fab offer!

Christmas Package at Best Western Westminster Hotel, Chester starts from £169 per person for 2 nights staying in a Standard Room .  A £10 supplement applies for single rooms and a £20 supplement applies for a larger Executive Room.

HO, HO, HO – Xmas is nearly here! (Don’t shoot the messenger, I am just here to tell you about a fabulous shopping package in Leeds!)

Loathe it or love it, before we even have time to blink, the Festive period will be upon us. Leaves are falling, morning starts are crisp and the smell of wood burning fires permeate the air. Personally, I think it is a season to celebrate, the thought of sipping mulled wine by the open fire and gazing at twinkling Christmas lights bring about that warm & fuzzy feeling. Even if you are a resident scrooge, I know there is a tiny part of you that gets excited when the mere mention of Father Christmas sends tingles of joy through your body……..

Now, I have asked myself this same question, has the day of cyber space shopping come to replace the tradition of physically visiting a store? Those scrooges amongst you may well be saying yes but ask yourself  the following questions. Can you wrap up warm to brave that wintery chill outside with your best woolen scarf, glove & hat combo (you can in front of a computer but you’d look pretty daft)? Do you smell roast chesnuts cooking whilst tapping a keyboard? Can you hear festive music filling the streets whilst browsing for those quirky buys and last but not least, a warming hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows, go on – it is Xmas, it just wouldn’t taste the same if you weren’t stepping in from the cold wintery air.

So, with Christmas Shopping in mind, why not treat yourself with a trip to the cosmopolitan city of Leeds and a stay at the fabulous, centrally located 4 star ‘The Met Hotel‘. A magnificent grade 2 listed building, built in 1899, it is the oldest hotel in this vibrant city . It was also the first to have electricity and an elevator! The main reason this is a listed building is the rare and remarkable Victorian Terracotta Façade. The cupola, which is a small, usually dome-like structure, which sits on the roof,  was taken from the demolished 4^th White Cloth Hall, built in 1868 on the same site.

The hotel have a ready made shopping package to tickle your fancy, stay in a Superior room and receive Full English Breakfast, a £30 per person HARVEY NICHOLS VOUCHER, a glass of Champagne per person and a complimentary make-up consultation by Yves St. Laurent. Now, calling all you men out there, if you are planning to put a very expensive gift on your Xmas list i.e. that Ferrari driving experience, I would recommend treating your better half to this amazing offer. On the other hand, If you just fancy a stay without the package, take advantage of their Stay 2 nights offer and save a staggering 20% off your price along with a bottle of wine in the room complimentary. Now, whichever option you choose, you can’t go far wrong. They are valid right up to Xmas but don’t delay, they’ll be snapped up quick!

Before you ask, all you good people out there, I’ll be happy with a Harvey Nics voucher for my Xmas present by way of a thank you.

Paths less travelled…………… Why North Yorkshire is one of these wonders.

So, looking to escape the crowds, forget work and put your stresses behind you, well North Yorkshire allows you to do just that. Do your dreams include rolling fields, chocolate box villages, Michelin starred restaurants……………….well, you are already here.

There is so much to learn we could be researching for hours but here are few interesting facts on the road less travelled.

• Did you know that Yorkshire boasts the largest number of Michelin starred restaurants in a single UK county with a total of 6?
• Did you know that it is England’s largest rural county with a population of almost 60,000 covering 3,000 square miles?
• Did you know that Scarborough Spa is Britain’s first seaside resort and has been welcoming families for over 360 years?
• Did you know that the tallest lime tree in Britain can be found at Duncombe Park, Helmsley – measuring 46 x 3.7 metres?
• Did you know that the North Riding Forest Park, now known as Dalby Forest, is the largest upland heath forest in the country?
• Did you know that  the North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs steam trains along 18 miles of track from Pickering to Grosmont and is the longest steam operated railway in Great Britain
• Did you know that Terrington is thought to be the location of Britain’s most northern lavender farm – Yorkshire Lavender?
• Did you know that the world’s largest onion bhaji was made at the Jinnah Restaurant near Flaxton, Malton? Weighing 3.12kg and with a diameter of 51cm, the bhaji has been officially recognised as the largest in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.
• Did you know that the North York Moors National Park is one of the country’s greatest strongholds for the breeding of merlins, a small falcon?

Let me know if you know anymore or any changes to the above, the list is endless.

So, come and discover this amazing area for yourself, book today and go exploring!