As Christmas approaches, get into the spirit of the season at some of the UK’s finest hotels. Whether it’s a winter getaway to soak up the festivities or an indulgent Christmas break, Pride of Britain Hotels’ collection of 50 luxury properties has it all.
Pre-Christmas
A medieval market in Suffolk (6-8 December)
The charming medieval village of Lavenham will be illuminated by twinkling Christmas lights and glowing with log fires this December, when its annual Christmas fair returns for a weekend of shopping, festive food and drink, live music and traditional fairground rides. The village’s quaint cafés, cosy pubs, restaurants, galleries and boutiques will provide Christmas cheer in abundance alongside performances by live bands, carol singers and Morris dancers. Just a stroll away from the action, The Swan at Lavenham is a four Red Star hotel steeped in history, with original oak beams, cosy nooks and vast open fireplaces. An overnight stay costs from £119 per room total/ £60 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the hotel’s Weavers’ House Spa.
Festive film screenings in Wiltshire (various dates in November/ December)
Throughout November and December, Whatley Manor will show some of the finest festive flicks in its private 40-seater cinema, complete with cosy red leather seats. Screenings at the Cotswold manor house hotel, near Malmesbury, will take place on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as Sunday afternoons, and include either a two-course lunch or dinner in Grey’s Brasserie, plus ice cream to enjoy with the film (£29.50 pp). Sit back and watch favourites such as The Grinch (29 November), Home Alone (6 December) and The Holiday (21 December). Stay overnight from £299 per room total/ £150 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the hotel’s Aquarias Spa.
A Victorian fayre for all the family in the Lake District (1 December)
Hunt for unique gifts and treasures at Keswick Victorian Fayre, with stalls selling a selection of homemade Christmas crafts, produce and festive food and drink. Traders and volunteers dressed in Victorian costume add to the magic, and children will be delighted with the funfair and a very special visit from Father Christmas. After the excitement, stay nearby at Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, a 17th century former stately home overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake and situated beside the Lake District Wildlife Park, perfect for extending the family fun. An overnight stay costs from £310 per room total/ £155 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast. Children stay from £15 per night per child when sharing with adults.
Wreath-making masterclass in the Cotswolds (24 November; 1, 3 & 8 December)
Add a personal touch to your Christmas decorations by creating a bespoke wreath at Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham, alongside local florist Donna Beaver. Taking place on multiple dates over the festive period, each course starts with a glass of mulled wine and afternoon tea before challenging the small group’s creative side. Guests will leave with a show-stopping wreath to display proudly at home (£60 pp). Stay overnight to enjoy the charmingly decorated ancient manor house to the full, and take a trip into close-at-hand Cheltenham for some Christmas shopping at an array of independent boutiques and high street staples. The cost is from £139 per room total/ £70 pp (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the hotel’s spa.
Christmas Day stays
A festive break in Edinburgh
The Scottish capital comes alive at Christmas time – and where better to experience the festive buzz than at Dunstane House, a family-run boutique hotel in the heart of the city? Discover a magical exhibition of Winter Windows, which forms a pathway of stained-glass windows designed by budding young artists throughout the city, and head to East Princes Street Gardens to purchase some bespoke and traditional items at the fabulously festive market. Arriving on 24 December, Dunstane House’s two-night Christmas break costs from £730 per room total/ £365 pp (two sharing), including a luxury gift on arrival, Christmas Eve buffet and cocktail party, five-course Christmas Day lunch, Festive Afternoon Tea and full Scottish breakfast each morning.
Christmas in the Cotswolds
Go all out with an indulgent three-night Christmas break, staying in a luxurious suite at Barnsley House, a Grade II listed hotel in the idyllic Cotswold village of Barnsley, near Cirencester. Arriving on Christmas Eve, guests will be greeted with Champagne, before settling in and enjoying afternoon tea and a three-course à la carte dinner. Spend Christmas Day strolling through the Rosemary Verey-designed gardens and enjoy a three-course lunch and buffet dinner in the evening. An informal pie and quiz night in the hotel’s Village Pub rounds off the festivities on Boxing Day. The cost is from £2,303 per suite (two sharing), including all meals and activities listed, plus use of the hotel’s spa and access to the hotel’s 30-seater private cinema, which offers an extensive library of films for guests to enjoy from its sumptuous pink leather sofas.
To book a stay at any of the 50 hotels within the collection, contact Pride of Britain Hotels (0800 089 3929, www.prideofbritainhotels.com).
Pride of Britain Hotels’ Best Rate Guarantee ensures the lowest available rates at each member hotel. Should a lower rate be publicly available online, within 24 hours of booking, for the same date(s) and with the same terms and conditions, the member hotel will be pleased to honour the lower rate.