United Kingdom Archives - A Luxury Travel Blog : A Luxury Travel Blog

A family sailing holiday in western Scotland

By Paul Johnson on Sep 04, 2020 in Adventure Travel, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Regions, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The coronavirus has turned the world on its head when it comes to family holidays or indeed travel of any kind. Now we are more mindful of issues such as health and hygiene, social distancing and santisation, than ever before. It is therefore perhaps quite natural that we see holidaymakers seeking isolation over city breaks, […]

Short stay: The Duncombe Arms, Ellastone, Staffordshire, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 30, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The Duncombe Arms shows just how far The Great British Pub has travelled. Gourmet pub classics have brought a Michelin Bib Gourmand, two AA rosettes and foodies from afar. This is no longer just a place where only locals drop by for a pint and a bite. Ten rooms in Walnut House, every one, with […]

Short stay: New Hall Hotel and Spa, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 28, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

New Hall is the romantic castle, complete with water lilies floating on the moat, where you have always wanted to stay. There are more coats of arms, griffins, stone fireplaces, Norman French mottoes, crenelated towers, timber beams, cupola topped by a weather vane and mullioned-windows than you can shake a jousting lance at. Rumour has […]

The great English escape

By Carl O'Neill on Aug 25, 2020 in Europe, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

You may write England off when it comes to looking for a ‘holiday’, but it is actually the perfect location for a luxurious break. This country is packed with amazing views, blue seas, tonnes of history and the finest cuisine; and I am not ashamed to say it, but I think England really does have […]

Short stay: Middlethorpe Hotel and Spa, York, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 14, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The red-brick and white-sash-windows house, built in 1699, has echoes of both the grandeur of Hampton Court and Sir Christopher Wren’s elegant rebuilding of London after The Great Fire of London. Although owner Thomas Barlow’s views on architecture were influenced by his Grand Tour of Europe, Middlethorpe Hall Hotel and Spa, with its lawns and […]

Blackheath and Greenwich: 10 reasons to visit

By Michael Edwards on Aug 06, 2020 in Attractions, Europe, Going Out, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The 211 acres of Blackheath’s common tell the story of England over the last millennium. The Royal Hundred Hides, traditionally, a hide is enough land to house and feed a family, lead south to Greenwich Park and it’s history. Over the centuries, Blackheath has been a gathering point for both celebrations and revolts: Henry V […]

Short stay: Rookery Hall Hotel and Spa, Nantwich, Cheshire, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 02, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Two centuries on from its naming as Rookery Hall, the rooks still fly over 38 acres of grounds, waddle across the terrace and perch on the handsome Georgian mansion built back in 1816. Yet, there is an air of the Loire valley to this grand sandstone and grey slate property. When Baron Von Schroeder purchased […]

Short stay: Homewood Hotel and Spa, Bath, UK

By Michael Edwards on Jul 25, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Homewood, in ten bucolic acres of lawns and soaring trees, brings relaxed but stylish Mediterranean living to the rural village of Freshford: palms, olive trees in deep terracotta planters, Goddess sculptures and modernist art. It’s a sensuous taste of the Côte d’Azur slotted between the rivers Avon and Frome. The Mediterranean theme is apt, given […]

Short stay: The Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, UK

By Michael Edwards on Jul 18, 2020 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The Swan Hotel is a former sixteenth-century coaching inn that has been extended to become virtually a Lake District resort. Ivy grows on whitewashed walls that overlook the five arches of the narrow 1651 Newby Bridge. Meanwhile the River Leven that sedately flows towards Lake Windermere. After flooding in December 2015, The Swan Hotel rose […]

5 hikes to capture the essence of Scotland

By Carl O'Neill on Jul 14, 2020 in Europe, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel, United Kingdom, Western Europe

From a casual stroll taking in the beauty of your surroundings to an epic adventurous trail that tests your stamina; nothing can beat Scotland when it comes to luxurious hikes – the dramatic landscapes will take your breath away. Given the current climate and limitations on air travel, we are being encouraged to venture outdoors […]

A Summer of staycations? It’s time to explore England

By Paul Johnson on Jun 30, 2020 in Europe, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

With many of our favourite attractions now beginning to reopen their doors, VisitEngland have rounded up some ways to enjoy outings across the country. Plus, with breaks away now possible from 4th July, restaurants, pubs, campsites and accommodation providers are busy putting measures in place to welcome people back. Look at some of the creative […]

10 things to do around Malvern, UK

By Lucienne Sheard on May 30, 2020 in Attractions, Europe, Going Out, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Home to the Malvern hills, copious country pubs, famous spring water and bursting with history there is no surprise that Malvern is a popular spot for people to visit each year. The town is located on the border of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, beneath the rolling hills which provide stunning panoramic views of the Wye Valley […]

10 of the best virtual tours so you can still explore the world

By Paul Johnson on May 09, 2020 in Asia, Attractions, California, China, Europe, Featured, Going Out, North America, Peru, Regions, South America, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, USA, Websites, Western Europe, Worldwide

Recently, I sat and thought about some of the reasons why I travel (and these days I have more time to sit, and think, than to travel). I realized a few interesting things. Why do I travel? Well, clearly to escape and explore. But, also to embrace and understand other cultures, to free my mind, […]

10 art galleries and museums you can still visit… virtually

By Paul Johnson on Apr 25, 2020 in Asia, Attractions, Brazil, Croatia, Eastern Europe, Europe, Featured, Going Out, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, North America, Pennsylvania, Regions, South America, Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA, Vatican City, Virginia, Western Europe, Worldwide

As Thomas Merton, famed writer, poet, and American Trappist monk once said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. Never has there been a better time to lose ourselves in art, to admire and acknowledge perspectives different from our own. To be in awe of another’s talent, whether past, […]

British Airways increases flights from China to tackle PPE shortages in the UK

By Paul Johnson on Apr 24, 2020 in Air Travel, Europe, Health & Safety, Regions, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

British Airways is increasing the number of cargo-only flights from China to the UK to 21 a week, up from 13 last week, as demand for PPE (personal protection equipment) continues to rise. From May, fourteen flights each week will depart from Shanghai, and seven from Beijing, carrying cargo in the hold and, where possible, […]

Luxury travel news this week: Coronavirus update

By Paul Johnson on Apr 05, 2020 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Asia, Europe, Health & Safety, Hotels, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to […]

Category: United Kingdom