Valentine's Weekend Fit for a King and Queen

Thornbury Castle, Cotswolds

• Why? Chance for couples to step back in time and stay in this extraordinary Tudor castle. This hotel offers the perfect luxurious retreat – combining 500-year-old architecture with sumptuous facilities – and a romantic backdrop that will melt anyone's heart. 
• What's special about it?: This is a hotel steeped in history, surrounded by unspoiled grounds and abutting the lovely landscape of the Cotswolds. Add to that a restaurant that developed a Michelin-starred reputation in the 1970s, drawing stars from all over the world to dine there, and now where couples can dine in peace and privacy next to a roaring fire – and you have a hotel that offers the ultimate romantic setting.

As soon as guests arrive at Thornbury Castle, they will feel they have stepped back in time given its historic surroundings and amazing interiors.  Lounges with roaring fires welcome guests, dining areas look fit for a king or queen, and palatial bedrooms really make Thornbury Castle stand out from the rest.

• Bedrooms: Each of the 28 bedchambers is unique – most with coronet or four-poster beds. While focusing attention on historical detail, the castle's designers have not skimped on contemporary luxuries. The rooms are far warmer than they would have been in Henry VIII's time and the bathrooms are both opulent and well-appointed with everything you would expect in a top-flight ensuite.
• The rooms to request: The Tower Suite: Choose the high life!  The suite is at the top of the tower in the South Wing and is reached via a spiral staircase of 77 circular stone steps (the hotel staff will carry your luggage!). The huge four-poster bed, sumptuous Tudor furnishings and stunning views across Gloucestershire make this, quite literally, the top suite in the castle.  Another of the hotel's most popular rooms is The Dukes Bedchamber. This is the actual room slept in by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn during their honeymoon in 1535 and overlooks the oldest Tudor gardens in England. The room boasts an open fireplace, four poster bed and an en-suite bathroom. 
• Extra insights: The Tower Suite also boasts of having the largest four-poster bed in any hotel in the UK.
• Package: The Ultimate Valentine's Weekend: Celebrate Valentine's weekend in style at Thornbury Castle. Arrive at your bedchamber and be greeted with a glass of bubbles, a box of homemade truffles. Unwind and relax while the hotel's team of award-winning chefs will be preparing a delicious candle-lit dinner in one of the hotel's romantic dining rooms. 

Thornbury Castle Valentine's weekend two-night break includes:

Three-course a la Carte dinner on your first evening

Five-course special Valentine's dinner with classic guitar entertainment on Saturday evening

Two glasses of champagne on arrival

A box of hand-made truffles

Rates from £650 for a two-night break.

A Valentine's weekend by the sea…and the kids come too!

Polurrian Bay Hotel, Cornwall

• Why? Given Valentine's Day falls at the start of half term, most parents will be with their children for the most romantic weekend of the year. Polurrian Bay Hotel provides a perfect coastal setting to appeal to all star-crossed parents and their little cherubs.
• What's special about it? This luxury family hotel is perched on the cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula, one of Cornwall's most dramatic coastlines. The hotel boasts a boutique seaside style, with sea-view lounges and restaurants, chic rooms and contemporary family rooms. On Valentine's Day children can enjoy Valentine craft activities in the hotel's OFSTED registered Den. The fun continues with PJs on and a special screening of a family movie in the hotel's cinema room accompanied by lashings of hot chocolate and marshmallows. For the very little ones who will not be taking part in Den activities parents can make use of the hotel's baby listening service. 

As part of the Valentine's package, parents will be able to tuck into a two-course gourmet dinner served each night during their stay.  The highlight will be a special menu prepared by the hotel's chef for Valentine's night.  And to make the most of the romantic evening, the hotel has organised for its Den team (aka Cupid's helpers), to provide an early morning pick up service for the children on the Wednesday. The Den Team will serve them breakfast while mum and dad get the chance of a lie in or a leisurely breakfast together the morning after.  Bliss!

• What's special about it?: Perched on the cliffs amongst 12 acres of landscaped gardens, with stunning views across Mounts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula, the Polurrian Bay Hotel is the ultimate family seaside hotel with its own private beach with public access and has scooped numerous awards in the last 12 months.

The hotel has hosted a number of famous guests from world-renowned inventors to stars from stage and screen and including Hollywood A listers. 

• Bedrooms: Polurrian Bay Hotel has 41 bedrooms. Interiors are fresh and contemporary, with a boutique seaside style.   All rooms come with luxurious feather bedding, flat-screen TVs and Voya toiletries.
• The rooms to request: Whether you choose sea views, a spacious family room, or its two-bedroomed self-catering cottage, the hotel has got the perfect accommodation to suit every family's needs and even welcomes pet pooches. With two en-suite bedrooms connected by a private corridor, the family suites are often the first to get snapped up. Guests can choose from a Superior Sea View or Inland Facing suite.
• Extra insights: For those who enjoy a cocktail or something chilled on the rocks, they will be delighted to know that the hotel has just been listed as one of the ten best places in Cornwall to have a cocktail.
• Packages: Stay three nights for a half term/romantic break away at Polurrian Bay and receive a complimentary 40 minute 'Coastal Calm' spa treatment and a two-course dinner on each night. Guests will be served two complimentary Valentine-themed cocktails before dinner on the 14 February. Children up to the age of 16 stay free in their parents' room and pay for all meals taken and complimentary 1 x two hour childcare per day in the hotel's OFSTED registered crèche. Rates from £690 for a three-night break in a family room.

Valentine for literary lovers, shopping fans and spa junkies

Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall

Why? Everyone falls in love with Fowey. The pretty sailing town of Fowey has become a Cornwall hot spot due to its stunning location, quirky shops and cafes, and its breathtaking scenery.

What's special about it? Fowey Hall is a grand Queen Anne mansion thought to be the original inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows. Its welcoming, unpretentious atmosphere makes it feel more like a friend's country retreat, where kids can roam freely and parents can unwind. 

Fowey Hall makes an ideal location for a romantic Valentine's weekend combined with a fun family break this half term.  The hotel's nannies offer a Mary Poppins breakfast club for little ones on Valentine's Day morning so parents can enjoy some quality time together, catch up on sleep, and treat themselves to breakfast in bed with the papers.

Bedrooms: Bedrooms at Fowey Hall come in all shapes and sizes, from huge interconnecting rooms under the eaves to more contemporary rooms.  Each of its 36 rooms is elegantly decorated with a mixture of antiques and contemporary and ooze comfort and luxury. 

The room to request:  Family rooms in the main house are often the most popular.  Sleeping two adults and two children or infants, these provide a separate room for little ones and are ideal for families who like a bit more privacy while not compromising on luxury and comfort.

Extra insights: Fowey is also famed for its association with author Daphne du Maurier, who lived in the area for many years. 

Fowey Hall was awarded 2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence and a Highly Commended Taste of the West awards.  Head Chef James Parkinson has over 25 years' experience working in the kitchens of luxury hotels and is renowned for his Cornish inspired cuisine. Seasonal menus are created using the best local ingredients, complemented by Cornish-inspired flavours such as samphire from the beaches and herbs picked from the hotel's kitchen garden. 

Fowey Hall's spa boasts a fantastic range of relaxing and luxurious treatments designed to pamper and refresh guests from top to toe using Elemis products.  Treatments to request include the Visible brilliance facial, the perfect pre-occasion treatment helps smooth, firm, plump and restore radiance (1 hour 15 minutes for Mon-Thurs £60, Fri-Sun £70). Alternatively try the Deep tissue muscle massage to alleviate high stress levels, ease aching muscles and revive the senses (Duration 1hr Mon-Thurs £60, Fri-Sun £65).

Packages: Three nights stay including a two-course dinner, bed and breakfast from £900 for a family room. Two complimentary glasses of Prosecco served to guests on arrival. Children up to the age of 16 stay free in their parents' room and pay for all meals taken and complimentary 1 x two hour childcare per day in the hotel's OFSTED registered crèche.

Valentine's Day in the heart of the forest

New Park Manor, New Forest

Why? Set in the heart of the New Forest, with wonderful views over the surrounding woodland and heathland, New Park Manor was once the favourite hunting lodge of King Charles II.

What's special about it? The building comprises an original 17th century manor house, where the lounge areas, restaurant and many bedrooms can be found, as well as a more modern extension, where there are further bedrooms, rooms for children's activities plus the Bath House Spa and pool. The beautiful stripped wood floors and rugs in the lounges, with comfy sofas just waiting to be sunk into, the atmosphere is one of a stylish 'home-from-home', with attentive, relaxed service ensuring a stay here is as comfortable as possible. 

Bedrooms: All 25 bedrooms are very individual in style, and named after historic characters.   The bedrooms in the main manor house feature a blend of contemporary and traditional styles, with soft, comfortable beds, bright cushions, textured throws and great artwork throughout. 

The Forest Rooms, located in the newer part of the hotel, are the perfect choice for families with older children, offering interconnecting rooms, each with their own bathroom, and even have the treat of a TV screen above the bath.

The room to request: The new family suite, Muntjac, is the most spacious and luxurious suite in the hotel and features uninterrupted views over the forest from the master bedroom with access to the roof terrace.

Extra insights: As well as four new bedrooms being added last year, the hotel's Bath Spa launched four stunning new treatment rooms located on the ground floor of the new rooms. The friendly and experienced therapists areon hand to offer the very latest Elemis spa treatment therapies, including the BIOTEC Facial as well as Jessica nails, ensuring guests feel relaxed, renewed and recharged.

Packages: Bed and Breakfast rates are from £205 per night for a family room (based on two adults and one child sharing). Children up to the age of 16 stay free in their parents' room and pay for all meals taken and complimentary 1 x two hour childcare per day in the hotel's OFSTED registered crèche.

Valentine's for foodies

Woolley Grange, Bradford on Avon 

Why? Woolley Grange is an elegant Jacobean Manor House hotel, built from soft Bath stone and set in 14 acres of beautiful gardens.

What's special about it? The interior of the hotel has been designed by Carole Taylor and is a great combination of classic style with more contemporary pieces.   Elegant chaise longue and chairs sit alongside deep, comfortable leather sofas, and traditional artwork alongside the specially commissioned, contemporary prints by Judy Willoughby.   Feeling more like a house than a hotel, there are plenty of areas in which families can relax, from sofas in front of the roaring log fire in the winter, to the library-come-cinema room.

Bedrooms: All of the 25 bedrooms are highly individual and range from spacious family suites to quirky rooms under the eaves with exposed beams.  Rooms are spread throughout the main hotel, in the adjacent Stone Cottage and Coach House.

The room to request: The fabulous Hayloft Suite has spacious rooms and triple aspect views over the courtyard.

Extra insights: Food at Woolley Grange is an absolute treat for everyone. There are a number of dining areas – a light, informal Orangery, an elegant, yet relaxed restaurant, and various private dining options – making Woolley the perfect choice for a family celebration. 

The spa offers a range of treatments from its new Elemis range ranging from wonderful facials to relaxing massages.

Chef Mark Bradbury creates unpretentious dishes that are traditionally British in style, but combine international influences with the very best of British flavours.  A strong advocate of local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, Mark also uses the vegetables, herbs and fruit from the hotel's own kitchen garden.  

Packages: Bed and Breakfast rates are from £250 per night for a family room (based on two adults and one child sharing). Children up to the age of 16 stay free in their parents' room and pay for all meals taken and complimentary 1 x two hour childcare per day in the hotel's OFSTED registered crèche.

How to book the hotels

More information is available at www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk or by telephoning the Central Reservations team on 0844 482 2152.

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Ends

For more information:

Maria Boyle                                                          Suzanne Trisk

MB Communications Ltd                                    MB Communications Ltd

0208 876 8444                                                     0208 876 8444

0788 764 7855                                                     07710 207164                     

maria@mbcomms.co.uk                                   suzanne@mbcomms.co.uk 

Twitter: @mbcommsltd

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