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Top 5 spa hotels in the UK
The Times has unveiled its top spa hotels in the world so we decided to pick out the ones that we love that are close to home (well, for us in London anyway). So if you’re looking to relax this Easter, book into one of these indulgent retreats.
4* Fowey Hall – A Luxury Family Hotel
Overlooking Fowey Port and the sea, this luxury family hotel with an indulgent spa retreat and fun kids’ facilities is a 5-minute walk from the sandy Readymoney Cove. Fowey Hall is a luxury country-house hotel with rich architecture that was inspiration for Toad Hall in ‘The Wind in the Willows’. In the grounds there is an indoor pool, games, a play area and a big trampoline. Enjoy gourmet cuisine, classic bistro dishes and local oysters and mussels from the hotel’s extensive shellfish menu. Find out more here
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5* Seaham Hall Hotel and The Serenity Spa
Indulge and unwind at Seaham Hall, a small, sea-facing luxury hotel with Michelin Star dining and an oriental-style spa. It has a cliff-top setting a 20 minutes from Newcastle. As well as its Michelin Star, The White Room restaurant has 3 AA Rosettes and serves fine, memorable cuisine for a true English experience. Inspired by Feng Shui, the spa connects to the hotel via a magical underground walkway and offers over 45 different treatments. Find out more here
4* Bishopstrow House & Halycon Spa
This English country house in the beautiful Wylye Valley has a luxurious spa, 2 AA Rosette dining in Mulberry, and is a 10-minute journey from Longleat House and Safari Park. Bishopstrow House is perfect for de-stressing and relaxing. Its halcyon spa has indoor and outdoor pools, a Rasul mud therapy room, Elemis treatments, a sauna, steam room and much more. Each bedroom has its own personality and is beautifully decorated. Find out more here
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5* Chewton Glen Hotel
Chewton Glen, probably the best combination of country house grandeur, food and spa facilities anywhere in the uk. A five red star hotel on the edge of the New Forest and just minutes walk from the sea. Chewton Glen is a luxury hotel, spa and country club situated between the ancient New Forest and the sea. Featuring an award-winning restaurant, world-class leisure activities, luxurious accommodation, and modern conference facilities, Chewton Glen is the perfect destination for romantic escapes, relaxing getaways, or corporate events alike. Find out more here
5* Rocco Forte Balmoral Hotel
The Rocco Forte Collection’s Balmoral is a luxury hotel in the true sense of the word. With its majestic clock tower, the hotel is a unique and contemporary luxury five-star property in the very heart of Edinburgh. While many Edinburgh hotels claim to have Edinburgh’s landmarks on their doorstep, few can say their doorstep is a landmark. Located on Princes Street, in Edinburgh’s main shopping area and next to Waverley Station, The Balmoral is close to the leading luxury department stores and within walking distance of many Edinburgh attractions. Find out more here
Filed under Top Spa Hotels
The 5 top things to do in New York this spring
1. Tim Burton at MOMA: Until 26 April
Tim Burton has just cemented his reputation as one of the world’s finest and most influential directors with his recent masterpiece Alice In Wonderland. Following on from classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, Burton has created another trip into his own distinctive world and his fevered imagination is fully explored in this exhibition at MOMA. From early childhood drawings to never-seen-before moving image works, this is a fascinating insight into Burton’s mind. Throw in concept art, storyboards, puppets, maquettes, costumes and cinematic ephemera from his films and this is a must for any Burton fan. Find out more here
Hotels near MOMA:
Club Quarters Rockefeller Center
Warwick New York
Hilton New York
2. Whitney Biennial: Until 30 May
The Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial hasn’t got a theme this year, just a date: 2010. The exhibition represents a small portion of the world’s contemporary art production, including artists such as David Adamo, Julia Fish, Rashaad Newsome (and about 50 others). The Whitney chose the date to, “give the idea of time as an element of the Biennial and to demonstrate the influence of the past on 2010.” The Whitney is on Madison Avenue at 75th Street.
Find out more here
Hotels near The Whitney:
Hotel Wales
The Franklin Hotel
The Surrey
3. Tribeca Film Festival, 21 April – 2 May
Established in 2002 to revitalise Lower Manhattan after September 11th, the Tribeca Film Festival is now one of the most prominent and recognisable film festivals in the world. With Robert De Niro leading the way, it rarely goes wrong. The 2010 film list includes much-anticipated movies from Michael Winterbottom and Neil Jordan. Find out more here
Hotels in Lower Manhattan:
Duane Street Hotel Tribeca
Thompson LES
Soho Grand Hotel
4. Cirque du Soliel, Banana Shpeel: Until 3 May
Produced by the famous Cirque du Soleil, Banana Shpeel is a new twist on vaudeville, a theatrical mix of comedy and dance currently playing at The Beacon Theatre off Broadway until May. Mixing jokes with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance and slapstick, all linked by a hilarious narrative, it’s a visual treat. Find out more here
Hotels near Broadway:
Hotel 41 at Times Square
AKA Times Square
Millennium Broadway
5. Gossip Girl location tours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
If you’re a fan of hit TV show Gossip Girl then you’ll love this tour of the programme’s top locations around New York. The characters are all glossy NYC socialites who love sex, drugs and intrigue and now you can see their playground. See the hotel where the Van der Woodsens live, the Constance Billard School for Girls where the characters are students and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, scene of the Bass / Van der Woodsen wedding. Find out more here
Hotels in the Lower East Side:
Hotel on Rivington
Blue Moon Hotel
The GEM Hotel SoHo
Filed under New York recommendations
Compare hotel prices on Booking.com and Expedia
We think that Gekko is the smarter way to find the right hotel for your trip. Gekko already helps you find a hotel you’ll love by giving you personalised hotel recommendations and now we’re giving you the chance to compare hotel prices on two of the largest online travel companies.
On over 20,000 top hotels in our most popular cities, we will now show you the hotel rates on Booking.com and Expedia for the dates that you would like to stay. So you can now find the right hotel and book at the best price on your favourite travel site.
Find a hotel you’ll love on Gekko now.
We are going to be adding more top travel sites in the next few weeks so keep checking the Gekko blog or sign up here to receive Gekko updates.
Filed under New to Gekko.com
Fantastic aerial photos of NYC and Vegas at night
Here’s a link to some pretty amazing views of New York city and Las Vegas at night, taken by photographer Jason Hawkes.
Take a look at NYC and Las Vegas from above.
If you like what you see, check out his latest book, London at Night.
Filed under New York recommendations, NYC Photographs