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UK
A Right Royal Day Out
Blenheim Palace has announced the launch of its brand-new Palace and Play Pass, which gives visitors unlimited access to Adventure Play as well as to Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens*.
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Hotels
It's A Dog's Life!
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Doggy dinners of the highest order!
As much as dog owners enjoy staycations the majority wouldn’t dream of leaving their faithful friend behind……..explaining why The Inn Collection Group has cottoned on to this niche aspect of the hotel stay market. The company has inns in handpicked coastal, country, town, and city locations - and in The Lake District there are 10, in the likes of Windermere, Ambleside and Bassenthwaite.
1:00 AM 6th May 2024
Hotels
Refurbished Brackenrigg Inn Reopens,
Newly renovated country pub with rooms, The Brackenrigg Inn, has opened its doors to Lake District locals, walkers and guests of Another Place, The Lake. Another Place, The Lake is tapping into local Cumbrian spirit with its latest venture – a refreshing take on a traditional country pub.
1:00 AM 4th May 2024
holidays
The Perfect Escape - Colditz Opens To Tourists
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Colditz Castle near Leipzig, one of the most beautiful Central German architectural monuments of the 16th century. Photo:Schlösserland Sachsen, Sebastian Theilig
Colditz Castle, Germany’s infamous POW camp for officers in World War II, has opened its doors to tourists.
1:00 AM 28th April 2024
Europe
'Bluebird Effect' Boosts Lake District Tourism
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
The pulling power of Donald Campbell’s famous jet hydroplane Bluebird has made the village of Coniston one of this year’s hottest Lake District destinations says Cumbria Tourism Visitor numbers to Coniston’s Ruskin Museum have rocketed to record levels since the iconic craft, which crashed on Coniston Water in January 1967, returned to its spiritual home.
1:00 AM 24th April 2024
Short breaks
‘Harry Potter’ Duke Lines Up For Storytelling Session
A new book by the Duke of Northumberland – peer in residence at Alnwick Castle, also hereditary home to ‘Harry Potter’s’ Hogwarts Academy – will kick off a series of literary events at the Cumbrian estate this Thursday.
1:00 AM 22nd April 2024
holidays
Foodies Given Green Light To Visit Cumberland
A new campaign showcasing Cumberland’s food and drink businesses has launched. Cumbria Tourism is working with Cumberland Council’s Destination Management team to run a new three-month campaign which aims to shine a light on hospitality businesses from small producers, family run cafes and fish and chip shops, through to fine dining restaurants, breweries and distilleries.
1:00 AM 19th April 2024
Short breaks
UK Glampsite Promises African Safari With English Countryside
A luxury glamping retreat in Lincolnshire has just opened promising a touch of Africa mixed with English countryside luxury! The Nest, made up of three dog friendly, lakeside glamping lodges is an alternative way to spend summer with friends and family this year.
1:00 AM 17th April 2024
Short breaks
Buckingham Palace East Wing Tours On Sale TODAY!
The East Wing of Buckingham Palace will be open to visitors for the first time this summer, when special guided tours of the Principal Floor become available to tourists visiting in July and August.
4:53 AM 10th April 2024
Europe
Theme Park ‘Oscar’ For Swedish Attraction
Sweden’s premier theme park, Liseberg, has beaten the Americans at their own game, winning an LA industry ‘Oscar’ in recognition of its high standards of excellence and achievement. Opened in 1923, Liseberg is an amusement park located in Gothenburg and, with around three million visitors a year, is Scandinavia’s largest attraction of its type.
1:00 AM 27th March 2024
Hotels
Blackpool's Imperial Hotel - A Mint Legacy 157 Years On
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
As you enter the lobby at Blackpool’s Imperial Hotel it is hard to deny that you are following in the footsteps of political greatness and, as you check in, you wonder whether or not you will hear the tattyfilarious tones of Ken Dodd or one of his mother-in-law jokes!
1:00 AM 23rd March 2024
Deals
Choctastic Offer At Northern Hotels
Three northern hotels are taking part in a Willy Wonka style competition in which Golden Tickets have been hidden in choclaty treats with hotel stays as prizes. INNSiDE by Meliá, part of Meliá Hotels International, is eggcitedly ushering in its special #StayCurious Easter Golden Ticket Competition, in partnership with renowned Chocolatier, Oli The Choc.
1:00 AM 17th March 2024
Deals
Euro Train Shuttle March Discounts
The rapid ‘Chunnel’ service to France, LeShuttle, is offering 20% off* Day Trip and Short Stay Saver tickets when you book before 24th March. The popular cross-channel service takes just 35 minutes to transport vehicles and their passengers under the Channel from Folkestone to Calais.
1:00 AM 13th March 2024
Europe
Serbian First As Hotel Brand Launches In Belgrade
Radisson RED Belgrade has opened its doors as a new upscale lifestyle hotel, marking the debut of the Radisson RED brand in Southeast Europe. Located on Takovska Street near the House of the National Assembly in Serbia’s capital, Radisson RED Belgrade offers a unique blend of tradition and contemporary style, following a complete renovation and rebranding of the existing hotel building.
1:00 AM 11th March 2024
Weekend
Tallinn – Mediaeval City and Steven’s Domain!
Edinburgh boasts its Greyfriars Bobby legend – the dog that guarded its dead master’s grave for 14 years – and Japan’s equivalent is Hachiko, immortalised outside Shibuya Station, but none of them can steal a march on Tallinn’s Instagram superstar: Steven the Seagull!
1:00 AM 9th March 2024
Hotels
21st Century Makeover For 18th Century Hotel
The bedroom suites at Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort on the outskirts of Leeds, West Yorkshire, have been upgraded as part of an improvement programme. Seven suites, including the up-market Richmond Castle Suite, famed for its modern glamour, have been given a makeover.
1:00 AM 6th March 2024
Short breaks
Dark Knights At Mediaeval Muncaster!
A new Mediaeval Weapons Hall opens at Cumbria’s historic Muncaster Castle later this month. The immersive experience is one of the biggest developments at the castle for years and will enable visitors to try their hand at skills learned by mediaeval knights of old.
1:00 AM 4th March 2024
Weekend
In The Soup In Tartu
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Tartu: European City of Culture
“You might want to turn the roaming off on your phone,” said our Estonian host, Herling Mesi, as we sped across frozen Lake Peipsi at Varnja, just a short car ride from the centre of Tartu. “The Russian border’s only 15km away,” she continued, “right in the centre of the lake, and even though we are only 3km from the shore, Russian telecom may pick up your phone signal.
1:00 AM 2nd March 2024
holidays
Kids Go Free In Cornwall
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
A Cornwall hotel has introduced a ‘Children Should Be Seen (And Not Paid For) package to coincide with the Easter holidays. The St Moritz Hotel + Cowshed Spa, in Trebetherick, near Rock and Polzeath, already has a dedicated kids club with its unique Mini Moritz programme of daily activities.
1:00 AM 28th February 2024
holidays
East Coast ‘Light Night’ Set For Encore Tonight
Light Night, the dazzling spectacle that captivated the east coast last year, makes its 2024 debut tonight, marking the second year running that large swathes of Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby will hit the limelight!
1:00 AM 26th February 2024
holidays
Haven Holiday Parks Go Solar With £18m Investment
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Leading UK holiday park operator, Haven, has announced plans to invest £18m in energy saving measures across 39 of its 41 parks. The investment, to be completed by June this year, will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of more than three million guests and the 25,000 holiday homeowners who visit Haven’s parks.
1:00 AM 24th February 2024
Short breaks
Writing’s On The Wall For Historic House
Historic graffiti dating back 400 years will reveal King James I’s beliefs that witches and witchcraft may not have all been of the Harry Potter variety!
1:00 AM 22nd February 2024
Hotels
Cumbrian Hotel Changes Hands In £1m+ Deal
Ravenstone Lodge, a nine-bedroom boutique hotel in Cumbria overlooking the Bassenthwaite Valley, has been acquired by the owners of the neighbouring Ravenstone Manor Hotel. The specialist Hotels team at commercial real estate firm Colliers sold the hotel which sits in three acres of mature gardens off a guide price of £1.245 million.
1:00 AM 16th February 2024
Africa
No Valentine? It Doesn’t Matter, Solo Travel Is Booming
Many couples will be enjoying a romantic Valentine getaway today, however, having a partner isn’t essential when it comes to travel. Taking a solo holiday, or “soliday”, is the latest travel trend that has been increasing in popularity over recent years.
1:00 AM 14th February 2024
Short breaks
Pandemic Pub Reopens Following £1.6m Refurb
The Ashford Arms, a 17th century country pub in Ashford-in-the-Water, near Bakewell in Derbyshire, opens again on 4th March after it was ‘claimed’ as a Pandemic Shutdown despite its 400-year-old pedigree. Despite thriving for nigh on four centuries, The Ashford Arms couldn’t survive the pandemic and was forced to close its doors in 2020.
1:00 AM 12th February 2024
Africa
Valentine Love In London And Beyond
London love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a romantic getaway to the Big Smoke? We've handpicked some of the most enchanting hotels to make your Valentine's Day truly special in the nation’s capital.
1:00 AM 6th February 2024
Hotels
Lakeland Inn To Reopen After Makeover
The Brackenrigg Inn
The Brackenrigg Inn overlooking Ullswater in the Lake District will re-open on April 22nd as the first step in a three-year makeover transformation. The hostelry is just five minutes’ walk from its ‘sister’ outlet: Another Place, The Lake.
1:00 AM 2nd February 2024
Short breaks
Lancashire Coach Operator Grows Property Portfolio
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Lancashire based coach tour and hotel package operator Alfa Leisureplex Group, has acquired two more hotels to add to its 24-strong portfolio. Alfa Travel, owned by its employees, and part of the Alfa Leisureplex Group, has welcomed the Royal Hotel, Weymouth and the Waverley Castle Hotel, Melrose in the Scottish borders, to its UK portfolio.
1:00 AM 31st January 2024
Europe
Bach To The Future – Leipzig Style
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Welcome to The Bach Museum
Master mason Malecki walked into St Thomas Church, Leipzig on 28th July 1949 and uttered those immortal words to church Superintendent Heinrich Schumann: “Hello there, Superintendent.
1:00 AM 26th January 2024
Hotels
A Wee Dram On The Wild Landscapes Of Skye
A former Scottish clan shooting lodge on Skye has partnered with the island’s newest distillery to market a whisky-themed stay package. Kinloch Lodge has joined forces with Torabhaig Distillery – 10 years old this year - to introduce its new whisky-themed package, so that the duo can showcase both the hotel and distillery, which are set in the wild landscapes of of the Scottish island.
1:00 AM 24th January 2024
Europe
Galway Invites ‘Bucket List’ Consideration!
Dubbed “Ireland’s most charming city” by the New York Times, Galway is extending a welcome to all and sundry this year as it prepares to host the Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF). Renowned for curating extraordinary experiences, organisers are promising a exceptional multidisciplinary program between July 15 and July 28.
12:00 AM 13th January 2024
Africa
Grandma’s Wisdom And Globetrotting In 2024
Group Travel Editor for the P.ublished.com Media Titles, Phil Hopkins, takes a brief look back at 2023 and overviews where he’ll be visiting in the first quarter of 2024. So, sit back and take some inspiration from our very own resident globetrotter!
1:00 AM 2nd January 2024
Short breaks
Cumbrian Castle Signals Full Steam Ahead In 2024
Booming visitor numbers have led to a call to arms from Muncaster Castle in Cumbria – We Need You! The historic building is attracting an increasing number of visitors and the family who’ve lived there for over 800 years are looking to strengthen their team in preparation for new visitor developments in 2024.
1:03 PM 27th December 2023
Hotels
A Winter Spa Experience In North Yorkshire
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
If the guilt of Christmas over-eating becomes too much to bear after December 25th, then prepare to purge at the Coniston Hotel near Skipton in North Yorkshire! Here are some New Year / Winter deals that might help ease your mind or even (marginally) reduce your calorie intake!
12:01 AM 24th December 2023
Europe
A Winter Wonderland Italian Style
Hilton Lake Como is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The beautiful lakeside hotel is offering guests a sackful of seasonal experiences to celebrate the festive season with, giving them the chance to enjoy both the lake and the nearby atmospheric lakeside villages which transform themselves into enchanting, fairy-tale hamlets.
12:00 AM 22nd December 2023
holidays
Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Prague Christmas Market
Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, has entered Jet2’s destination list for the first time, this winter, as flights to Europe’s Christmas markets take off. The brand is celebrating its biggest ever Christmas Markets programme which include destinations such as Vienna, Prague, Krakow, Berlin and Budapest.
12:00 AM 28th November 2023
Short breaks
BRRRRRiliant Cold Water Swim Retreat!
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Photo: Jumpy James
An Ambleside boutique hotel in the heart of the Lake District – Rothay Manor – is launching a series of cold water swimming retreats this winter, focusing on mental and physical well-being.
12:00 AM 25th November 2023
Hotels
Windermere Hotel Changes Hands In £3m Deal
Windermere’s Ryebeck Hotel in the Lake District, has been purchased by a new hospitality business focused on promoting the area as part of its offering.
1:00 AM 16th November 2023
Hotels
Dracula And Emily Bronte Back In The Limelight!
A ‘Readers Retreat’ will be formally launched at The Grand, York next week when top author, Joanne Harris, steps into the spotlight for a Q&A about her writing career.
1:00 AM 8th November 2023
Hotels
The Luxury Castle For Whisky Connoisseurs
The founder of iconic Whisky Magazine, Damin Riley-Smith, is throwing open the doors of his castle to……you’ve guessed it: lovers of the world’s finest single malts. Rothes Glen – ‘The Luxury Castle for Whisky Connoisseurs’ – is situated in the heart of Speyside, located in the north west of the Scottish Highlands and famed for its whisky heritage.
1:00 AM 2nd November 2023
holidays
Daish’s Holidays Strengthens Scarborough Management Team
Independent family-owned coach holiday group, Daish’s Holidays has strengthened the management team at its Esplanade Hotel in Scarborough with three new appointments. The new recruits have more than 40 years’ hospitality experience between them, including global experience in Egypt, Italy and India. Joe Devassy joins as general manager and will oversee a 36-strong team at the 73-bed hotel.
12:00 AM 11th October 2023
Hotels
Don’t Kick The Bucket Just Yet!
Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
Four-star Northumberland hotel, Langley Castle, has taken inspiration from a guest who put the castle on his bucket list, using his story to add a new sparkle to its marketing.
12:20 AM 22nd September 2023
Short breaks
Warner Hotels Partner BBC’s ‘Strictly’
Warner Hotels has exclusively partnered with the BBC to offer a one-of-a-kind Strictly Come Dancing staycation and the chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most renowned professional dancers. Warner Hotels, known for its adult-only short breaks, is bringing the magic of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing series to a selection of its 15 country hotels across the UK.
12:00 AM 18th September 2023
Short breaks
Harrison’s Sweet Taste Of Success
Northern holiday success story, Preston’s Harrison Leisure Group, has welcomed a new addition to the family with the acquisition of Suffolk’s Cakes & Ale Holiday Park The family run firm, which has been in operation since 1974, has opened its first holiday park in the south of England, signalling its continuing plan to expand across the UK.
12:00 AM 12th September 2023
Short breaks
Specialist Fair Promises Unique Designs
Bradford’s ever-popular Saltaire Makers Fair returns to Victoria Hall next Sat 16 & Sun 17 September, as part of the final weekend of the Saltaire Festival. Victoria Hall will be filled with 48 top designer-makers from across the UK, showcasing a range of quality handmade contemporary craft and design that you won’t find on the high street.
12:19 PM 10th September 2023
Europe
Why Not Try A Short ‘Rugby’ Break?
With the Rugby World Cup poised to start this Friday, Jet2CityBreaks is kicking off the tournament with glorious getaways to its host nation, France.
1:10 AM 4th September 2023
Short breaks
The Big Alnwick Abseil – Make History TODAY!
You can take your place in history next month by conquering the Alnwick Castle abseil whilst raising vital funds for Northumberland Estates’ Charity of the Year - The People’s Kitchen. The abseil will take place on the 23 and 24 September where the first challenge will be climbing the 84 steps on the spiral staircase to the top of the castle keep.
1:00 AM 27th August 2023
Short breaks
Grasmere Gets To Grips With Victorian Traditions
One of the most immersive and iconic events in northern sporting and countryside culture – the Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show – will thrill visitors to the World Heritage Site of the Lake District, on August Bank Holiday Sunday (August 27, 2023), even if they ‘hate’ sport.
1:00 AM 19th August 2023
Short breaks
Churchillian Break At Blenheim Holiday Retreat
Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat, situated just a few minutes from the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, has opened after a five-year development phase. The latest venue by Darwin Escapes, the retreat features a collection of one, two and three-bedroom lodges set within more than 2,000 acres of landscaped parkland and formal gardens.
1:00 AM 15th August 2023
Hotels
Discounts At Edinburgh’s Glass Act
Welcome!
Edinburgh’s five-star The Glasshouse Hotel is offering 20% off summer stays courtesy of its ‘20th Anniversary Emerald Package’. Next to the city’s famous Playhouse and moments away from bustling Princes Street, YTL Hotels' property is a top-notch city sanctuary, offering the perfect base to explore and become immersed in Scottish heritage.
10:00 AM 24th July 2023
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