Family Half Term Holidays - My Spa Experience

Stylogs,

As previously described, the family went on a half term staycation holiday in Hampshire. Staying at Elmers Court Hotel & Resort, I had to test the local Spa.
In between spending time with the kids and husband, I managed to find a few precious seconds to sample life as it should be.
The centre was clean and inviting, with requisite pillows and relaxed atmosphere. The reception was not that comfy, but the lady at the desk was very nice, smiling and friendly.

Hot Stone Message

The message was very relaxing and pleasant. Personally, I don’t like hard messages, so I asked the masseuse (on a pre-filled form) to apply light pressure. The amount and type of pressure was just right. The hot stones were a soothing addition to the traditional message, making the whole experience deeper yet smoother. This was a highlight of the week. The smile stayed on my face until…well the manicure.

 

 

Manicure

I must say that I wasn’t very happy with the manicure. For starters the manicure lady was very quiet and did not want to engage in any chit chat. She was also very slow. The room was poorly lit which did not help with the experience and the atmosphere.

I had to pick a single layer, as I had to keep it short. I asked the manicure lady which colour works with just a single layer, and although she claimed all colours do, she recommended a particular color, which turned out to be inappropriate, as it left streaks on my nails. To make it worse she didn’t apply a top coat. By that point I really had to go (the family was waiting by the pool….), so I left feeling a little deflated. I have to confess that for the amount of money I paid, I should have received a better manicure.

 

...Oh well you can not win them all.

 

 

 

Taking the family on a staycation holiday

Stylogs,

School is out for a week, so we had to do something to retain sanity under pressure. The little creatures need entertainment effectively every waking hour. Staying at home would mean either an irreversible nervous breakdown or an irreversible marriage breakdown. Or both.

We booked Elmers Court Hotel and Resort in the New Forest, Hampshire. Along the way from London we stopped for lunch in Winchester at Jamie Oliver’s Union Jack new chain. I like the look and feel. Rustic and rusty meet 1950s Britannia. The rousted Cornish mackerel was delicious and the minty peas were just minty enough. The soup (vegetable) was somewhat bland. Light lunch and back to the car.

We made a masterstroke stop in Eastleigh Station to visit Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. This was a real high point for the 4 year old and his 6 year old sister. The fat controller was actually not so fat…

Elmers court is a beautiful stately home (which served as a hospital during World War II), with massive grounds and a stunning view of the Solent.

Our recently renovated room had the killer proposition for any parents on holiday: a separate mini-room for the kids with a bunk bed. Although tiny in size (just enough room for a kids-size bunk bed and a flat screen CBeebies god-send), the kids felt cosy and comfortable in their own space. Mom and dad felt cosy and (almost) alone in the main room as they shut the door.

The in-door pool was a big hit, especially when the weather got wet. At 1.2m depth it is shallow enough to be with the kids at any point in the (reasonable spacious pool). Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to sample the sauna and steam room. My only disappointment here is the Jacuzzi was not hot, but rather (opened to the main pool) was at the same temperature as the swimming pool.

We had dinner in the Scottish Steak Club where we tried the skewers and fish. Both were fine, if not exquisite. The next evening we dined at the Waterford Restaurant (a classier affair where the kids had to behave). Both opting for poached salmon and soup, we enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.

My husband managed to sneak a couple of times to the gym, which he reported back as being sufficient for a holiday with relatively wide range of machinery and space.

I, on the other hand had a sneaky visit (or two, or three) to the spa. More on that later.

We didn’t get to use the outdoor pool (as it is late May, and who would have expected to be in an outdoor pool in late May?). We did however, use the playground and the vast grounds for a little run-around and a game of football.

Overall, a great location for a young family’s holiday, with reasonably priced rooms, good food, indoor pool, gym and beautiful grounds.

 

 

 

 

Holiday travel - preparation

Stylogs,

I'm Looking forward to the bank holiday weekend and the following week. Holiday weeks with the family are always interesting, to say the least. You can’t stop thinking about the break. So much so that by the time you actually get there it is such an anti climax. But first you have to endure the planning, the preparation, the travel and the kids throughout the time in the car, the plane or whatever mode of transportation you are using.

Planning used to be simple. You pop down to the travel agent, and accept their advice, which was somewhere between the Thompson package and a Butlin’s week. When catalogues came out, you were allowed to dream and visualise yourself in those sunny pictures.  Things have changed a fair bit, in March 2013, Thomas Cook, the world's oldest travel firm, announced it was cutting 2,500 British jobs and closing 195 of its high street travel agencies in the UK.

How things were (click on the image for some more nostalgia):

 

So you think that now planning is easier. Now is it? Hours spent on Google going back and forth into Easyjet (I make a point of staying off Ryan Air – don’t like to be treated like s&%t), Center Parcs, and for some special holidays – Mr & Mrs Smith.

School holidays are a bottomless pit. Prices rocket to the stratosphere and all you can do is basically nothing. I guess in my childhood, it wasn’t an issue, as people didn’t travel that much (at least not overseas). These days prices are 200% or more higher during this gold rush period (for airlines and tour operators).

Packing is another joy of traveling. How can I fit everything into a 20 Kg suitcase? You need at least a few sets for the days, not to mention something casual for the evenings. And something formal. And then the kids, and the basic toiletries and the iPad and the chargers and... and..

There is no magic formula on how to pack your bags, but here's one good piece of holiday packing advice I found.

And then they limit the size of your carry on luggage to a small wheely suitcase. I try to pack it with food, I can’t stand the food they serve and charge a fortune for.

Next time we’ll talk about the travel day and the joys of the day.