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Another Place The Lake – a luxury family hotel in The Lake District

August 17, 2018 2 Comments

I’ve been lucky enough to have done a fair amount of travelling over the past decade, and have stayed at some truly amazing hotels, but I was happily surprised to find that Another Place was the first I’ve visited that had me booking our second stay before we’d even left. As a family with young kids, I felt like I’d hit the hotel jackpot.

Perhaps it’s because having two children has meant that we have to be more picky about the kind of holiday that we book, and with many hotels being either non child-friendly, or not allowing kids at all, our offerings are more select than they used to be. I have a definite ‘type’ in mind when it comes to choosing a hotel, and I know that lots of you will be right on the same page as me. For me, it’s always indie over chain, small over big, a luxury feel with lots of thoughtful touches but with a relaxed vibe, rather than one that is so fancy that it leaves you feeling a little intimidated. And of course, beautiful interiors (did someone say ‘instagrammable?!’) are also at the top of my list. But now, add to that mix the ‘child-friendly’ factor and your search results are suddenly cut right down, as lots of places that fit the above criteria will have decided that toddler tantrums throw off their hard-earned groove. When I think of a kid-friendly hotel, I imagine a big resort with creches and playgrounds, and whilst we will undoubtedly end up on such a holiday one day and most probably love it, at the moment it’s not quite my ideal scene.

Step in Another Place The Lake. The sister hotel to The Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall, it pretty much ticks every single box for me: small, friendly, boutique vibe. Feels like a luxury hotel, but you won’t get any disapproving glances at your wellies or flip flops. Gorgeous interiors, what Ben and I would call hipster (with the caveat that we’re probably a little bit hipster for Yorkshire, but definitely not for London!). Spa and infinity pool. Creche and kids club. There are a handful of places that fit the bill down in the South of England, but for the Lake District this place is in a league of its own.

Ben, Oscar Wilf and I first visited Another Place in February for two nights, when Wilf was only 5 weeks old, and it holds special memories as our first holiday as a family of four. I made this short film of our stay if you’d like to take a look (it snowed!). Our second visit was for three nights in June, for my birthday. Here’s what we got up to…

| Sunday

We arrived on Sunday at lunchtime and as it was a beautiful day we had a picnic down by the lake. There was a huge meadow of buttercups in front of the hotel, so I sat there feeding Wilf feeling blissed out while Ben and Oscar paddled and threw stones in the lake.

I was booked onto a paddleboard lesson in the afternoon, so I got kitted out with a wetsuit by the team there and headed out onto the lake with an instructor and one other guest. I’ve tried stand up paddle boarding a few times before and I absolutely love it! It feels so freeing to be out on open water, just you, a board, and a paddle and it’s brilliant exercise – my poor tired abs need it after having two kids! We ended up doing a 4 mile round trip; I definitely felt like I’d earned my dinner!

I returned to the hotel to find Ben and Oscar having an absolute ball in the swimming pool whilst Wilf watched on from his pram. The stunning infinity pool is definitely one of my favourite things about the place – plus there is a wooden sunken outdoor hot tub for the grown ups.

We were booked into the main hotel restaurant, the Rampsbeck, for a three course meal that evening. If you’re dining there, the cost is inclusive of a freshly cooked buffet-style kids tea between 5-6pm. We were so impressed with the food on offer and Oscar gave it a big thumbs up. If you have older kids, they can eat with you in the restaurant at an early sitting.

As Oscar had skipped his nap that day and was super worn out, rather than taking him to the kids club whilst we had our dinner, we put him to bed in his room and made use of the video monitoring service that the hotel provides on request. I know this can be a controversial topic and many parents wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this, but in the setting I felt happy leaving Oscar asleep, knowing we could both see and hear him on the monitor at all times. He stirred once during dinner, and I was back in our room to help him back into bed within about 20 seconds. We chose to keep Wilf next to us, sleeping in his pushchair.

Dinner was delicious and really beautifully presented, and the service was impeccable – it felt like a real treat for us. The only slight downside was that the portion sizes were on the small side, but I thought that the pricing was very reasonable. Towards the end of the meal we realised that we had been watching the monitor rather than relaxing fully, so we asked to have our desserts in our room, which was absolutely no bother for the helpful staff looking after us.

| Monday

The following morning, after the most delicious breakfast (the DIY home-made waffles were everything!), we took Oscar up to the creche for a play. He told us that he didn’t want to go, but once he saw that there was a pirate ship and he had pretty much the whole place to himself, and the attention of two nursery nurses, he barely looked back at me as I said “see you in a bit!” Ben borrowed a wetsuit and a visibility float and headed out for a swim on the lake, whilst Wilf and I sat by the lakeside, taking in the view. After we managed to prise Oscar away from his new best friends in the creche, we headed out to Pooley Bridge to catch the steamboat across the lake. Ben was nearly as excited as Oscar about this, who was hopping about with glee for the whole ride. What is it with toddlers and vehicles?! Give him a boat, train, or tractor and he will think Christmas has come early!

After getting off at Howtown, we had a dreamy little picnic on a secluded beach on the lake, then loaded the boys up in their carriers to go for a walk. We had planned to follow a lakeside path, but at one point on the route we saw a branch in the path that led steeply up a hill, and we decided to hike top a few paces to get a better view of the lake over the trees. A few paces turned into a few more, and then a few more, as the view just got more spectacular, and 20 minutes later we were at the top of Hallin fell after a dizzy and very sweaty climb with two sleeping boys on our backs! It was totally worth it for the breathtaking view over Ullswater, and we’d definitely recommend it – except next time, we’ll take the actual Hallin fell footpath which is a much more gentle climb!

We headed for an early tea all together in The Living Space, which is a relaxed, open bar area with plenty of comfortable seating and family games dotted around. This area is dog and child-friendly and it was lovely to have an alternative menu to choose from for a change – more bistro style than gourmet dining.

|Tuesday

The following day was my birthday, and the boys piled into bed with us for cuddles and gave me their cards to open. After breakfast I had a treatment booked in the hotel’s spa; a full body massage. The spa was cool, peaceful and relaxing, and without my two gorgeous, busy boys to run around after I had the most blissed out hour in the hands of the Swim Club’s lovely spa therapist. I think I need to start every birthday from now on with a massage!

We had a chilled out day, walking by the lakeside, dipping our toes in the lake, walking around the hotel gardens and taking another dip in the pool. We also headed out for a drive whilst both boys napped, taking in the beautiful vistas of the Lake District. On the way home, we stopped at Aira Force, a waterfall close by to the hotel, and did the easy circular walk around it with the boys.

Ben and I had another delicious three course meal in the main restaurant, the Rampsbeck, whilst Wilf slept in the pushchair next to us. This time, we took Oscar up to the kids club to play and watch DVDs during our meal, rather than using the video monitor, which he absolutely loved. I was so impressed with all the different options available at Another Place to ensure that the mums and dads get that little bit of together time, it sets it apart as a family hotel that really feels like a luxury romantic couples hotel at times.

| Wednesday

We checked out the next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, and headed to Lowther Castle which had been recommended to us by the staff. The spectacular castle ruins is now home to beautiful gardens which sprawl up the walls and through windows, jumanji style. The instagrammer in me kept thinking about how it would make the most amazing photoshoot location! But the highlight is The Lost Castle, the most epic adventure playground I have ever seen! It has been built within a forest, and is an echo of Lowther castle itself, with zip wires, turrets and walkways. Maybe best enjoyed by slightly older children; I’m definitely returning with the boys when we visit next time.

As you can see, we took the opportunity to head out every day to see what was on offer in the area, as Ben and I love to explore and Ben in particular isn’t great at sitting still for long! But equally, between the spa, swimming pool, water sports, walks right from the hotel door and the many peaceful spots within the hotel to put your feet up with a good book, you could easily arrive and spend a long weekend here without getting back in your car. In fact, next time we visit, that’s what I plan to do, particularly as Wilf will be old enough to spend some time in the kids club – even if Ben has other ideas!

So there we are, Another Place The Lake, the first place we loved so much for so many reasons that we booked to go again, and probably the first we’ll be booking for the third time too! I’ve created a short film of our experience and would love for you to take a look.

Hannah x

We were kindly gifted a part of our stay at Another Place The Lake, but this post was not sponsored and as always all opinions are entirely my own.

Motherhood, Pregnancy, Travel

A pregnancy retreat at Ribby Hall Spa

November 6, 2017 4 Comments

Woman in white robe relaxing with a cup of tea

Being pregnant the second time around is just a world away from the experience I had when I was carrying Oscar. Not so much in terms of how the pregnancy feels: I’ve had the same symptoms at similar times, and it all feels very familiar physically, but in terms of how well I have looked after myself, and the lack of time I’ve had to listen to the needs of my pregnant mind and body. Even writing that down feels far too self-indulgent! In my first pregnancy, I researched the whole internet (really not exaggerating) for information, tips and advice about how to do everything right, I went to weekly pregnancy yoga classes from around 24 weeks, I joined an NCT antenatal programme and from around 34 weeks I listened to my natal hypnotherapy CD a few times a week. This time around, life feels about ten time busier and so far none of those things have happened. When I was pregnant with Oscar, I was careful not to pick up anything too heavy to protect my aching back, and towards the end I rested when I could. This time, I have a 14kg toddler who demands to be carried several times a day, and rest is a luxury I only get in broken spells at night. I know that this is completely normal, and those of you with more than one child will be nodding away, but it can make you feel guilty that you simply can’t give the same level of care and attention as you did for your first baby, right?

When the team at Ribby Hall spa village got in touch with me to tell me about their new pregnancy yoga retreat, and asked if I’d like to come along and review the experience, unsurprisingly I jumped at the chance. The package is a two day, one night stay for you and a partner, and all the included activities focus on unwinding, relaxing and spending quality time together (a rare treat for Ben and I nowadays!), as well as a perfect opportunity for us to connect and bond with the little life I’ve been nurturing inside over the past seven months.

We arrived at the spa hotel at about midday on the Friday, and were greeted with a goodie bag full of healthy treats, and a freshly made fruit smoothie to enjoy in the lounge. The spa is near Preston, and we had driven across that morning, leaving Oscar with my parents at my house in York.

Included in the pregnancy retreat package was a massage for both myself and Ben; this had all been arranged for us in advance by the staff in the spa and it was lovely to be able to have our massages at the same time, rather than one after another, as I have found with some other spas. After getting changed into fresh, fluffy robes and slippers (are they not the best thing about staying in a fancy hotel?!) we headed up to the spa itself. I had the Elemis pregnancy massage; one and a quarter hours of absolute bliss! I actually hadn’t ever had a proper pregnancy massage before, as the few places I’d been to during this pregnancy and the last didn’t actually offer one, as you need to be specially qualified to do them, so I’d had to opt for a facial or pedi instead. It was essentially the same as a traditional Swedish full body massage, only instead of lying on your front, it’s done whilst lying on either side (and a short bit lying on your back, too). I wasn’t really sure what I would think of this, but the positioning was done so smoothly and I was pleasantly surprised to find it one of the most relaxing massages I’d ever had. One of my favourite things about it was how incredible comfortable and supportive the massage couch was – so important for my achey back and pelvis!

Ben had the hot stone massage, and I was a tiny bit envious of him! Smooth, heated rocks were placed over pressure points on his body and then used to massage him with oils. I think given a choice, men often feel the need to go for more ‘manly’ massage options, like sports or Thai massages, but he absolutely loved this. I thought it was brilliant that as part of the retreat package, the partners were pampered as well: they can often end up feeling a bit sidelined when it comes to pregnancy-related classes and experiences.

After our massages, we were taken over to a room in the hotel’s gym complex where we had our hypnotherapy relaxation class by Gemma Webster. I had prepared for Oscar’s birth with some natal hypnotherapy CDs, and found them hugely helpful during early labour. I’m a huge believer in being able to control and manage pain, to a certain extent, by having realistic expectations, visualisations and staying calm. The lights were dimmed and we were each given a pregnancy positive affirmation card to focus on, before we lay down and listened to Gemma leading us into deep relaxation, with her very soothing voice. I think I might have fallen asleep towards the end, but that’s a good sign, right?!

Dinner was held in the restaurant at the hotel, and included two courses, although in the end everything had been so delicious that we had to have dessert as well! One big plus point that Ben and I both really appreciated were how engaging and friendly all the staff were, especially those in the restaurant areas – its really made a big difference to our stay.

My lovely friend Rebecca, who I first met through Instagram and has a beautiful blog that you can read here, was also at the retreat, and after dinner we stayed up far too late in the lounge drinking non-alcoholic cocktails (although I really wished it was a glass of wine, I’ve been craving it so much!) together with the boys – it was a wonderful evening and with all the laughter it was the most exercise my pelvic floor had had in a while!

Ben and I had the most luxurious, spacious room with a huge four-poster bed, and we both slept so well – thanks in part to the massage and relaxation class the day before. The only fault I could find was that my pillow was pretty firm for me, although Ben thought it was fine and I noticed afterwards that they had a ‘pillow menu’ on the bedside table where you could order an alternative pillow!

After a yummy breakfast, Ben and I headed back to the spa to try out the spa’s Aqua Experience. This was a series of pools, saunas and steam rooms, and whilst didn’t try the hotter ones, I was more than happy to stick to the cooler jacuzzi and relaxation areas. Ben and I agreed that our favourite bit was the outside spa pool overlooking the countryside – isn’t there something amazing about feeling the warm water on your body, but also the cool, fresh air on your face?

We checked out of our room after getting changed and headed back over to the gym complex for our pregnancy yoga session, led by Jo Eastham. Ben came along to this too, as he really enjoys yoga – being quite tall, he can be prone to getting back pain and finds yoga poses the best way to stretch out and strengthen his back. I’ll often find him doing the ‘downward dog’ position in the kitchen when he’s come home from work, and Oscar has started to copy him!

Compared to yoga that I’ve done before, I found this session very gentle and relaxing, and felt incredibly calm afterwards. Some of the yoga positions were done whilst sitting on an exercise ball for added support, which I hadn’t thought of doing before. I’ve been meaning to sign up for a course of pre-natal yoga again in this pregnancy, but haven’t yet got around to it! I think it’s a brilliant way to not only get some light exercise, but a lot of pregnancy yoga classes will focus on breathing for labour, and visualising and connecting with your baby.

After our yoga class we went back to the hotel restaurant for lunch with Rebecca and her husband Dan; there were plenty of healthy options but after feeling like we’d been so good to our bodies all weekend we were all craving burgers! We could have stayed chatting all afternoon, but we had to eventually head off back to rescue my parents from little Oscar. We were so happy to scoop him up again when we got home; even after only a day we’d really missed him, but apparently, other than cheerily stating that ‘mummy and daddy on holiday’ he hadn’t mentioned us at all!!

I hadn’t ever heard of anywhere offering a pregnancy retreat package like this before, but I thought it was the perfect ‘babymoon’ for any pregnant couple who love spas (who doesn’t?!) and are after some pure relaxation — the fact that everything was organised for us, from booking the massages, to taking us directly to each class, to making dinner reservations, meant that we didn’t have to worry about a thing. It was also such a wonderful opportunity for Ben and I to really focus on the new baby; exactly what I felt like I needed with the hectic day-to-day routine of work and looking after a busy toddler.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the packages at Ribby Hall spa (they also do a non-pregnancy yoga retreat) you can find more details here.

Family, Motherhood, Travel

Mallorca – our first summer holiday with a toddler

August 21, 2017 12 Comments

Last month, Ben, Oscar and I travelled to Mallorca for a much needed 9-day holiday together. It wasn’t the first time we’ve been away as a family – last year we went to Cornwall, a long weekend in Copenhagen for my 30th birthday and Poland to visit my extended family; and earlier this year we went skiing in France with both our families — but it was the first time that Oscar was old enough to really enjoy and appreciate the trip himself, and boy did it make for a magical experience for us all. With your first child, every single thing is a ‘first’, and that unexpectedness brings so much excitement: seeing how awestruck Oscar was to travel on an airplane, watching his boyish joy at the novelty of ‘living’ somewhere different, and his daily thrilled squeals when we brought out his little swimsuit.

We stayed in Sa Rota in Mallorca, which we booked through Tots To Travel. It’s a rural farmhouse in the centre of Mallorca converted into self-catered apartments, set in gardens of lemon and clementine trees, and surrounded by farms and wheat fields. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and provided us with the perfect balance of convenience (all baby equipment, kitchen, outdoor private dining area, swimming pool included) and calm. We hired a car – a must for this place – and visited a few beaches, the mountains in the north and some old towns and markets, as well as popping out for our morning coffees and pastries in the nearest village. We were craving an escape, and to avoid crowds and busy streets as much as possible, as as much as Mallorca may seem an odd choice for this, being a super popular holiday destination, this is exactly what we got.

On our last day, we met a couple at the swimming pool where we were staying; they were a similar age to Ben and I, but didn’t have any children yet. They lay sunbathing, sipping cool drinks, while we played with Oscar in the pool. He was shrieking with joy, asking to be thrown up into the air, getting out to jump in again repeatedly, forgetting he couldn’t swim and diving to reach a ball and needing a quick scoop up — you can imagine the scene. Toddlers are non-stop. They don’t stop moving. They are masters at finding danger and need a constant watchful eye. But one look at our bananas little boy and you could plainly see that he was in seventh heaven, beaming from ear to ear, giggling hysterically, smothering Ben and I with cuddles and kisses every time we caught him in the water, and just to see that was truly the best feeling in the world. How lucky and proud I felt that another little human was absolutely loving being alive, and that it was all down to us – that feeling is difficult to put into words, but it caught my breath. The couple were sweet, and commented how funny and happy our little man was, followed by “it looks like hard work – I bet holidays are never the same again with children!” And I thought, well – it is hard work, and no, holidays aren’t the same, and yes, sometimes I would really like to read a book by the pool in peace, or go out for dinner to a fancy restaurant. But this, this is a million times better.

I have some absolutely incredible memories of holidays that Ben and I took together, before Oscar came along. From this holiday, I’ll remember watching Oscar standing on Ben’s feet, dancing to buskers in the square. I’ll remember the heavy weight of carrying him to the house from the car, groggy with sleep, his face buried into my shoulder and his arms around my neck. I’ll remember his evening ritual of visiting the frogs in the pond where we were staying, tip-toeing quietly and shushing us, so as not to disturb them, then forgetting and shrieking FROG!! every single time – then “night night frogs”. I’ll remember his overexcited airplane sound effects and wild gesticulation when we boarded the plane, that looked a lot like an airplane crashing, and made everyone on board laugh out loud – and look slightly alarmed too! I’ll remember salty eyelashes and little sandy toes. For me, these kinds of memories are of a different league altogether, and ones I’ll treasure forever.

I’ve compiled a little film of our memories, and would absolutely love for you to have a look at it. I’m still very much a beginner at editing these films, but everything I have learnt is from Xanthe Berkeley’s Make Films course that I took two years ago.

Have you got any holidays coming up soon? What are your thoughts on travelling pre vs post-children? Do you long for a child-free holiday again, or do you love the craziness and joy of it all? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hannah x