2 day get away in the UK for our year anniversary, next week, that also accommodates a baby?

theonenonly

I know II'm leaving it short notice! But plans have changed and we can travel next week.

Anyone have any recommendations, around 3 hours drive from London (due to baby)? Not looking to spend more than £500 for 2 nights stay. Would prefer a beach break, but country break would also be nice, just a change from the London city lifestyle!

martindow

Having a baby doesn't limit you much at all, does it, especially if they are new-born, apart from maybe preferring self catering rather than a hotel room .  Your question is rather broad as three hours from London covers a massive area!  Do you want seaside, countryside, city-break?

If you can be more specific maybe people can suggest ideas.

theonenonly

martindow said:

Having a baby doesn't limit you much at all, does it, especially if they are new-born, apart from maybe preferring self catering rather than a hotel room .  Your question is rather broad as three hours from London covers a massive area!  Do you want seaside, countryside, city-break?

If you can be more specific maybe people can suggest ideas.

You're right, I've edited my post to be more specific

gwynlas

,Look at holiday cottage rentals which have discounts for unlet bookings, The  problem is that you are only looking for two nights so might have to pay for three. 3 hours from London gives you a vast choice.

Emmia

Margate immediately springs to mind for a two day UK break.

Grumpy_chap

theonenonly said:

I know II'm leaving it short notice! But plans have changed and we can travel next week.

Anyone have any recommendations, around 3 hours drive from London (due to baby)? Not looking to spend more than £500 for 2 nights stay. Would prefer a beach break, but country break would also be nice, just a change from the London city lifestyle!

Try cottages / static caravan parks - they will have bargain rates for vacant units.

Some "posher" hotels also have fantastic rates - we were sent one last weekend for a hotel in New Forest (Brockenhurst).  

As mentioned upthread, some of the "deals" are on the basis of 3 nights or 4 nights, but just book that and turn up.  If you have to leave early because of an "unforeseen event", they can hardly hold you to it.  Similar if the best days for you mean missing the first night - just call and say you have been unavoidably delayed to avoid being treated as a "no show" and losing the booking.

theonenonly

Grumpy_chap said:

theonenonly said:

I know II'm leaving it short notice! But plans have changed and we can travel next week.

Anyone have any recommendations, around 3 hours drive from London (due to baby)? Not looking to spend more than £500 for 2 nights stay. Would prefer a beach break, but country break would also be nice, just a change from the London city lifestyle!

Try cottages / static caravan parks - they will have bargain rates for vacant units.

Some "posher" hotels also have fantastic rates - we were sent one last weekend for a hotel in New Forest (Brockenhurst).  

As mentioned upthread, some of the "deals" are on the basis of 3 nights or 4 nights, but just book that and turn up.  If you have to leave early because of an "unforeseen event", they can hardly hold you to it.  Similar if the best days for you mean missing the first night - just call and say you have been unavoidably delayed to avoid being treated as a "no show" and losing the booking.

Are you able to say which hotel? And did you book through any promotional offer?

Grumpy_chap

theonenonly said:

Are you able to say which hotel? And did you book through any promotional offer?

Yes, it was the Balmer Lawn Hotel.

The offer I received was for last weekend just gone (9th to 12th August) - we were not able to book, unfortunately as I had a work meeting all day Friday.  Shame as it was our Wedding Anniversary weekend too.

I just looked up the offer email we received last Tuesday (6th August) and the offer was 3 nights for the price of 2 bed & breakfast at £430 for couple.  I don't know what extra they would charge for having an infant in the group as well.

I don't know what offers they have this week, but there is an "offers" page on their website.  You can always take a look and call them up.

For clarity, I have no connection with the hotel at all.  I have stayed there before.  No air conditioning in the rooms and the restaurant areas got quite busy / noisy at times, but swimming pool, large field to run around in, gentle brook with gravel "beach" to play in / on (but I do not recommend jumping from the bridge).  Short walk to the village with pubs and cafes.

Grumpy_chap

I just thought, the OP might be interested in another offer - which we did book for mid-September - at Old Thorns Hotel.  We combined two offers "Friday night dinner, bed, breakfast" and "Weekend One Night Wonder bed & breakfast" which has come in at £327 for us as a couple.  We booked that with notice, though.  I have no idea what they have now for late bookings.

The main reason for this note was just to really show that there are deals around in the price point the OP seeks if willing to hunt out the offers.  There are also various aggregator sites that can help to show the places with last minute offers.

baser999

Emmia said:

Margate immediately springs to mind for a two day UK break.

Margate 😱 Wouldn’t have picked that for an anniversary break

Emmia

baser999 said:

Emmia said:

Margate immediately springs to mind for a two day UK break.

Margate 😱 Wouldn’t have picked that for an anniversary break

We went for a weekend last year, there's Dreamland, the turner contemporary, the beach, some nice restaurants and cafés... And the Crab museum, a shell grotto... Crazy golf.etc.

Plenty of hotels, and if they don't want to drive it's easy by train.