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'Luxury' and 'Family-Friendly' are two words that don't usually appear in the same sentence, but just because you've had children doesn't mean you don't want a spot of luxury every now and again. Too often luxurious hotels aren't suitable for stays with children, which can be disappointing, especially if you're trying to celebrate a special occasion together as a family. However, Calcot & Spa has the perfect combination of being luxurious and family-friendly, making it the perfect place for celebrating special occasions altogether. As it was my birthday in March (the last one before hitting the big 3-0!) we took the incredible opportunity to stay at Calcot to celebrate. Since becoming a parent birthdays aren't quite the same; you have little people who desperately want to help open all of your presents, their needs don't go over yours (even if it is your birthday) and daily routines don't really change much either. So finding somewhere that allows you to feel treated, surrounded by extra special touches and still enjoy a peaceful meal in the evening is the answer for many parents.
Calcot is set amongst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds; an area well-known for it's natural beauty and picture perfect little villages. An indoor pool, lavender lined courtyard, hot tub, log fire, gymnasium and multiple treatment rooms all feature throughout the grounds. Calcot is also home to one of the most luxurious spa hotels in the Cotswolds. Initially this may seem out of bounds to parents, however included within your stay is a certain amount of time at the Ofsted-voluntary registered creche, allowing parents to kick back and relax in the spa too. The Playzone and The Mez (for 8 years up) are open every day and offer a secure, warm and spacious place for your little ones to play, do arts and crafts etc. As The Mez is aimed at slightly older children that area has PlayStations, Wii consoles, Xboxes, computers and even a 12-seater cinema; truly every child's dream. Our stay included four hours a day complimentary childcare, which is a very generous amount considering how long you would usually be at a hotel overnight for.
Aside from the stunning spa area within Calcot there are 35 bedrooms, all of which are beautiful with every last detail carefully considered. They also have suites of all shapes and sizes, including two-floored suites that are ideal for slightly larger families. Everything Calcot has to offer is set within 220-acres of meadowland, which includes tennis courts, climbing frames, outdoor pool, running routes, cycle tracks, a disc golf course and a woodland gymnasium. You can of course embrace all of that or simply curl up next to the fire indoors and do absolutely nothing...bliss.
There are so many incredible little touches around the hotel that make it so family-friendly, including family rooms with separate bedrooms for the children (no need to hide in the bathroom all evening!), baby-listening services, baby-sitters, high tea for the children, gingerbread on the children's pillows and fruit in the bedroom. The High Tea for children was better than our expectations, as it was a full three course meal with the most delicious range of healthy choices. This was available between 5-6pm at either The Gumstool pub within the hotel or in your room. We opted to have it brought to our room, as Poppy was getting pretty tired after a busy afternoon swimming in the spa and playing in the play area. They both started with Corn on the Cob, Isabella then had Fish & Chips, Poppy had Cottage Pie and to finish they both had fruit salads.
We stayed in The Tetbury, which is the largest suite available at Calcot and boasts it's own living room/dining area. It's almost like having your own cottage, as it is separate from the main hotel and comes with its own garden/outdoor seating area. As we walked through the door we were greeted with a stunning living/dining room area, the largest hotel bedroom I've ever since with the most luxurious four poster bed; then upstairs there is the children's bedroom and a very spacious bathroom. Throughout The Tetbury there are so many little touches that make your stay as a parent that bit easier, as well as feel like such a treat. In the main bedroom there is a bag filled with a changing mat, bottle warmer, steriliser etc. and in the bathroom there is a nappy bin, along with Childs Farm toiletries/rubber ducks, all there to make our stay as parents easier.
Inside all of the rooms at Calcot you'll find: coffee/tea making facilities, homemade shortbreads, fresh fruit, magazines, TV, radio, iPod/iPhone dock, bathrobes, towels, slippers, daily newspaper, morning tea/coffee and Aromatherapy Associates toiletries. One of my favourite parts of staying in hotels in exploring what goodies there are around the room/suite and I certainly wasn't disappointed with The Tetbury.
We booked into The Gumstool for dinner and it was a rare child-free meal thanks to the in-room baby listening device within the bedrooms. All we had to do is push a button, let reception know and we were given a buzzer that would go off if reception heard any noise in the bedroom. Luckily, we got through all three courses without being disturbed and the food was outstanding. My husband went for a tapas style starter, Ham Hock for main and Golden Syrup pudding for dessert, whereas I had Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé, Macaroni Cheese and Panna Cotta to finish. It's fair to say we were extremely full after! There is also the Conservatory within the hotel that you can have dinner in, should you wish.
One of my favourite treats while staying at The Tetbury was that you could ring up reception in the morning and order a complimentary tea or coffee brought to your room, which was the perfect way to start the day. Once we were up and dressed we headed over to The Conservatory for breakfast, which is just the most beautiful setting. The continental buffet was outstanding with cereals, yogurts, pastries, breads, fruit a plenty, while there was also a cooked/hot breakfast menu you could order from. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be a vegetarian cooked breakfast option, which was a shame however my husband spoke highly of the meat cooked breakfast and I opted for beans on toast. The children had their own menu to choose from, so they went for banana pancakes and porridge. A nice addition to breakfast was that there was a newsletter on the table when we arrived, which had the weather for the day, activities going on at the Creche and a bit about what to do in the area.
Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at The Tetbury; it is the perfect place to celebrate special occasions as a family with young children and/or offers that extra touch of luxury that is so often hard to find when it comes to going for a night away as a family.
What is your favourite feature that Calcot has to offer?
Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)
Helen x
I'd love to visit the Cotswolds. This looks like such a lovely place to stay - I love all the little extra touches.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful looking hotel (that bathroom!)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion x
There really aren't enough hotels that have separate areas for children. We struggle to find places to stay with Erin now.
ReplyDeleteCalcot is delectable isn't it!
ReplyDeleteI love the Cotswolds, this sounds like a great base to explore it from.
ReplyDeleteOoohhh!!! This looks like my cup of tea. Luxurious and child friendly too. I’m bookmarking this for when we next visit the Cotswolds 😊
ReplyDeleteI'm obsessed with that room! I love how the loft space is used, looks really good in the pictures. Looks super clean and tidy. x
ReplyDeleteWow, the decor is absolutely beautiful!! What a brilliant place to stay you are right it is luxurious and family friendly.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a lovely place, and the bathroom looks stunning. We're planning on spending a day in the Cotswold soon so I'm keen to know what you got up to x
ReplyDeleteI've never been to the Cotswalds, but if we ever do go I want to stay here! So many great features, I don't know which is my favourite. I think the morning newsletter is a brilliant idea!
ReplyDeleteI am just loving the small touches around the room, Calcot has definitely hit the luxurious part and how awesome they cater for families too.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to the Cotswolds before - and it's been FOREVER since we've been away and managed to escape the children for a few hours! I REALLY like the sound of this!
ReplyDeleteDo you know whats really lovely to see? A hotel thats luxurious but still kid friendly! xxx
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful to see the attention to detail that they've included within the room, especially for families
ReplyDeleteOmg this is just super cute and quaint. I'd love to visit such a place, a bonus points for being family-friendly.
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