Tag Archives: Four Seasons

Top 10, Travel

Top 10 Luxury Country Escapes in the UK

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A friend recently asked me for advice on where to go for a romantic, country weekend away with her husband (after multiple children, a house move and a job change, she really needed a break). So, I decided to pick top 10 luxury country escapes in the UK, including some that are child-friendly.

  1. Cliveden House: Bought by a property billionaire whose wife wrote the book ‘Mistresses of Cliveden,’ it is a historical stalwart in the country UK hotels. https://www.clivedenhouse.co.uk
  2. Limewood: One of the best luxury country hotels there is, it is often fully booked months in advance. http://www.limewoodhotel.co.uk
  3. Soho Farmhouse: As fabulous as it is fake, Soho Farmhouse attracts London media types who pretend to be in the country, wearing their Barbour jackets and Gucci wellies. https://www.sohofarmhouse.com
  4. Gleneagles: Recently bought and renovated by the hoteliers behind the hip Hoxton hotels, it is becoming hip and trendy among the London set. https://www.gleneagles.com
  5. Chewton Glen Tree houses: The tree houses are worth going for on their own. It is a beautiful country hotel equally pleasing for children and adults. https://www.chewtonglen.com
  6. Coworth Park: Part of the Dorchester collection, it is a Grande-Dame type of hotel, luxurious and with impeccable service, you can’t fault it. https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/ascot/coworth-park/
  7. Manoir aux Quatres Saisons: For foodies, this one checks all the boxes: two star Michelin restaurant, luxury hotel and beautiful grounds. Perfect for a special occasion. https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons/
  8. The Pig: Little sisters to Limewood, these are boutique hotels with a lesser price tag than Limewood. The Pig on the Beach and the Pig at Combe, both look charming and cosy. https://www.thepighotel.com
  9. Four Seasons Hampshire: Firstly, be forewarned. This is NOT a hotel for singles or romantics, it is best suited for families and young children, who can be found running around at all times. But for practicality, ease and reliability, the Four Seasons will deliver and staff will go out of their way to look after your kids. https://www.fourseasons.com/hampshire/
  10. Lakes By Yoo: A slightly more modern approach to country living, you can rent these beautifully designed houses right on a lake. Worth a look. http://www.thelakesbyyoo.com

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Top 10

Top 10 Luxury Family-Friendly Hotels in the Maldives

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All the photos in this post taken by NHYM 2015. Pool at Anantara – it is this beautiful. 

I was recently asked – again – by two different mums about where to go in the Maldives with a family so thought I would go ahead and write up a post specifically focused on child-friendly hotels. I do have an obsession with the Maldives and going there has become part of my ‘annual feel-good programme’ (when I said this to a friend of mine, she rolled her eyes and told me never to repeat these words to anyone else because I sounded like a Monkey’s Ass, but hey, I have a big mouth, here I go again. I just can’t help it).

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White sands? Tick. Clear, translucent waters? Tick. Bright blue skies and sunshine? Tick. NHYM 2015.

We all associate the Maldives with exorbitant prices, but I have found some reasonable prices if you are willing to go during medium/low season. For those who haven’t booked your May half-term holidays, there are great deals to the Maldives with some flights to Male cheaper than flights within Europe. And don’t worry too much about the ‘rainy season.’ I once went to the Maldives in May and apart from a few hours of Monsoon rain, there was plenty of sunshine (unless you are really, really unlucky and that, I can’t help you with).

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Beach on a neighbouring island from Anantara Dhigu. NHYM 2015. 

The Maldives is no longer a faraway paradise for honeymooners, but has become a top destination for families for the shallow, warm lagoons, the superior service and hotels and the Ab-Fab Kids Clubs. It’s a 10 hour direct flight with British Airways, it is a safe haven (where I once lost my toddler who was brought back to me safely by Mr. Friday on his island buggy), with an abundance of sunshine and smiling faces. The Kids Clubs include every possible activity from marine biology lessons to Astronomy courses, via DJ booths, shark feeding and turtle petting…

Top 10 Luxury Family Friendly Hotels in the Maldives:

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The ‘Adults-Only’ pool at Reethi Rah. The kids’ pool is set back in the shade, so children can spend hours in it without sun damage! NHYM 2015. 

1. The One & Only Reethi Rah

Best for: Teenagers

The One & Only, which provides some of the best people-watching (hello Naomi! On a treadmill next to me…) and is one of the top luxury hotels in the Maldives, also excels in the child department. It has food menus for kids, at least 3 different kids clubs and activities for all ages. It especially has a programme designed for teenagers with movie nights, football tournaments, rock climbing, golf simulation, PADI Diving Bubblemaker and a smoothie bar (oh and mani -pedis, but not sure that’s one to brag about). Teenagers will somehow migrate together here, make new friends (and boy/girlfriends). When I was there, one teen ended up in his mother’s best friend’s daughters bed which caused a World War rift between the two mums…Need I say more? A teenager’s paradise… There is a beautiful spa and great, great diving. For New Year’s, you better be a VIP or you don’t stand a chance. The villas are huge and the ‘packing up’ service at the end of the trip was Mr.X’s favourite thing ever (they pack up all your clothes while you spend an extra hour at the beach).

http://www.totstoo.com/hotel/oneonly-at-reethi-rah/

By Seaboat – or private plane should you want to.

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2. The Four Seasons Kudaa Huraa 

Best for: The Four Seasons service and the amazing lobster

In the Maldives, you just need to show up with your babies. No need to lug baby puree, sterilisers, nappies or anything that takes up too much space in your suitcase, they have everything you could ever need. The Four Seasons, as usual, provides its usual exemplary service, including a lovely Kids Club with arts & crafts, a marine life turtle touch tank, fish feeding and island scavenger hunts. The beach huts are lovely and can easily fit a family  of four. We found the food to be particularly good, with all-you-can-eat fresh lobsters on a half board meal plan. If you can’t afford One & Only every year, this one’s a good alternative. One couple I know comes back year after year, requesting the exact same room each time, they love it that much.

http://www.fourseasons.com/maldiveskh/

By seaboat

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Glass bottom boat kayaking organised by the Kids Club. NHYM 2015. 

3. Anantara Dhigu

Best for: Value for Money

Anantara is part of a luxury Thai chain, which has beautiful hotels around the world. As with most Thai hotels, the service is exquisite and the design is sleek and sophisticated, while not charging out of the world prices. There are three interconnecting islands to suit all needs, but Anantara Dhigu is the child-friendly one. The Kids club is housed in a beautiful Dhoni, a traditional Maldivian boat, which is air conditioned ideal on really hot days. Some of the top kids’ activities we found were the open air movie night with kids sprawled on beanbags munching popcorn while watching ‘Surf’s Up’ under the stars, and the glass bottom kayak trip in the lagoon to discover the marine life. The only downside is the food at some of the restaurants didn’t live up to our expectations, but we loved the Thai restaurant (we could have gone there every night) and the Teppanyaki on a neighbouring island. On the last day there, my daughter asked ‘Can we live in the Maldives?’

http://www.dhigu-maldives.anantara.com

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Sand, light blue water, deeper water, more light blue water, more sand. NHYM 2015.

5. Conrad Rangali 

Best for: The Underwater restaurant experience

The Conrad was one of the first hotels to bring in the underwater restaurant concept, which I thought was rather cool (of course, others have called it a bit tacky, but to each their own opinions). It is 30 minutes away by seaplane, so it worth noting that you may need to wait at the airport for your seaplane and that it will hotel-hop: it will drop other customers at other hotels as well. The Majaa kids club focusses on Maldivian culture which is rather lovely, by teaching Maldivian Bodubero dancing, Maldivian language, island hopping and pirate dhoni sailing.

http://www.totstoo.com/hotel/conrad-maldives-rangali-island/

By Seaplane 30 minutes

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This is the jetty you arrive on and are welcomed to the land of bliss. NHYM 2015.

5. LUX*

Best for: All inclusive

For those who don’t want to have to worry about bills and wallets during the holiday, LUX* offers a great all inclusive holiday with multiple restaurant options. There is a great kids club where you can drop your child from 9am to 7 pm, and also Studio17 for teens. But be realistic, it is not in the same league as the One & Only so don’t expect the same level when going there: a friend who had previously been to the One & Only then went to LUX* said when I asked how his trip was: ‘It’s the same sand, sun and sea…’ But all my other ‘down-to-earth-friends who have been there have had a great experience: there are marine biologists on hand to teach the little ones about sea life and marine conservation, which is pretty much as 5 stars Kids Club as it can get.

http://www.totstoo.com/hotel/lux-maldives/

By seaplane

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Thatched beach hut, Anantara. Comes in all sizes… NHYM 2015.

6. Constance Halaveli

Best for: 10 Family Beach Villas

With Family Villas measuring 358 sqm with a gated garden, a private plunge pool and fully equipped with pushchairs, sterilisers and cots, there’s nothing more you could need for your bubs. Nearby, the Constance Kids Club for 4-11 years old has a children’s pool, an outdoor space and playhouse, with an emphasis on cooking activities to make pizzas, ice cream and smoothies.

http://www.constancehotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/maldives

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Hammock in the ocean. NHYM 2015.

7. NIYAMA

Best for: the Under 3s kids club

With a brand new kids club in a Manta Ray shaped club and an under 3s kids club, children of any age will be looked after professionals. Children are split into 4 age groups and have activities tailored to their specific age group. There are themed days such as Jungle Safari, Pirates and Princesses and Circus days. There is even an amphitheatre for the older thespians. For the adults, there is the first underwater music club, Subsix to keep you grooving, art events and plenty more to stay entertained.

http://niyama.peraquum.com

40 minutes by seaplane

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This really does exist. NHYM 2015.

8. Kanuhura

Best for: Faraway location

Due to its remote location, Kanuhura has some of the best diving spots around with unexploited waters that some of the other resorts closer to Male don’t have and you won’t have to worry about planes flying over the island or of the pollution other islands may have. It is quite a large island with 100 villas, but feels very private. The kids club runs from 9am to 10pm in 3 slots: 9am -12pm, 2-5pm, 7-10pm, meaning that you can leave your older children at the Kids Club while you have a romantic dinner. Tempting isn’t it?

http://www.totstoo.com/hotel/kanuhura/

40 minutes by seaplane

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Naladhu Private Pool, a neighbouring island of Anantara. NHYM 2015. 

9. Cheval Blanc Randheli

Best for: Over the top luxury & design hotel 

I wasn’t sure whether to add this hotel since it is a little too modern and pristine for my liking, but I thought I would include it for those who love designs and brands. Coming from LVMH properties, it of course comes with its own fancy LVMH shop and with people like ‘alchemists’ to create your perfect stay. But, I have to give it to them that their kids club looks great, with a lovely kids’ swimming pool and slide and Le Paddock, the teenagers multimedia room. The astronomy session for the teens sold me, as the star gazing in the Maldives is the best I’ve ever seen. It’s very expensive, but if you can afford it, you might as well give it a go.

http://randheli.chevalblanc.com/en

40 minutes by private seaplane

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Anantara pool, my daily spot. NHYM 2015.

Just to prove I really was there. And for those who are still trying to figure out whose toes these belong to. 

10. Soneva Fushi

Best for: Barefoot luxury 

More my style, Soneva Fushi is known for it’s motto ‘No News, No shoes,’ so you can put your mobile phones away, throw away your shoes and stay away from modern life for an entire week. The decor blends in with its natural surrounding and it is pure bliss. What’s exciting for 2015, and why it is included in this list, is that they are creating a new Kids Club this year promising 2 swimming pools, a mocktail bar, a lego room, a dressing area, a cinema, a tunnel, an organic garden and for the teens a zip line and DJ corner. I don’t think there’s anything else you could ask for as a child or a teen, and it’s creeping up my list as my no 1 next family friendly holiday destination, all fresh with a kids club.

http://www.soneva.com/soneva-fushi

30 minutes by seaplane

This is a sponsored post by Tots Too, http://www.totstoo.com, the luxury family holiday specialists. All the reviews and thoughts are my own. If you book by the end of April, Tots Too will offer a £100 Spa voucher at any of the Tots Too hotels for all NHYM readers. Please mention NHYM when booking: http://www.totstoo.com/hotels/destination/maldives/

LUX* Maldives is offering a 10 days for 7 offer through Tots Too. http://www.totstoo.com/hotel/lux-maldives/

xx

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

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Photos, Top 10, Travel

Top Ten: Best Hotels in the Maldives

 

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1. Best for A-list New Year’s Eve Party: One & Only Reethi Rah 

http://reethirah.oneandonlyresorts.com

Reeti Rah is like a private island for the super-rich. As soon as you arrive on the island, you are surrounded by CEOs of investment banks, fashion houses, Formula 1 and hedge funds. (Not to mention the Russian oligarchs who leave their wives with their bodyguards while they go to another island to see their mistresses). Only on Reeti Rah Island is there a 100 person waiting list for the Christmas – New Year’s week and NYE party for those too cool for St. Barth’s and guaranteed to be paparazzi free (even Mustique has been papped, but Reethi Rah is still virgin territory). Supermodels, fashion designers, hedgefunders, and CEOs congregate for the countdown, wondering how the new year could be even better than the last. Everyone knows each other and conversations at breakfast are about international real estate, mega-yachts and private jets. Even dropping £100,000 on two Grand Beach Villas during the Easter Break and organising a lavish beach BBQ with grilled lobster and Dom Perignon flowing all night won’t guarantee a place at the New Year’s Eve party. It is a teenagers’ paradise, who can roam freely on the island, ordering cocktails on daddy’s tab, travelling on bicycles to mingle with other super-rich teenagers and staying all night star-gazing, both at Orion and real superstars.

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2. Best for Robinson Crusoe Romance: Gili Lankanfushi 

http://www.gili-lankanfushi.com/crusoe-residence

Stay in a Crusoe Residence, a 250 sqm stand alone villa in the Indian Ocean only accessible by your own motorised rowboat moored on your villa’s private pontoon (My personal favourite, although I am biased as it was my honeymoon destination). Everything can be done from your villa; snorkelling, star gazing on the upper deck, watching stingrays around your pontoons, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner on the different decks, your own open air shower, and anything else you can think of… The hotel only has 45 gigantic, overwater villas in total so expect to spend days without seeing anyone else but your fiancé/husband/lover/child bride.

3. Best for Knowing what to Expect: Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

http://www.fourseasons.com/maldiveskh/

One of the best Canadian exports, after Ryan Reynolds, the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa is a wonderfully, lovely resort with beautifully appointed rooms, a very nice kids club and very good food (especially the grilled lobster on half board). It is perfect for the travel risk-adverse, knowing that you will get great quality without any unhappy surprises (unlike when we went to the Touessrok Mauritius resort which was a big disappointment compared to any Maldivian resort). It is popular with groups of young, 20 something, moneyed, future billionaire Chinese, who hop over for a long weekend from Shanghai or Beijing. Its only problem is that it is like Ryan Reynolds: beautiful but boring.

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4. Best for Low Key Luxury: Cocoa Island by COMO

http://www.comohotels.com/cocoaisland

‘Simple yet sophisticated, contemporary yet indigenous, and always deliberately restrained’ as described by the hotel’s website, Cocoa Island prides itself in its uniqueness and understated luxury. Instead of glamping, stay in a Dhoni suite, a villa inspired by Dhoni boats, the local fishermen’s sailboats, decorated in blues and whites reflecting the soothing colours of the Indian Ocean. With only 35 villas, this small island is perfect for intimate privacy.

5. Best for Barefoot Luxury: Soneva Fushi

http://www.soneva.com/soneva-fushi

One of the original luxury resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi is the perfect castaway island, with beachfront villas dotted around the island privatised by the surrounding jungle and trees. ‘No News, No Shoes’ is Soneva Fushi’s mantra, like all Soneva resorts, so crackberries and android phones are best left at home. It excels in rustic chic, with warm colours of orange, browns, and yellow, blending in with the birds and tree houses.

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6. Best for Huevos Rancheros Breakfast: Taj Exotica

http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/Exotica-Resort-And-Spa/Taj-Exotica-Resort-And-Spa-Maldives/Overview.html

Taj Exotica is one for the foodies. The Taj has the best breakfast Huevos Rancheros in all of the Maldives and its chef strives to perfect local cuisines working with local organic products. Taj Chefs have their own ‘Food Philosophy’ striving for culinary innovation ‘at the heart of the Taj Hotels dining experience’. After catching your own line-caught groupers and snappers during the sunset cruise, the chefs will prepare the fresh, grilled fish to perfection for next day’s lunch, which doesn’t get fresher and more blissful than this. (It is one of the few resorts where I would recommend the beach villas over the water villas, which are small and close together relative to the other Maldivian water villas).

7. Best for Minimalism meets the Royals: Cheval Blanc Randheli

http://randheli.chevalblanc.com/en/

LVMH’s new luxury hotel has already bagged its marketing campaign by inviting Prince William and Kate to stay at the Cheval Blanc and letting the media do the rest. It is the biggest Maldivian opening in years. Straight lines, modern art, white minimalism and exorbitant prices will appeal to the Nouveaux Riches, Royals and Russians, and is already  at the forefront as the most O.T.T. hotel in the Maldives. Alchemists, ‘genuine experience designers’, create and compose ‘bespoke and unique experiences for their guests.’ Seriously?? This is one hotel that takes itself way too seriously. Hopefully, it won’t become a ‘Russians Only’ resort, hotels so expensive that only Russian oligarchs can afford, but personally I find that the minimalist, extreme luxury takes away from the Maldivian charm, which is a real shame.

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8. Best for ‘Affordable’ Family holidays: LUX* Lighter. Brighter.

http://www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-maldives/luxmaldives

Ok, so no luxury hotel in the Maldives is really affordable, but by booking through the British Airways combined online flight and hotel booking system, you can get a week’s stay for less than £10,000 including flights and accommodation for a family of 4, outside school holidays, which in the Maldives is a bargain. The Play Kids Club and Studio 17 Teenagers Club are open from 9am to 9pm. Need I say more? For some peace and quiet, diving and massages, the all day kiddy entertainment will keep them occupied all day long. And with 7 restaurants to choose from and 4km of beaches, they will never get bored.

9. Best for Cool and Trendy: W Retreat & Spa

http://www.wretreatmaldives.com

A playground for adults with its own resident DJ, underwater weddings, WET Pool Parties and mixologists creating signature cocktails, this is for those looking for a bit of nightlife and cool factor. Expiration Date: Kids.

10. Best for Underwater Spa: Huvafen Fushi 

http://huvafenfushi.peraquum.com

Housing the world’s first underwater treatment room, indulge in the LIME Light Crystal Ritual for 180 minutes, their signature underwater experience involving a coconut, lime and mineral massage and ice cubes, while watching triggerfish, stingrays and clownfish dancing around the lagoon making you feel like the Little Mermaid. The Per AQUUM resort and spa has ‘stand out, one-off events, bringing musicians, artists and creative stars from around the world’ each month. Currently, you can create your own Irma style Avatar with creative artist Jasmin Kherzi and view their Phantasy Fairytale Underwater art exhibition in the Spa. If that doesn’t take you out of this world, nothing will.

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