Five Luxe Places To Celebrate Your Anniversary
Whether it’s your first wedding anniversary or your 25th, what better excuse to splash out on a really special place in which to celebrate? We’ve pinpointed five of the very best, all different, and each one designed to appeal to all ages (and durations).
1. Doxford Hall, Northumberland
Voted holiday destination of the year in the BBC Countryfile Awards, the Northumbrian coast has much to recommend it, not least its long, sandy (and often empty) beaches and glorious scenery. Doxford Hall is a Georgian country house, spa and estate offering luxury stays and alluring packages such as the overnight spa break. There are treatments for him and her and the gorgeous bedrooms are more than matched by a mouthwatering menu which includes such deliciousness as:
Tasting of Northumbrian ‘Low Town’ Farm Lamb Seared Loin, Slow Cooked Shoulder, Pan Haggerty Potatoes, Tempura Haggis
The Robert Parker Collection Signature Dish Lemon Curd Mousse Served with Caramelised Italian Meringue Topped with Buttered Sablé Biscuit.
IL Recommends: This would be a divine destination for any couple wanting some precious time together to celebrate the date of their wedding.
2. The Merrion, Dublin
The Merrion hotel lies in the heart of Dublin and is truly a five star experience. Not one, but several antique-laden drawing rooms lead off the spectacular reception hall complete with the pillars, and fountains create a Versailles vibe in the half acre quadrangle courtyard. And if an exquisite afternoon tea there doesn’t entice you (and if not, why not?) how about a dip together in the sapphire blue mosaic tiled indoor swimming pool. We think this would be a fabulous destination for a couple who share a love of art; the hotel is adorned with the biggest private art collection in Ireland, and the National Gallery and Museum in Dublin are just a few minutes walk away.
The suites in particularly are the ultimate in opulence, and if you are pushing the boat out for a significant anniversary (silver wedding couples, we are talking to you) then be sure to book a table for two in the Patrick Guilbaud Restaurant, Ireland’s only restaurant to boast two Michelin stars.
IL Recommends: Perfect for the most opulent celebration for that special anniversary.
3. Fonab Castle, Perthshire
Fonab Castle calls itself ‘Beyond the Ordinary’ and surely that’s exactly what long-wedded couples need for a special anniversary weekend away? Tucked away in the depths of highland Perthshire in a stunning lochside location, this traditional castle has some stylish contemporary flourishes, and the jewel in the crown must be the silver themed penthouse, which is more tasteful that it sounds, and includes glass flocked wallpaper and a magnificent nickel 7 foot bed under a vaulted ceiling. Scottish new wave cooking is to be found in the restaurant, with such delicacies as Highland rabbit, Orkney scallops with truffles and a turf and surf masterpiece of Scotch beef fillet with langoustines.
If you’re an active kind of couple you can have fun on a Land Rover off road experience; go fishing, take a boat on Loch Tay or simply grab a couple of bikes and cycle around the local countryside. Combine the great outdoors with the glamorous indoors and celebrate that anniversary in style.
IL Recommends: The perfect castle where contemporary meets tradition and you will feel like royalty.
4. Coworth Park
If your beloved likes a flutter, enjoys dressing up or is just mad about horses, why not surprise him or her with a stay at Coworth Park in Berkshire, a sister to London ’s Dorchester, no less. Just outside Ascot, it is perfectly placed for a day at the races, and/or you can book a riding lesson at their superb equestrian centre or even a polo session at The Guards Polo Club based at the hotel – it’s the only place in the UK you can give this most glamorous of sports a try.
The hotel itself has a stylish contemporary edge despite its country house appearance – we particularly love the look of the Stable Premium Suite which features an unusual four poster bed and side by side copper roll top baths in the huge marble bathroom.
IL Recommends: The place to celebrate if you enjoy horses, both racing and polo.
5. Club Hotel and Spa, St Helier, Jersey
We all need to get out of our comfort zones every now and then, perhaps no more so than after a few years, or decades, of marriage. Head over to Jersey and the sublime Club Hotel and Spa in the island’s capital of St Helier and get a change of scene. Marrieds of a certain age can get nostalgic about the TV detective series Bergerac famously filmed on the island, while adventurous couples can book a rasul mud treatment for two in the bespoke private chamber in the depths of the cult subterranean spa which also has a fabulous saltwater pool.
Traditional welcoming touches like homemade shortbread appearing at your beside at turn down sit alongside the contemporary décor, making this place the opposite of chintzy country house style. The beach is moments away, so you can channel your inner Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in ‘The Way We Were‘ and have a romantic wander . . .
IL Recommends: The hidden gem, a romantic hideaway where you stroll along the beach together.
Abigail Stubbs
Features Editor
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