A Little Luxury On A Budget

Hello my lovely blogging chums. I thought I would share an exciting upcoming trip I'm making with a girlfriend. She has been a bit low recently what with one thing and another, so I have conspired to whisk her away for an overnight stay at one of The National Trust hotel properties, of which there are three in the UK. Who knew? Now this hotel is very close to York, which means it's easy to reach by public transport. Great, because neither of us want a long drive, so we are letting the train take the strain. We plan to leave our bags at York station when we arrive mid morning and then spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon exploring the museums, galleries and shops before having a good lunch at Cote Brasserie. I always try to book Cotes when I'm travelling because the food is always good, the restaurants themselves are usually beautifully decorated and the price is very reasonable. So a full lunch will mean we can have something lighter in the evening, so we don't have to pay for an expensive dinner at the hotel. The hotel manager Lionel was tremendously helpful when I told him my plan and he suggested I book a garden suite which has two rooms, a small lounge, small kitchen area and a little private garden. Absolutely perfect. The hotel does have a spa, but we are taking our own 'spa' products, but we will avail ourselves of their swimming pool. We are also planning a summer evening stroll around the gorgeous gardens, we have twenty acres to choose from. I'm thinking we may pick up a couple of treats from Bettys to have with a cup of tea before our swim. And there is always the possibility of a cheeky cocktail before supper, just to get the full experience of the hotel interiors. I'll let you know how we get on. Can I also welcome a new follower to my little blog. I look forward to reading your comments, always gratefully received.