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Two hotels in the Lake District
If you're looking for somewhere to stay after a hard day's ramble, try a B&B with just two bedrooms, or a hotel that's more of a 'restaurant with rooms'.
Hotels don't come much smaller, or more exclusive, than the Randy Pike. With only two bedrooms, you won't have to cope with crowds or overworked staff.
How they rate it
The hotel is "too homely to be called a hotel", says Holly Groom in The Sunday Times. You feel "more like you're staying with relatives than paying for a holiday", thanks to the attentive service provided by the owners. It's never overbearing, though, as "you only really see the Hills when they stop by to deliver breakfast or some home-baked brownies". As for the two bedrooms, they are "bohemian but understated". There are pale wood floors and crisp, white bed linen and some "eccentric twists", such as giant Alice in Wonderland-style chairs.
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Breakfast is "designed for people planning to walk it off". Options include kedgeree and smoked salmon. The hotel owners also have a restaurant in nearby Grasmere - it's "definitely worth making the trip" to try it. It's called the Jumble Room and serves Thai and Mediterranean food.
The cost
Double rooms cost from £180 B&B. Call 015394-36088, or visit www.randypike.co.uk for more information.
Jerichos at The Waverley, Windermere
Situated in an ideal location in the town of Windermere, Jerichos at The Waverley is more of a restaurant with rooms than a hotel. The building dates back to 1870 and the rooms still retain many original features, including a beautiful fireplace in the lounge.
How they rate it
The "sunny, airy bedrooms are elegantly furnished with a strong contemporary feel and some of the top floor rooms have views of the fells", says The Guardian, which included the hotel in its selection of the country's top ten rural B&Bs. The hotel also has storage space for bikes and golf clubs for those wanting to do more than hike.
The menu
The chef and proprietor of Jerichos, Chris Blaydes, "has established a strong reputation for his creative menus using the best local and seasonal produce", says The Guardian. Blaydes serves up "unpretentious British food", says chef Simon Rogan in The Times. Dishes include slow roasted, de-boned knuckle of Lune Valley lamb on smoked, butter-mashed potato and orange honey, and prune parfait with homemade sorbet and sweet glazed orange segments.
The cost
A double room costs from £60 per night. Find out more at www.jerichos.co.uk, or call 015394-42522.
What the travel writers are saying
Over 14 million people now visit Thailand every year, but it is still possible to find a quiet island away from the crowds, say Laura Barton and Gemma Bowes in The Guardian.
Koh Kood owes its quietness to its "relative remoteness", says Barton. You'll need to take an internal flight or train from Bangkok and then an hour's boat ride, but it's worth the effort. There are no landlines, very little internet access and few cars. Most of the electricity comes from generators or solar power. The overall atmosphere is of "slow, warm tranquillity". "Hollywood luxury" can be found at Soneva Kiri (Sixsenses.com/Soneva-Kiri), an enclosed resort surrounded by acres of forest and organic vegetable gardens. "Imagine an uber-swanky Center Parcs."
Koh Yao Noi is situated in the bustling bay that is also home to Phuket and Krabi, but it attracts "just a trickle of travellers", says Bowes. The island is barely developed for the tourist market, with just a couple of "barefoot chic" resorts and some basic beach-hut complexes. But this means it is "refreshingly traditional", with rubber farms and water buffalo, rather than the typical trinket stalls and magic-mushroom bars. Stay at the Koyao Island Resort (Koyao.com).
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Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.
