Britain on the Cheap

Von Essen country house hotels are offering The Essence of Summer package, a two-night break with a free summer treat. Your treat might be an icy glass of Hendricks Gin in the bar before dinner, afternoon tea on the lawn or a bicycle hire—it all depends on your destination. Rates begin at £135/$197 per night, [...]

Gearing up for Trooping the Colour this Saturday, in honor of the Queen’s official birthday? She will leave Buckingham Palace at 10.45 a.m. to travel down The Mall to Horseguard’s Parade. During the ceremony, The Queen is greeted by a Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops from the Household Division (Foot [...]

Dukes, St James’s in Mayfair is offering an elegant package centered around the “Grace Kelly: Style Icon” exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. The £299/$432 package, for two people sharing, includes: one night in a classic Duchess Room, afternoon tea for two served with a glass of pink Champagne, handmade chocolates [...]

London’s Capital Hotel, in Knightsbridge near Harrods, Harvey Nichols and The Royal Gardens, is offering a Capital Dining Experience from Executive Chef Jerome Ponchelle. The package, £350/$506, includes: a one-night stay in an executive double room, English breakfast for two, a three-course dinner for two, a bottle of water, two coffees or teas and the [...]

Love to travel but want to go more green? The Green House, a 32-room Victorian villa in Bournemouth, can help on both counts. The Grade II building has been remodeled for more than £5 million, incorporating solar power, low-energy lighting and solid hard wood furniture, either recycled or hand-crafted in the UK from fallen trees [...]

Love it or loathe it, World Cup mania is on. The Feversham Arms & Verbena Spa, AA Hotel of the Year, England 2009/2010, has Football Fever and Football Fatigue packages good from June 11-July 11 at the North Yorkshire country hotel. Football Fever starts at $166/£115 pp per night, including a World Cup cocktail, a [...]

The Hampstead Britannia has dropped its prices from $89/60 per person/night to $75/£49.50. The hotel is within walking distance of Hampstead Village. WiFi is free in the hotel’s public areas.

Can’t wait for “Sex and the City 2” to unfurl on the big screen? SACO apartments is offering groups of four a girls’ weekend away in Birmingham for $372/£250, $93/£62.50 per person. The package includes one night in a two-bedroom apartment in the city, sleeping four, tickets for all four to see the new movie [...]

Bagden Hall in West Yorkshire is going Golf Crazy with a special spring deal: unlimited golf on its nine-hole course, with woodland and water features set on 40-acre grounds. Stay Monday-Thursday in May and June and the price is $88/£59 per person sharing, including dinner, a half-bottle of wine, breakfast and all the golf you [...]

The Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel in London has dropped its rates from $126/£84.50 to $92/£62. This is the flagship hotel of the Pestana Hotels and Resorts Group. The hotel is situated along the River Thames, Chelsea Bridge, opposite Battersea Park, within walking distance to Sloane Square and Victoria Station.