From scrumptious chocolate cookies awaiting guests to grounds perfect for playing in, Linda and family found plenty of child-friendly perks during an overnight stay in the Derbyshire countryside.
Just look at those amazing gardens.
My daughters played hide and seek here while I browsed the Sunday papers and my partner tried out one of two accompanying golf courses. This was a perfect morning bathed in spring sunshine as we each bagsied a different spot amid 400 acres of rolling Derbyshire countryside.
Fresh from a jacuzzi, swim and sauna, we couldn’t help but feel refreshed, relaxed and happy as we sampled the gorgeous Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel and Country Club.
It’s a shame it didn’t last as my daughters started to bicker about whose turn it was.
You can’t have everything.
But the hotel, parts of which date back to 1260 and make up a Grade 2 listed building, took our breath away, as did the beauty of the surrounding Peak District.
I couldn’t believe we hadn’t visited this corner of the East Midlands before, especially as it took just 40 minutes from door to door – quicker than it can take to travel the 15 miles or so home from Birmingham on an M6-clogged bad day.
We were invited to review the Marriott Breadsall Priory for Havealovelytime and as part of research into a feature for MyChild.co.uk. Ours was a complimentary stay which is of course bound to colour our view.
But still, quality speaks for itself and paying guests were undoubtedly also having a lovely time. (See what I did there? Again.)
Our rooms were immaculately furnished in a classic style, with warm subtle tones of deep reds, browns and golds and the beds were to die for. After an afternoon’s walking at Dovedale and an evening at the cinema in Derby, we were ready for our sleep. (A combination of fresh air and a tiny bit of bum-numbing disappointment of boredom during the over hyped Alice in Wonderland, I’d say.)
The next morning we took some time to study the history of the hotel from a small display close to reception. This is Marriott’s oldest hotel.
In a bustling dining room, we tucked into a hearty buffet breakfast while a chef prepared fresh waffles with maple syrup for our girls. A friendly waitress chatted to us and warmly recommended Matlock Bath and the Heights of Abraham for a day out.
Then we headed for the leisure club where we enjoyed our swim before exploring the gardens.
Our journey to Matlock Bath and The Heights of Abraham was a fantastic treat. And Neil welcomed some time away from the three women in his life while he played golf. He decided he should consider setting up a new site called Havealovelyround.com…
Hmmn. Not so sure about that one.
Anyway, I will return to write about the delights of Matlock Bath and the Heights of Abraham in a separate post. And Neil is going to tee off his reviewing for havealovelytime.com with a report about the golf course.
Other than a great breakfast at Breadsall Priory, we also enjoyed an evening meal in Derby at Antibo’s.The home-cooked Italian menu was rich in flavours, with plenty of cream and garlic for unreformed over eaters like me and healthier tomato-based dishes and salads for the more sensible amongst us. With wine, a three-course meal for two adults and two children came to around £60 – with a couple of shared starters and sweets.
We’d certainly go back again, even if Emily made the chilling discovery that parmesan cheese can “smell a bit like sick.”
Thanks very much to the Marriott press office for inviting us to review their oldest hotel. As ever, when I saw how luxurious it was, the fear that they wouldn’t be welcoming to families struck me like a celebrity love rat hits the headlines.
But I needn’t have worried. We saw a few families at breakfast and in the pool, none of the children were being rowdy. A babysitting service is available.
Our children were made very welcome and I think particularly relished some scrummy home-baked chocolate cookies awaiting our arrival in our room. They enjoyed a tiny bit of independence in a twin room together through an interlinking door from our double.
On the weekend we visited the hotel was also popular with groups of men on a golfing break and with couples.
As I read my Sunday paper on that perfect morning, I heard two lovebirds phoning their friends to break the news they were now engaged after a proposal the day before.
The boyfriend joked his fiancee must have been disappointed she hadn’t been whisked off to Paris or Rome.
But even I could see that, basking in a spring early morning glow, the Breadsall Priory is a perfect match.
Factbox
Double or twin room, plus full buffet breakfast from around £180 a night. Various money saving offers here.
Address: Moor Road, Morley.
Sat nav directions: DE7 6DL