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    Mother-Daughter Day at Calcot Manor

    Growing up with a twin brother, you have some great times, you’re never alone, never bored at home and you get to play more Pokemon and Minecraft than most of your girlfriends, but sometimes you need some alone-time, just you and your mum doing girly things… and that’s exactly what Noelle and I were doing at Calcot Manor this week.

    BOOK A SPECIAL BREAK AT CALCOT MANOR

     

    A true family-friendly hotel in the Cotswolds

    Monday afternoon we drove to lovely Tetbury in the South Cotswolds and checked in to Calcot Manor just before 3.45pm, which is when the spa opens for kids for an hour and a half (as well as from 8.45am until 10.15am on a Saturday and Sunday morning). But before we went to the spa, we were shown to our room, a wonderful family room with a special kids’ room with bunkbeds, cute wallpaper and it’s own TV, a humongous kingsize bed in the beautiful main room, a bathroom with the most wonderful shower, bathtub and picture of Grace Kelly. We couldn’t ask for more… except perhaps a view of the great outdoor pool… which it also had.

     

    Super time at the spa

    But before we “took on the room”, we needed to go enjoy the spa and the pool, so off we went. The spa is in a separate building just behind the hotel, a beautiful spa with a gym, a cafe, steam room, a garden with an outdoor hot tub, a super pool and a really nice changing room, family friendly, large and spacious. But we were there mainly for the pool and we were not disappointed. The pool is wonderful, large (16 meters long to be exact), with lovely loungers for mums and other boring adults who can’t spend an hour and a half in the pool (!) and a great view of the outdoor area with the hot tub. We had a super time!

     

    Pre-dinner mocktails

    Our time at the spa was up and we went back to the room to get changed for dinner. We had to choose between The Gumstool Inn, Calcot’s traditional Cotswold pub, and The Conservatory, the more formal dining experience at Calcot Manor. Kids are welcome at both, but we opted for The Gumstool Inn for the more relaxed feel. Before we enjoyed a couple of ‘Mocktails’ (fun and fancy) in The Conservatory, well outside, really, where it might have been raining, but we were dry under the parasol and loving the great countryside view. Dinner at The Gumstool Inn was lovely, a real Cotswold pub experience with ample (and I mean AMPLE!) portions, a great menu and a nice, cosy atmosphere.

     

    Great end to a great evening

    Weighed down by the ample portions and tired from our super fun afternoon and evening at Calcot Manor, it was time to kick back and enjoy the wonderfulness that was our family-room. Noelle had a splash in the tub and then it was feet up, coffee, biscuits and TV on to fall asleep to… couldn’t ask for more. We woke up the next morning refreshed from a great night’s sleep, ready for a quick morning dip in the heated outdoor pool just outside our room – great way to wake up!

     

    The great, big Pancake Finish

    The great finish to a great ‘Mother-Daughter Day’ at Calcot Manor was the scrummy, delicious breakfast in The Conservatory. A great choice of cooked breakfast dishes (we had to go for pancakes with maple syrup – yum!) as well as a variety of Danish, cereal, fruit and yoghurt. We’ve said it before: We really love a good hotel breakfast and this was just that, so truly a perfect way to end our lovely, lovely time at Calcot Manor.

     

    So many things to do for kids

    There are so many great things to do and activities for kids at Calcot Manor. We didn’t check them all out, but they include a Playzone, fully-equipped with arts and crafts, and a huge range of stimulating things to do. The Mez for children aged eight and over, an Aladdin’s cave of entertainment, with PlayStations, Wii consoles, Xbox 360s, computers and even a 12-seater cinema. There is a big playground with a pirate ship as well as ll kinds of outdoor play and activities, and on Saturday it’s Bake Time where Matt, Calcot Manor’s baker who help kids create their own baking masterpiece. A super place to go for families in the Cotswolds.