Staycations in the UK are incredibly popular this year, largely due to Brexit, but not taking away from the increasingly desirable breaks you can enjoy right here in good old Blighty. I feel like my UK exploration over the past few years has been lacking, and when I do get away it’s frequently to the same places. There are so many places I want to visit in Great Britain, especially in the South outside of London.

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa. Photos provided by the hotel and are not my own.

Sporting events, beautiful countryside, picturesque little towns and weather much better than we get up North, are some of the main reasons I travel within the UK.

Things I look for in a break include fun things to do, surroundings you don’t get tired of looking at, and an excuse to unwind and switch off in a lovely luxurious hotel. Suffolk has it all, and The Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa seems to be the perfect base to explore.

The Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa

Located in Newmarket, the first thing that sprung to mind when researching the area was of course the horse racing. The Bedford Lodge is one of the most highly sought after hotel and spas in the region, and the beautiful old Georgian building was once a hunting lodge.

It’s right next to some of the most prestigious paddocks and training stables in the world, and if you’re a fan of the racing it would surely be one of the most obvious places to stay for one of the Newmarket meets. While I’m no racing pro, I have been to three of the UK’s racecourses, I’d love to visit more, and it’s a great day out.

The hotel upkeep the racing heritage of the location throughout the hotel, and combined with the old English charm of the buildings history, I imagine it’s a really unique atmosphere, especially when the racing is on.

Other draws of the place for me include the fact it’s not part of a chain, and it has a beautiful looking spa to be enjoyed too. The rooms look so inviting, the food in the restaurant looks incredible, and the grounds look idyllic.

The Spa at Bedford Lodge

I’m very partial to a good spa experience, always preferring to make it a spa stay rather than a spa day. You can just relax more, enjoy a drink, and not need to clock watch before you leave.

The spa at Bedford Lodge has so much to offer, a lot more than some of the spas I’ve previously been to. In addition to the 10 treatment areas where you can enjoy one of a full list of treatments, there’s an outdoor terrace, a rooftop hot tub, a chilled out mezzanine, and a hydro pool.

If you aren’t a fan of the racing, I can see why you’d never even leave the hotel facilities.

Newmarket

Racing fanatics will be right at home, I know Kieran would absolutely love it judging by what’s on offer in the home of British racing. There’s behind the scenes tours of jockey clubs, training yards, and auction houses, as well as the National Horse Racing Museum and the National Heritage Centre for Horse Racing. Maybe I should plan this for his 30th?!

Suffolk

For me, the wider area of Suffolk has a big draw to it, mainly for the little towns and villages dotted along the coastline. The beach huts of Southwold, and the fishing village of Orford sound perfect to me for seafood and walks by the seaside.

A combination of all these things really has me considering Newmarket and the Bedford Lodge as a trip for next year. I think Kieran would love to go to Newmarket, and I can see myself getting a massage in that spa.