But there’s one offer this month’s that even got us raising a few eyebrows.  Check out this offer from Blue Dolphin Caravan Park between Filey and Scarborough; for the princely sum of £24, you can stay there for 4 nights in their caravan & camping accommodation.  But that’s not all; the accommodation is for up to 8 people.  So, by our quick cacluations, that works out as just 75 pence per person per night.  Wow.

Is this the UK’s cheapest holiday deal?!

75p a night… is this the UK’s cheapest holiday?! is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

The idea entitled “A Room For London”, is for a boat shaped hotel to be set on top of the concert hall during 2012 as part of the Olympic celebrations and should appear as if the tidal Thames has simply marooned it there.

At least that’s what David Kohn Architects hope their new creation will appear to be when it’s built later this year. The “hotel” which has an as yet unspecified number of rooms, does include a few oddities however.

1) Guests are requested to hoist the flag when in residence and lower it when visiting the city.

2) Guests are also requested to keep a diary of their stay, presumably including details of what it’s like to be perched above the Thames.

3) Finally guests should not require too much privacy as the location is already one of the busiest places in London and will no doubt attract an even greater interest when the temporary boat hotel is up and running.

For those wishing to take in the view rather than venture into the capital, the hotel will include a large library of works about London.

Tickets for the hotel boat will go on sale in January although as it has yet to be built, details are still a little sketchy. Watch this space…

Picture 1 of “A Room For London” (all open in new window)
Picture 2 of “A Room for London”
Picture 3 of “A Room for London”

For now there is plenty of more conventional hotel accommodation in London.

Olympic boat hotel perched above the Thames is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

A few enterprising caravan sites have spotted a niche market for curious and unique caravans, so if you don’t fancy just another caravanning holiday, how about one of these.

1) The kitsch caravan perhaps should be called the “nostalgia-van” as everything on the site is designed from recycled materials right down to the caravans themselves. If you’re looking for a luxury 6 berth with double oven and marble kitchen then you might be disappointed, but if you want a holiday in a peaceful part of North Yorkshire then read on.

The caravans at La Rosa Campsite have been welcoming visitors since 2004 and the site has “showers in a converted byre, the compost loo is in an original vintage wooden shepherds hut and we have an open air roll-top bath in the orchard area”.

One of the more genuine environmentally friendly get-aways’ you can find in Britain.

2) The Vickers Romany Caravan is for those who prefer to stand out in the landscape and nothing will stand out more than the bright shiny metal exterior of these exclusive Vickers Romany Caravan’s.

Made especially for the gypsy communities from the 1950s, these caravans were the envy of every caravan owner in terms of luxury and many would literally cost the same as the average house at the time!

Best described as a palace on wheels, these caravan interiors were way over the top in terms of style, but if you like bold and brash then this might be your perfect holiday home. As they were designed as a house, everything is included (as available in 1970 anyway) including a wood-burning stove.

3) Routemaster Bus Caravan is perfect for all those Cliff Richard fans, although perhaps disappointingly this classic bus is now static.

Try a holiday in a real 1964 London Routemaster Bus (aka. London Red Bus) at the famous Blackberry Wood Camping ground who seem to specialise in the unusual when it comes to converted accommodation. There’s lots of space and room for 2+2 or two couples onboard and even includes a soft play area.

If you’re looking to inject some fun back into family holidays, why not try the bus – at least it’ll give little Jonny an interesting “What I did on my holidays” essay in September.

4) The teardrop caravan is perfect for those romantic weekends away when you’ve unloaded the little darlings on their grandparents.

Exactly how two people get into a teardrop caravan we’re not too sure, but presumably Dr. Who had something to do with the design as they truly are the miracle of modern engineering.

Each is about the size of a large trailer, but they include accommodation for two, plus room for your provisions and even a couple of bikes, oh and a sink & shower hose for good measure. Best of all, you just need a car with a tow-bar and away you go off into the wide blue yonder…or Essex.

5) Anniversary Lodge isn’t actually strictly available, but it had to be included for being a rather exclusive caravan.

Situated on the Abersoch coastline in North Wales, the so called Anniversary Lodge static caravan was created by the Warren holiday park to celebrate their 75th anniversary.

On the outside the static caravan sits overlooking the sea and even includes a private decking and steps down to the beach, but its when you get inside that things change.

The master bedroom includes an en suite spa shower and toilet or you could opt for the marble-tiled bathroom with jacuzzi bath (no shared shower blocks here). Much of the furniture was designed in Milan along with the kitchen, plus there’s the iPhone controlled heating system.

They even thought of eco-friendly with a special air pump which takes cold air out, recycles it and wafts warm air back in through the floor.

All this came at a slight price – around £550,000 for a 20 year lease! Plus of course there are the several thousand pound site fees, gas & electricity etc. to be added onto this.

More camping resources:
More quirky caravans at Yahoo Travel
Campsites and caravans around the UK
Self-catering accommodation in Britain

The UK’s quirkiest caravan holidays is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

Nigel, famous for his creative presentation and contemporary style, will create Michelin star quality food for both hotel guests and locals alike. After 5 years as Head Chef at The Samling in the Lake District, Nigel is preparing to take on the challenge of a city.

He has announced that example dishes at THIRTY SIX will include:
● Goosenargh duck, savoury granola, black cherry and almond milk.
● Roast Quail, Terrine Forstiere, braised leg and quail jus
● Taste of Rhubarb crumble, ginger custard and ice cream.

Appropriately seating thirty six diners, the interiors of the restaurant will reflect the modern, traditional theme of Nigel’s food and the general ethos of the hotel with classic tones of black, gold and orange. Responsible for this is the highly acclaimed designer Shaun Clarkson, who has also recently refurbished the exquisite new suites and provided the chic interiors for the stunning Perrier-Jouët Lounge that opened in April 2011.

Useful links:
Hotels in London
Eating out in London

THIRTY SIX By Nigel Mendham is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

The name ‘Jurassic Coast’ is a reference to the area’s incredible geological make-up, with beaches, cliffs and rock formations dating back to the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous periods – almost 200 million years of natural history in one little area of coastline!

The diversity of the Jurassic Coast is one of the reasons why it is considered so special, from the red cliffs of East Devon to the unique pebble formations of Chesil Beach. There are just so many great locations you won’t want to miss out on, so deciding where to begin on a Jurassic Coast holiday can be a real challenge.

The coast is well served by its gateway towns and villages, which have museums and visitor centres full of useful information to help you have a productive and enjoyable trip. These gateway towns include Lyme Regis, Beer, Swanage, Weymouth and Charmouth.

Each part of the coast has its own distinctive claim to fame. Charmouth and Lyme Regis are recognised as some of the best places in the entire UK for finding fossils, which are still emerging in astonishing numbers each year from the cliffs and beaches around the two towns.  Lulworth has its beautiful crescent-shaped cove, formed over millions of years since the age of the dinosaurs. A little further down the coast is Weymouth, favourite resort of King George III, with its long, golden beaches and wonderfully warm climate.

With many people wanting to see as much of the coast as possible and not be tied to one place, camping has become an increasingly popular option for visitors to the Jurassic Coast area in the summer months.

With your own caravan or tourer, you can travel at your own pace and stop in at the many top class holiday parks dotted along the Jurassic Coast. These parks also have a wide range of pre-existing accommodation on offer for those without their own campers and caravans, all fully-fitted and priced to suit a range of budgets.

The advantage of camping in a holiday park is the freedom and sense of adventure you get, while at the same time having all the facilities and amenities you need close to hand. This makes it an ideal option for families with small children. A fun, comfortable family trip on the stunning Jurassic Coast, all at an affordable price – what’s not to like?

Jackie Ireland is Owner of Newlands Holiday Park.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on the UKseries.com UK Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Useful links:
Camping in Dorset
Tourist attractions in Dorset

Camping on the Jurassic Coast is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

Tom Johnson already has a double decker London Bus available, or perhaps you’d prefer the Dutch bubble caravan or even a gypsy caravan for your weeks holiday…?

After buying the old search & rescue helicopter for around £5000, Mr Johnson has set about removing all the electrics and stripping the inside so he can introduce some more homely features…like beds.

You might be thinking that a helicopter is really the wrong shape as an alternative to a caravan, but going by the pictures posted in to the Daily Mail web site it looks about the same width as a narrowboat and we know how popular those have become on Britain’s waterways.

The campsite plans to market the helicopter around £60 per night so although not as cheap as pitching a tent, at least you can be pretty sure this accommodation won’t blow over in the middle of the night!

You can find more details about some of the more unusual items on the Blackberry Wood web site.

More East Sussex Resources:
Campsites in East Sussex
Tourist attractions around South East England
Self-catering cottages in Southern England

Up up and away in a helicopter caravan is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

From 6am this morning, the budget hotel chain Travelodge began offering up rooms for just a tenner, but hurry as the rooms are likely to sell out fast.

£10 rooms apply to bookings from 1st September to 31st December right around the country and with 460 hotels to chose from, why not grab yourself a bargain and get away for a well deserved and very cheap break?

For more details, see the Travelodge web site.

Travelodge £10 sale starts this morning! is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

It might not fix the banks, but if you want to get away from it all under the stars, just not too far away from it all, then the whole Glamping in a Yurt might be just up your street.

Here are a few suggestions for where best to head for your Year of the Yurt experience.

1) Long Valley Yurts in the Lake District have brought the Yurt to the heart of the lakes without taking away from the experience by cramming lots of these Mongolia tent’s together. In fact there are only two to three Yurts per site (and four sites in total) so you’ll get a much more realistic experience.

As this is Glamping style camping of course there are facilities such as toilets, showers and such, but don’t expect this to be a holiday camp – overall it is still a campsite, just with a posh tent. At least unlike the traditional Yurt, you don’t have to carry this one home.

The sites are currently Great Langdale (near Ambleside), Low Wray by Windermere and two in Borrowdale near Keswick.

2) Yurt Farm in Wales isn’t as the name might suggest a large campground filled with Yurt’s, but simply an organic farm in the Powys region of Wales with two large Yurt’s strategically placed in a field.

The Yurt’s are surprisingly spacious and include wooden floors (appears similar to laminate). All the furniture in the Yurt is made from timber sourced from the farm and even the Yurt’s themselves are made locally, plus there’s a log fire to keep any British chills out. For a very organic Yurt experience, head for for the The Yurt Farm.

3) Really Green Holiday Company Yurt’s also combine the comfort and space of the Yurt with the environmental concerns that seem to go rather hand in hand with this kind of camping.

There are a small number of Yurt’s on the site and although each has it’s own cooking facilities, there is also a central cooking area for those who want to meet the neighbours. With very nice comfortable beds, this is not sleeping bag camping by anyone’s imagination – perhaps more camping for the Guardian reader generation?

There’s even a video from the company behind the site (more Yurt’s below the video):

4) Shadow Woods Yurt’s has set a small number of Yurt’s in 63 acres of woodlands and meadows’ giving each Yurt its own space and really trying to provide that proper rural retreat.

Admittedly this might seem a little far from Glamping, but you still get to sleep out in an environmentally friendly way without having to worry about pitching the tent and building the camp fire safely. Perhaps the Shadow Woods experience is best described as the most rural and rustic Glamping in the list.

A big advantage of the site is its proximity to the Goodwood site so anyone wanting to relive their boyhood or girlhood dreams of yesteryear can also travel back to a simpler time when they camped out in the woods Swallows & Amazon’s style….just without the pirate ship.

5) Annwn Valley traditional Yurt’s address one slight problem with all of the above – they’ve all rather Anglo-fied the Yurt experience and perhaps over concentrate on the ecological side rather than bringing in the real experience of a Mongolian Yurt.

This is where Annwn Valley comes in as they not only provide you with a traditionally built Yurt, but even decorate it to look like the real thing. If your dreams were of being Lawrence of Arabia rather than Swallows and Amazons then this might be perfect.

Conclusion: Perhaps its time we forgot the Costa’s (well except the coffee shops) and took ourselves back out into the open air to re-discover what life is supposed to be about.

Inspirational list of Glamping sites from the Telegraph.

More UK Resources:
Campsites and caravan parks around Britain
Things to see and do in the UK
UK Self-catering cottages

Top 5 glamping sites in the Year of the Yurt is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

This 41 bedroom hotel is being re-positioned as the quintessential ‘family seaside hotel’ with a homely house party style atmosphere, offering great, locally sourced food and an array of children’s facilities; all at an affordable price for families (with children under 12 staying free in their parent’s room (conditions apply).

The property was acquired in February 2011 by Nigel Chapman’s Halcyon Hotels Group. Nigel is best known as the founder of Luxury Family Hotels (Fowey Hall, Woolley Grange, Moonfleet Manor and Ickworth), which he sold to Von Essen six years ago, and is most recently credited as a founder of Portugal’s leading luxury family resort, Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, on the western Algarve.

The Polurrian Bay is Nigel’s first UK hotel acquisition since the sale of Luxury Family Hotels in 2005 and there are plans to bring in further similar properties as a new ‘generation’ of family hotels, each with their own distinctly welcoming and stylish character.

The original Polurrian Hotel dates back to 1890 and was the first hotel on the Lizard peninsula. Over the years the hotel has hosted a number of famous guests including the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who stayed at the original hotel in 1901 whilst conducting his experiments to send the first transatlantic message in Morse Code from nearby Poldhu Beach across the Atlantic to St Johns, Newfoundland.

Chapman’s team includes many ‘old hands’ from the Luxury Family Hotels days and they have now completed the first phase of the refurbishment to this century old building. Appreciating the fact that parents don’t want to compromise on quality just because they are travelling with children, they have created stylish yet comfortable interiors that are warm and welcoming with subtle touches that evoke the atmosphere of the hotel’s heyday as a classic 1950’s seaside hotel.

The spacious public rooms are being gently restored back to their Edwardian origins, with the pitch pine parquet floors now revealed – the fine features that characterised this stately hotel are now on show again.

Food is once again at the forefront of the story. Cornwall abounds with high quality produce including, of course, the freshest fish, often caught, cooked and served on the same day. Relationships with local growers and artisan suppliers are being nurtured and the food at the Polurrian Bay is best described as ‘delicious and unpretentious’.

The hotel is set in 12 acres of gardens with a series of terraced lawns. The south west coastal footpath, which is maintained by the National Trust, meanders discreetly through the gardens and it’s possible to join the path that leads down to the hotel’s own pristine sandy beach at Polurrian Cove or to follow the path to the small working harbour at Mullion Cove.

Guests can make use of the hotel’s leisure facilities with the cliff top tennis court; two swimming pools – one outdoor and another indoor heated pool and a sports field behind the hotel. For younger guests there’s a separate playground area with a wooden climbing frame, swings and a slide. Within the hotel a ‘movie theatre’ shows films for families as well as children and there are further child friendly facilities. For younger children aged between six months and eight years, the hotel offers a spacious and complimentary Ofsted registered ‘Den’ with plenty of toys, games and activities to keep even the most energetic children amused.

For older children there is the ‘Blue Room’, which is named after the tube created by a breaking wave – the holy grail of surfers. Stylishly designed with a futuristic look children can use this free of charge at any time and absorb themselves in the latest video games, or meet up with like-minded youngsters and indulge in more traditional pastimes such as board games, or a game of pool or table football.

To make parent’s lives easier the hotel also offers a babysitting service, high chairs, cots and baby equipment which can be ordered in advance.

For adults the hotel offers a ‘Purity Spa’ where parents can escape for relaxing and reviving facials, massages and wraps using luxurious Elemis products as well as Spiezia Organics.

Beyond the hotel a wide range of sporting activities can be arranged from cycle hire and horse riding to surfing and golf. There’s also a huge choice of exceptional beaches close by, such as family friendly Poldhu Cove and Praa Sands as well as the world famous beach at Kynance Cove. Wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy seeing the animals at the Gweek Seal Sanctuary or visitors can step back in history and experience a traditional Cornish Tin mine at the Poldark Mine.

Between 8th July and 4th September 2011, rooms cost from £150 per room per night including breakfast and VAT, based on two adults sharing an inland facing refurbished room.

Children under 12 stay stay FREE year round in their parent’s room on an accommodation only basis (subject to the suitability of the room to take extra beds). Children’s breakfast costs £5 per child per night for those aged two – seven years (inclusive) and £7:50 per child per night for eight -11 years (inclusive). Breakfast for children under 24 months is free of charge.

The first phase of the refurbishment will be completed by 8th July 2011; however a small selection of rooms will not be newly refurbished until Autumn 2011. When available, these rooms will be charged at a 25% discount on the room rates.

Cornwall’s Polurrian Bay Hotel re-launches is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog

1. Warwick Castle, Warwick
Suggested place to stay: Coombe Abbey Hotel, Coventry
Or click here for more hotels near Warwick Castle.

2.  Tower of London, London
Suggested place to stay: Royal Horseguards Hotel, Westminster
Or click here for more hotels near Tower of London.

3. Windsor Castle, Windsor
Suggested place to stay: Waterside Inn, Bray
Or click here for more hotels near Windsor Castle.

4. Leeds Castle, Maidstone
Suggested place to stay: Hotel du Vin, Tunbridge Wells
Or click here for more hotels near Leeds Castle.

5. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
Suggested place to stay: Dalhousie Castle and Spa, Bonnyrigg
Or click here for more hotels near Edinburgh Castle.

6. Alnwick Castle, Alnwick
Suggested place to stay: Otterburn Tower Hotel, Otterburn
Or click here for more hotels near Alnwick Castle.

7. Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh
Suggested place to stay: Eshott Hall, Morpeth
Or click here for more hotels near Bamburgh Castle.

8. Caernarfon Castle, Caernarfon
Suggested place to stay: Meifod Country House Hotel, Bontnewydd
Or click here for more hotels near Caernarfon Castle.

9. Bodiam Castle, Robertsbridge
Suggested place to stay: The George, Rye
Or click here for more hotels near Bodiam Castle.

10. Kenilworth Castle, Kenilworth
Suggested place to stay: None suggested.
Our suggestion:  Loch Fyne Milsoms Hotel, Kenilworth
Or click here for more hotels near Kenilworth Castle.

The best castles in Britain to visit… and the best places to stay nearby is a post from UKseries.com's UK Travel Blog