Ten Last Minute Great British Easter Holiday Escapes for the Whole Family

With cheerful spring blooms and the promise of a new season, Easter is always an egg-stra special time of year. From Pooh Bear holiday adventures (and afternoon tea) in East Sussex, to a stay in a fairytale castle in Scotland, here is a selection of 10 Easter holiday ideas from Pride of Britain Hotels, Elite Hotels, Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa and Seaham Hall Hotel:

Resident ducks and delightful gardens in Hampshire

Located in the heart of Hampshire near the village of Hook, Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens has 66 acres of grounds for children to run about in. Ideal for families, Tylney Tots (aged 0-2) stay for free and children (up to the age of 16) stay for just £15 per night, including breakfast and a range of complimentary on-site activities. Little ones will love feeding the hotel’s resident ducks and splashing about in the pool. Those a little older can enjoy tennis, croquet, cycling, board games and a treasure hunt in the grounds. The hotel has a three-course Easter Sunday Luncheon with a special children’s menu and entertainment (17 April; £46 per adult/£23 per child). An overnight stay during the Easter holidays costs from £397.25 per night (family of four sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the leisure facilities. For further information call Tylney Hall on 01256 764881 (www.tylneyhall.co.uk).

Kids stay free in Scotland

Over 65 family-friendly activities are available in and around the expansive grounds at Glenapp Castle this April. The Scottish castle with fairytale turrets on the Ayrshire coast is an enchanting escape for families. The hotel’s Easter egg-stravaganza includes experiences from perfume making, archery and stargazing to falconry, canoeing and forest bathing. An overnight stay costs from £399.50 per night for a family of four sharing (children aged 0-15), including accommodation in a luxury suite, full Scottish breakfast and children’s dinner. Valid 1-18 April. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Save 20% on a spring staycation in London’s Mayfair

With complimentary Easter egg decorating for little ones, a dedicated Children’s Concierge on hand and a host of family-friendly London attractions on its doorstep, The Athenaeum Hotel is the perfect base for a family break in the city this spring. The family run hotel is serving an Easter-inspired afternoon tea (£45pp) and overlooks Green Park (picnics and kite-flying sessions can be arranged and bikes are available to borrow). Explore a little further and find a Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt at Kensington Palace (2, 3, 6-10, 13-17 April), a Dino Kingdom Easter Special at Gunnersbury Park (1-18 April) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Kew Gardens (2-18 April). Save 20% on stays of three nights or more this spring. A three-night stay costs from £2,000 for a family of four sharing. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

A country house perfect for children in West Sussex

Park House, near the market town of Midhurst in the South Downs, has been family-owned for four generations and with just 23 bedrooms, children will feel like they are staying at their very own country house. The expansive grounds and surrounding countryside offer a range of leisure pursuits for all ages, from spring strolls in the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a dip in the hotel’s indoor or outdoor pools and croquet on the lawn. Choose a room in the main house or one of the four cottages. On arrival, chocolate surprises await for children to enjoy. The hotel’s Easter package costs from £375 per night (four sharing a family suite), including full English breakfast. Alternatively, stay in a cottage from £400 per night (family of two adults and two children sharing). The hotel’s Easter package costs from £375 per night (four sharing a family suite), including full English breakfast. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Vibrant spring blooms and Easter Afternoon Tea in Buckinghamshire

In the 18th century, the revered English landscape architect Capability Brown transformed 90 acres of countryside surrounding Hartwell House, in the Vale of Aylesbury on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. The hotel’s spring garden has been planted with over 10,000 daffodils and other vibrant spring blooms to discover include primroses and anemones. A roam through the parkland reveals a curious collection of pavilions and monuments - including a Gothic tower, a triumphal arch and an iconic temple - dotted amongst grand statues, winding canals and an ornamental stone bridge. After a stroll through the grounds on Easter Sunday (17 April), gather family and friends to enjoy the hotel’s three-course Easter Sunday Luncheon (£54pp) or an indulgent Easter Afternoon Tea (£39 pp). An overnight stay at Hartwell House during the Easter holidays costs from £265 per night (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the spa facilities. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Salty sea air and sandy toes in Cornwall

Located on Cornwall’s beautiful Roseland Peninsula, The Nare is ideal for a family break with heated indoor and outdoor pools, daily Cornish cream tea and family supper times. The hotel overlooks Carne Beach and with its wide expanse of golden sand and rock pools aplenty, it is not only one of Cornwall’s best beaches but is also a paddling paradise for children. For an extra-special Swallows & Amazons style adventure, families can hire the hotel’s classically designed Cornish Crabber (complete with skipper), Maggie O’Nare, to explore the creeks under sail. A family stay during the Easter holidays costs £980 per room per night (four sharing a sea view Grand Suite with large private living area and balcony) and includes room and breakfast, dinner and daily Cornish cream tea. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

NEW: Family-friendly Easter adventure trail in Suffolk

For an egg-cellent Easter adventure, enjoy a family-friendly trail through the picturesque and medieval village of Lavenham. Spot the crooked and colourful half-timbered houses, take part in nature-inspired activities and be rewarded with a delicious Easter egg at the end. Stay in the heart of town at a new and suitably historic, yet light and airy, self-catering retreat. The Dairy (sleeps six), part of a Grade I listed, 13th-century Priory with characterful oak beams and a private courtyard garden recently launched by the Swan at Lavenham Hotel and Spa. The newest accommodation addition has three bedrooms and is a short stroll from the main hotel and its boutique spa. A two-night self-catering stay at The Dairy from 12 April costs from £600 (up to six sharing with children aged five and over; minimum two-night stay). Guests are welcome to dine in The Swan’s Gallery or Brasserie restaurants and adults can indulge with a spa treatment (extra cost). Easter egg hunts at Lavenham Guildhall are available from 9 to 18 April (trail packs cost £3pp). Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Easter in A.A.Milne country in East Sussex

Surrounded by the Ashdown Forest – of A.A.Milne fame – Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, in East Sussex is the perfect place for a family Winnie-the-Pooh-style adventure this Easter. An hour from London and with over 186 acres of woodland to explore, families can enjoy adventures such as the ‘Pooh Bear Walk from Gill’s Lap’ which passes many of Pooh Bear and Christopher Robin’s favourite places. The hotel also has a children’s ramble which includes ‘Kickabout Corner’ – great for a ball game or frisbee throwing. Back at the hotel, children will find deer roaming the grounds, table tennis, a miniature putting green, splash times in the pool, a delicious kids’ menu, children’s afternoon teas and juice with cookies at bedtime. The hotel has an Easter Celebratory Afternoon Tea with chocolate treats for the whole family (available 15-18 April; £33 per adult/ £12 per child). Winnie-the-Pooh, who also loves all things sweet (especially ‘hunny’), would surely approve. Nearby in Hartfield, the famous bear has a museum and tea shop, Pooh Corner. During school holidays, children stay free when they share their parents’ room (Sunday-Thursday stays; includes breakfast). An overnight stay during the Easter holidays costs from £353.55 per night (family of four sharing an Executive Room), including full English breakfast. Call Ashdown Park on 01342 824988 (www.ashdownpark.com).

Equine Easter fun in Suffolk

Nestled next to rolling paddocks close to Newmarket racecourses, Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, is a former Georgian hunting lodge with easy access to the serene Suffolk countryside. In springtime, the hotel’s three acres of secluded gardens are bursting with beautiful blooms - including daffodils, tulips, crocuses and hyacinths. The rose garden, brimming with ten varieties, is a pleasing palette of pastel colours. A short hop from the hotel, Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse is hosting an Easter Family Fun Day (16th April) with a Peter Rabbit Activity Trail or why not meet the furry four-legged foals at The National Stud (also close by)? In Newmarket town, Artistry in Cocoa will be hosting Easter Egg Making Workshops (10, 13, 16 and 20 April). An overnight stay is from £155 per room (family of four sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the Health & Fitness Club with its 15m indoor pool. Visit www.bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk or call 01638 663175.

Chocolate fondues and bubbles this Easter on Durham’s Heritage Coast

Luxury five-star hotel Seaham Hall offers a super indulgent three-night Easter escape, with three-course dinner each night, and chocolate fondue with a bottle of champagne in your own Garden Suite, with modern or Scandinavian Wood Fired hot tub. Enjoy cliff top walks, bike rides along the coast and a 60-minute spa treatment each in the Serenity Spa. Arriving Good Friday (15 April), the Easter break in a hot tub suite costs £1,230 pp (two sharing), including daily breakfast and the above elements. £825 pp (two sharing) for a Junior Suite. To book, call Seaham Hall on 0191 516 1400 (www.seaham-hall.co.uk).