Friday, September 16, 2005

Warner Breaks are great!

We got back from our Warner Breaks holiday today. It was bloody fantastic!

We spent 4 days at Alvaston Hall near Nantwich. We turned into the driveway and caught a glimpse of the hotel over the wall. All we could both say was "Oh. My. God." As we turned into the car park we were incapable even of that. The place was absolutely amazing. It's a huge timber framed building with some more modern buildings attached to it but all inkeeping with the look of the place. Inside was equally amazing - the entrance hall was like walking into a stately home!

Warnder Breaks only cater for adults. "Their motto is Holiday's for grown ups". Kids aren't allowed which is why we chose to go there in the first place - no point having a break without the kids and having to put up with other people's.

It was only at dinner on the first evening that we realised exactly how grown up your average Warner Breaks guest is. The only people even close to our age (27 & 30) were the staff and even then most of them were older than us. We were by far the youngest guests there but I'll tell you what - these old buggers have got some energy!

We went out to a local town/city every morning and came back to the hotel after lunch. We did Nantwich, Crewe and Stoke. The hotel put on entertainment pretty much constantly from 10am to midnight. We spent most of the time either at the evening cabaret shows or in the leisure centre.

Let me just elaborate on the leisure centre because it was my favourite bit. There was a gym which I studiously avoided. There was a swimming pool, spa, sauna, steam room and tropicarium. Most people won't have heard of a tropicarium (I hadn't) - it's basically a sauna crossed with a steam room. The sauna is about 80 deg C, the steam room about 50 deg C and 100% humidity. The tropicarium was about 60 deg C and about 40% humidity so it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too dry - I could have lived in that tropicarium if it wasn't for the fact it only seated about 6 people and it would have killed me after about an hour.

I definitely have to recommend this place for a holiday for adults. No kids, good food, no kids, good entertainment, no kids, good staff, no kids ... no kids.